Discover the Cantina Merano brand: here's our interview.

Cantina Merano is a farm immersed in the Merano territory at the gates of the Val Venosta (here you find the typical products of Trentino Alto Adige) and is capable of offering you a wide range of wines with an authentic and unique character.

Cantina Merano was born in July 2010 from the merger of two historic wine cellars from Merano: Cantina Vini Merano, established in 1952, and Cantina Burggräfler, founded in 1901. It consists of 360 members who manage and work a vineyard area of approximately 245 hectares. Mostly, these are families who have passed down this passion for generations. The work of the winemakers on the steep slopes and terraces is mainly done by hand: the constant care of the vines and the customized cultivation methods contribute to the preservation of the landscape. 

The task of Cantina Merano is to complete the work of art born in the vineyards. At the time of harvest, each bunch is hand-picked and carefully inspected, to provide a selected and impeccable raw material. The subsequent phase involves maturing these precious grapes with delicate and innovative production methods, alongside the experience, sensitivity, and intuition of the winemaker Stefan Kapfinger.
Cantina Merano rigorously produces authentic wines with unique notes that manage to convey the special character of the grapes grown in our territory in a landscape historically inspired by viticulture. The company's absolute priority is to maintain the authentic character of the wine, ensuring that it keeps its roots.
Thanks to the rich diversity of the wine regions around the city of Merano and in the Val Venosta, more than 20 different grape varieties find the best conditions for development.

We love these realities, these producers of unique, certified, and award-winning delicacies: they are true treasures embedded in our Peninsula between seas and mountains and in the most remote streets of villages and countryside. We do not just focus on living their products; we want to discover more closely the protagonists of this brand. That’s why we have sent some questions to those who manage communication with us.

Stay with us to learn about the Cantina Merano: read the answers!
 

• Who are we talking to?
  I am Stefan Kapfinger, the winer of Cantina Merano.
   
• Is the company family-owned? Who was the founder, and what was their training or what professional field did they come from if different from the current one? What is the real reason or triggering fact behind the birth of this company, and when did it happen?
  We are a wine cooperative. We, Cantina Merano, are deeply rooted in our land. Tradition, landscape, and viticulture have always been closely linked to the Merano area. The first stone for the foundation of our Cantina was laid in 1901 with very few winemakers. Today, after more than a century and the merger of Cantina Burggräfler and Cantina Vini Merano in 2010, the reopening in June 2013 marked the start of a new era.
   
• What is your relationship with your land of origin and its typicity? And why do you want to tell its story with your products?
  The quality in the vineyard, the quality of our work, and the quality in the wine glass are of the utmost priority. The origin and provenance of the grapes must always be recognizable. The wine must remain true to its "roots" as a synonym for transparency, character, and authenticity. Each of our bottles thus becomes a truly special experience.
   
• What was the first product you created?
  The Schiava Meranese is the oldest native red grape variety of South Tyrol and enjoys great notoriety, especially in the Merano area. It is a very versatile wine that pairs excellently with both traditional South Tyrolean dishes and Italian specialties. Served chilled, this light red wine is also appreciated as an aperitif. Thus, a great tradition marries with an extraordinary tasting experience.
   
• What is the product that you consider the "flagship" today?
  The Pinot Bianco Riserva "V Years". The idea of creating a great white reserve that matures for 5 years in the cellar on fine lees came to me many years ago. It has always been important to me to assess the different processing possibilities of our flagship white wine varieties. The grapes for this refined and elegant meditation wine come from a single vineyard located below Castle Tyrol. The creation of this reserve wine requires particular care and great attention to detail. The prerequisites are the use of the best clones, accurate yield control, and meticulous manual work. After careful pressing of the whole grape with natural sedimentation, this masterpiece is left to rest on fine lees for one year in oak barrels and for another four years in steel. Only after more than five years - as the name also suggests - is this extraordinary reserve wine ready for bottling.
   
• And what is the product that has most carried the beating heart, philosophy, and soul of the company in its entire history?
  The Pinot Bianco feels perfectly at home on the arid soils and sunny slopes of Merano and Val Venosta. For over 150 years, this white grape variety has been cultivated with great success, to the point that in recent years it has become the flagship variety among the whites of South Tyrol. A true champion.
   
• Let's talk about today: how much has the company grown since its birth? Can we have some numbers?
  360 members manage and work an area of approximately 245 hectares. Mostly, these are families who have passed down this passion for generations. The work of the winemakers on the steep slopes and terraces is mainly done by hand: the constant care of the vines and ecological cultivation methods contribute to the preservation of the landscape. The farmers consider themselves loving gardeners of nature, whose small vineyards in the urban area of Merano, along the slopes of neighboring municipalities, and especially in Val Venosta highlight the charm of this region.
   
• At this moment: more tradition or more innovation?
  We rely on manual work not only in the vineyards but also in the cellar, in order to ensure a careful and delicate processing of the grapes. Many hours of work and a winning team spirit are the requirements that allow us to meet the high quality standards of our wine cooperative. In our cellars, tradition and innovation blend with competence, foresight, and attention to produce authentic high-quality wines.
   
• Speaking of the future: what awaits the company tomorrow? Are there any planned changes or new evolutionary processes? Do you intend to create new products?
  Cantina Merano is dedicated to the production of a DOC sparkling wine with a complex and long maturation in the bottle according to the “classic method,” the oldest and most elaborate production procedure in the world. Each bottle is unique; each sip is a joy. The Brut Riserva 36 is a sparkling wine created from a large cuvée of the French grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Bianco. The grapes come from selected vineyards in the Merano area, which, thanks to the skillful blending, develop a unique, fresh, and fruity aroma. The complex second fermentation in the bottle followed by 36 months aging on fine lees gives this reserve sparkling wine a fine-grained perlage and a pleasant note of yeast, making it a true masterpiece. In an unusually clear elegant bottle, the complex bouquet of bread crust, yeast, vanilla, and ripe fruit perfectly combines with the minerality, vibrant acidity, and fine, persistent perlage.
   
• By focusing on Spaghetti & Mandolino, how important is online sales for you, what has been your relationship with this sales channel in the past, and how do you see it in the future?
  Yes, we also have a website for the online shop service. We also rely on the online shopping portals of our retailers, with good results and satisfied consumers.
   
• Value: what has it been, what is it today, and what will it be in the future for your company?
  After the merger of the two largest wine realities in the Merano area in 2010, Cantina Merano has had to face several tasks. One of our goals was to become a nucleus and meeting point for wine activities in the Merano area, a place to meet and taste a glass of wine, a venue for social and cultural events. A goal successfully achieved, and now we can say we are the most important wine reality in the western area of South Tyrol.

S&M