There are countless wineries in the area, but I believe these two are truly special and unique. With their fairytale beauty, they will allow you to enter a fantastic world and find, at least for a few hours... paradise all of a sudden!
In any season, whether for a motorcycle ride or a leisurely car trip, the wine road (or Weinstrasse) is an unmissable must. This scenic road, founded in 1964, is one of the oldest wine routes in Italy. It runs parallel to the Adige valley, in the Oltradige, starting from Nalles, touches the city of Bolzano, and continues south until it reaches Cortina. It is about 70 km long, has 4,250 hectares of vineyards, and represents 84 percent of the viticulture of South Tyrol. Numerous small villages line the wine road, truly delightful in their refined South Tyrolean simplicity. Among these, Magrè on the Wine Road stands out. Its historic center has preserved its beauty over the years: little streets, fountains, and charming corners make a walk through this ancient village interesting and full of surprises. The old manor houses with architectural elements in Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles characterize the appearance of this small village.
The real gem of Magrè is definitely the Alois Lageder winery. The winery fits perfectly into the architectural context of the village. An ancient and fairytale courtyard with fountains and dotted with plants and flowers opens up, revealing the perfectly preserved old residence.
In the warm season, the tables under the shade of large white umbrellas invite you to spend a few hours relaxing and enjoying the culinary delights offered by the winery.
Even in the colder seasons, Alois Lageder knows how to pamper its guests: the Paradeis offers the possibility to sit inside its restaurant, very well-kept but not at all snobbish, and to enjoy traditional South Tyrolean dishes revisited, accompanied by their excellent wines. The Lageder winery is in fact a renowned producer of very fine white and red wines. My favorite is without a doubt the Gewurztraminer, but I assure you they are all truly excellent!
If you are still not satisfied and want to continue along the fairytale path of tastings, I recommend, perhaps for a snack, a stop at Tiefenbrunner at Schlosskellerei Turmhof in Niclara. After leaving the main road, after a long climb you will enter the park of Castel Turmhof where time seems to have stopped. In front of you stands the ancient manor with its typical and delightful white and red shutters. All around, a charming landscape with mountains, caverns, caves, small lakes, and islets, animated with the detailed shapes of human and animal figures.
Enter through the magnificent portal and admire the inner courtyard, where in the warm season you can sit at the tables and enjoy an excellent and gargantuan snack of speck, cold cuts, cheeses, homemade liver pâté, smoked sausages, homemade bread, and “Schüttelbrot” strictly accompanied by a glass of excellent Tiefenbrunner wine. In the cold season, the snack will instead be served in the pine wood stube.
There are countless wineries in the area, but I believe these two are truly special and unique. With their fairytale beauty, they will allow you to enter a fantastic world and find, at least for a few hours... paradise all of a sudden!