From: Alto Adige, Italy
Varietal: Pinot Grigio
Tasting Notes: Bright, straw yellow in color, gentle, pronounced aromas reminiscent of mature, yellow fruits. Harmonic and smooth on the palate, fresh and intense in the finish.
The Wilhelm Walch winery lies in the traditional wine village of Tramin in Alto Adige, the northernmost Italian wine-producing region. Since its founding in 1869, it has remained in the hands of the founders, the Walchs, who have decisively influenced the development of Alto Adige wine culture.
The wine estate puts emphasis on the typicity of Alto Adige and its local wine varieties – classic wines in a modern and straightforward style – while rounding out the broad palette of wines with international varieties. The quality of the wines is a testament to professional expertise in the cellar and meticulous work in the steep vineyards at the feet of the Dolomites.
The founder, Wilhelm Walch, ran a successful restaurant and a distillery in Vorarlberg. When he decided to enlarge his business but was not able to obtain a license, he moved with his five adult offspring to nearby Alto Adige. He acquired a former Jesuit monastery in Tramin and founded the wine estate. He showed good business sense, bought vineyards in the most promising areas of Tramin and Caldaro, and turned the family business into one of the largest wine estates in Alto Adige.
The Walch family, now in the fifth generation, still manages the estate. In the nearly 150 years of its history, modern new buildings have enlarged and augmented the historic estate. Since then, about 100 contracted grape growers deliver their precious grapes to the family to supplement the family-owned vineyards.