Summary
Klosterkellerei Muri-Gries is one of Italy's most unusual wine addresses: it belongs to a Benedictine abbey that is still active today, right in the middle of Bolzano, in the district of Gries. Across around 35 hectares in and around Bolzano and on the Überetsch plateau, it makes wines that have done much to establish Alto Adige's reputation as the home of Lagrein. The alluvial soils of Gries are considered the classic terroir of this indigenous red variety, and for decades the Lagrein Riserva "Abtei Muri" has been one of its benchmark wines. Roughly four fifths of production is red; the range is rounded out by classic Alto Adige whites.
History
The roots of the complex reach back to the 12th century, when a collegiate priory of Augustinian canons was founded in the water meadows of Bolzano. Because the site in the floodplain of the Isarco was repeatedly inundated, the canons had to abandon it: in 1406 Duke Leopold IV of Habsburg granted them the castle of Gries as a replacement. The priory remained there until it was suppressed by the Bavarian administration in 1807.
The second strand of the story leads to Switzerland. In 1841 the Grand Council of the canton of Aargau decided to dissolve the monasteries of the canton – among them the important Benedictine abbey of Muri. In 1845 the expelled monks found a new home in Gries: the Austrian emperor assigned them the empty priory buildings. Since then the abbey has carried the double name Muri-Gries, and the viticulture practised here for centuries passed into Benedictine hands. For decades, cellar master Christian Werth shaped the modern style of the house; at the turn of the year 2025/26 he handed over to Manfred Bernard.
Location & Terroir
Bolzano sits in a wide basin where the Isarco, Talvera and Adige rivers meet – and where summer temperatures reach levels rarely seen elsewhere in Alto Adige. That warmth is exactly what the late-ripening Lagrein needs. Much of the estate's vineyard land lies on the alluvial soils around Gries: deep, sandy and gravelly deposits that warm up quickly, drain well and bring the variety to full ripeness without making the wines heavy.
The contrast comes from the higher vineyards on the Überetsch plateau near Appiano. It is cooler there, the nights are fresher, and the grapes retain more acidity and aroma – ideal conditions for Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer as well as for Pinot Nero. Combining the two zones allows the estate to produce both powerful reds and slender, fresh whites from its own sites.
Style & Philosophy
Muri-Gries sees itself as a specialist for single-varietal wines in which grape and origin remain clearly recognisable. For Lagrein that means deep colour, firm but as ripe as possible tannins, and a spicy depth that absorbs the variety's characteristic bitter edge rather than drowning it out. The top wines age in small oak casks, while the entry-level wines stay fruit-driven and approachable.
A hallmark of the house is its site principle: for the top bottlings the grapes come from a single vineyard, selected vintage by vintage. Ageing takes place in the centuries-old vaulted cellars beneath the abbey – historic fabric into which modern cellar technology has been integrated. That the business belongs to a monastery is more than folklore: the long-term, multi-generational perspective of a religious community shapes how the vineyards are farmed.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range has two tiers: a classic line under the name Muri-Gries and, above it, the Riservas.
- Lagrein Riserva "Abtei Muri" – the estate's flagship and one of Italy's best-known Lagrein wines
- Lagrein Riserva "Weingarten Klosteranger" – a single-vineyard wine from the plot right beside the abbey
- Weißburgunder (Pinot Bianco) Riserva "Abtei Muri" – the top white of the house
- Blauburgunder (Pinot Nero) Riserva "Abtei Muri" and the sweet Rosenmuskateller "Abtei Muri"
- Lagrein and Lagrein Kretzer (rosé) as well as St. Magdalener and Vernatsch in the classic line
- Whites from Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Sylvaner and Gewürztraminer
Awards
For years Muri-Gries has been part of the fixed circle of Alto Adige producers regularly honoured by the Italian wine guides; the Lagrein Riserva "Abtei Muri" in particular reliably earns top scores. Weighing even more than individual trophies is the estate's role for the variety itself: through decades of work on wood ageing, Muri-Gries has contributed significantly to Lagrein being taken seriously today as an age-worthy red wine – and no longer merely as a regional speciality.