Franz Gojer is an iconic Alpine producer, nestled in the mountain town of Bolzano, in the Italian province known as Alto Adige to the Italian-speaking population, or as Südtirol to those who speak German (Südtirol is the preferred term on Gojer’s labels). He tends just 6 hectares of his family vineyards passed down to him in 1982, planted on steep hillsides with regional varietals like Kerner, Schiava, Lagrein and Weissburgunder. Another 2 hectares are leased nearby. Yields are expectedly low here, and his winery, Glögglhof, turns out less than 4,000 cases of wine per year. 

Gojer’s wines exemplify what makes the Alpine terroir so extraordinary, and this is a merit that can only be achieved through humility. It may be the fact that they are not flashy, nor cosmopolitan, nor laden with credentials, naked and free of DOC-gifted neckties, that makes the Franz Gojer wines such outstanding ambassadors of this region. What they are is exceptionally pure, nuanced, and food-friendly. 

St. Magdalener is the appellation with which Gojer is most associated. Soils here are glacial deposit mixed with porphyry, at about 300 meters in elevation. Around their estate of Glögglhof in the Santa Maddalena Classico DOC the vineyards are located on fairly steep hillsides, so the vines are trained in the traditional Pergola system. The Schiava here takes on a little more weight and has riper fruit, and the vines average 35 years of age. It is accentuated with an addition of about 5% Lagrein. Lagrein and Schiava are harvested and fermented together in stainless steel tanks, then malolactic fermentation finishes in large neutral botti, where the wine ages another 5-6 months.

Lively and bright with that freshness of cool mountain air, but also packed with dark black cherry and plum nestled into soft silky tannins that will soften gracefully with age (if you can wait to drink it). 

Pairing: Pork Crown roast studded with garlic, Soft alpine cheeses 

Grapes: 95% Schiava, 5% Lagrein

Soil: Morainic soil with Porphyry

Viticulture: Practicing Organic, Regenerative Agriculture