Telling Untampered Tales

“For me, being a winegrower means first and foremost conveying the zone, the location where we live, the vintage, and our way of life.” Martin Gojer of the Pranzegg estate winery in Bolzano has a clear idea of what his responsibility is as a winegrower. And it is just as clear for him that the story which he wants to tell cannot be adulterated. It is for that reason that the work that is done at the Pranzegg estate winery is carried out according to biodynamic guidelines.

Pranzegg is a small winegrowing operation, with its grape growing areas comprising around three hectares on the slopes above Bolzano. The vineyards are located on steep terrain, so working them by machine is hardly possible. But that is not the reason for the way of working that is especially close to nature. “The conversion to organic growing and our orientation toward biodynamic principles is a logical consequence of our attitude toward life,” explained Gojer, who has been responsible for the Pranzegg estate winery in Bolzano since 2009.

Under his aegis, natural wines are created here, the features of which include spontaneous fermentation and lengthy time on the yeast. Added to this, though, is also the renunciation of fining of any kind and of filtration, the use of only minimal quantities of sulfur, and, as Gojer himself says, “a lot of patience and a special feeling.”

The stories which the natural wines from the Pranzegg estate winery tell are thus not only unadulterated. They also come out without any adornments. And in spite of that, they are excellent – both the stories and the wines.