Christian Plattner’s tiny Waldgries estate is located in the Saint Magdalener hills just outside the town of Bolzano in Alto Adige.
While your first thought of Alto Adige may be mountains and snow, Bolzano is one of Italy’s warmest cities, due of its location at the focal point of three alpine valleys. Here they excel with red grapes that are more challenging to ripen further up in the mountains where Kerner and Pinot Grigio reign.
Both Christian’s Schiava, made in the San Magdalener appellation, and his Lagrein are stunners. The cantina is located in a historical building with a clocktower that was constructed in 1242 as a convent, but was purchased by Christian’s grandfather in the 1940s. Grapes have always been cultivated here, but it was Christian’s father who started bottling wines in the 1970s.
Today, in the surrounding valleys and ski resorts, you can’t go too far without seeing Waldgries on wine lists; in simple mountain chalets or in three star Michelin restaurants, Christian’s wines are well-known as the best of the best.
