The vineyard

Everything began like this...

My origins

The vineyard surrounding our house has always been my world. I was born here and I grew up here, and every day I watched my father at work. In the past, we would sell our grapes to the Novacella Abbey. I attended agricultural school and after several years, in the year 2000 to be precise, I decided to become an independent winemaker: this meant overseeing every phase of production in person, from cultivating the grapevines, to the pressing and marketing of the wine. In the beginning, we owned less than a hectare of vineyards. Today the vineyards cover a surface area of 5.5 hectares. Each year, I produce approximately 45,000 bottles, and of these I hold back some for my collection every year. I have an ambitious goal: to match the elegance of the great wines produced in the renowned wineries of Piedmont, Tuscany, Wachau and Stiria. True quality stands the test of time and improves over the years.

Strong and independent personalities

The Wachtler family

In the Wachtler family, the wine culture and the hospitality culture are flip sides of the same coin. I manage the winery and my wife Margit runs the hotel in Gudon that she inherited from her parents. Our children are very involved in both of our businesses: they work in the hotel’s reception and services and, when needed, they lend a very helpful hand with the winery. They all have strong independent personalities, but as a family we are a true team.

Our employees

Commitment and passion

Only with the help of careful and expert hands is it possible to maintain constant quality in my vines. The oenologist Lukas Ploner helps me make all the most important decisions. He was born in Val Pusteria, did his training at the Taschlerhof winery and since then, has been with us. Seasonal workers and relatives also help out with the work in the vineyard. Spring and autumn are the seasons in which the work is most intense.

Goodness comes from passion

Passion and dialogue with experts from all over Europe have helped Peter Wachtler hone his senses to understand what qualities a great wine must have.

“The prized grapes are only harvested when they have ripened physiologically. This is the only way to guarantee the quality and unique local character of these fruits, directly related to the extraordinary qualities of the land on which they are grown.”

The way the maturation takes place gives the wines their special balance and capacity for aging: in this process, 60% is done in large acacia barrels, and 40% in steel containers.

“The young wines continue to mature on fine lees until late spring and are only ready to be tasted in late summer.”

With a great deal of care and vigilant monitoring, Wachtler manages to maintain the qualities of the mineral soils, which then give his wines that unmistakable fruity bouquet that connoisseurs appreciate so much.

MATURATION

The maturation method gives the Taschlerhof wines balance and the capacity for aging: 60% of the aging takes place in steel containers, 40% in wooden barrels. The young wines mature in constant contact with fine lees and are bottled in late spring.

COLLECTION

For each vintage, we keep back a number of bottles of Riesling and Sylvaner for our own reserve, in order to prove their longevity over periods of years. At the moment, one of the oldest wines in the Taschlerhof cellar is a 2011 Riesling.

QUALITY

The grape bunches are only harvested when the fruits have ripened physiologically. This is the only way to guarantee the quality and unique local characteristics of the fruit, directly related to the extraordinary qualities of the land on which they are grown.