Summary
The Manincor winery in Kaltern is one of the defining estates of South Tyrol and is seen as a biodynamic pioneer of the region. Around the Manincor manor by Lake Kaltern, Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg farms roughly 50 hectares – a notable size for South Tyrol. The vineyards grow leading white varieties such as Pinot Bianco (Weißburgunder), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer, alongside reds like Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder), Merlot, Cabernet, Lagrein and Vernatsch. What makes the estate unmistakable is its consistent biodynamic work: since 2009 the entire collection has been Demeter-certified. On top of that comes a spectacular three-storey gravity-flow cellar built underground beneath the vineyards – here the must moves by gravity alone.
History
The Manincor manor was built in 1608 and has been family-owned since the 17th century. For centuries the estate was a classic South Tyrolean manor with viticulture, but the decisive realignment only began in 1991: that year Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg took over the winery and step by step steered it toward an independent, high-quality direction.
Goëss-Enzenberg, a trained oenologist himself, focused from the outset on origin and quality rather than volume. He built the range around characterful single-vineyard cuvées and took the leap into biodynamic farming. Since 2009 the entire collection has been Demeter-certified – a commitment that made Manincor an early trailblazer of this approach in South Tyrol. To this day the count and cellar master Helmuth Zozin shape the estate's style.
Location & Terroir
Manincor lies in Kaltern (Caldaro) by Lake Kaltern, below the Mendel ridge and around 15 km southwest of Bolzano. This location in the south of South Tyrol is one of the warmer zones of the region – ideal for ripening both white and red varieties. Lake Kaltern acts as a temperature buffer, softening nightly drops in temperature.
The roughly 50 hectares are spread across various sites with different soils – from calcareous gravels to more clayey parcels. This diversity lets the estate find the right spot for each variety: cooler, higher sites for fresh whites, warmer parcels for powerful reds like Lagrein and Pinot Noir. The biodynamic work is meant to keep the soils alive and bring the character of each site as clearly as possible into the wines.
Style & Philosophy
At the heart of Manincor is its biodynamic philosophy: healthy, living soils, no synthetic inputs and the gentlest possible handling of the grapes. This is exactly why the famous gravity-flow cellar was built. It reaches three storeys underground beneath the vineyards, so that the grapes and must pass from level to level without pumps, by gravity alone – protecting the aromas and structure of the wines.
Stylistically, the estate makes mostly dry white and red wines with a clear sense of origin. Many of the top wines are single-vineyard cuvées that combine several varieties or parcels. The whites show freshness and depth, the reds go for elegance rather than blunt power. In this way Manincor combines South Tyrol's rich wine culture with a modern, consistently sustainable signature.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The range is clearly built around characterful single-vineyard cuvées. Among the best-known wines are:
- „Sophie" – an expressive Chardonnay
- „Lieben Aich" – a profound Sauvignon Blanc
- „Réserve del Conte" – a red cuvée of Lagrein, Merlot and Cabernet
- „Mason di Mason" – a fine Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder)
- „Cassiano" – another characterful red cuvée
The central reference point is the historic manor with Castel Campan, around which the vineyards are grouped. The wines regularly rank among the noted representatives of biodynamic South Tyrol.
Awards
Manincor is consistently rated highly in the leading Italian wine guides and is seen as one of the reference addresses for biodynamic viticulture in South Tyrol. Its single-vineyard cuvées and top reds in particular earn recognition both nationally and internationally. With its early switch to Demeter and its consistent focus on origin, the estate has done much to make biodynamic viticulture a natural part of South Tyrol's top tier today.