South Tyrolean Wine Museum

Wine was already cultivated and pressed in South Tyrol before the Roman conquest. The Romans learned here that wine could be stored and transported not only in amphorae, but also in barrels. Wine became more and more important as an economic factor. In the Middle Ages, a liter of wine cost as much as a day laborer earned in a day. The church and the monasteries in particular invested in viticulture. Even monasteries from Germany owned vineyards and cellars in South Tyrol. Even today, the South Tyrolean monastery cellars are among the best in the region.

Wine thrives particularly well in the mild climate of South Tyrol. The main varieties are Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Merlot, St. Magdalener, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Riesling. Even indigenous grape varieties have been bred in South Tyrol, such as Lagrein, Vernatsch and Gewürztraminer, which have become characteristic and a kind of trademark for South Tyrolean wine to this day. South Tyrolean wines are awarded prizes year after year at national and international tastings. Measured by the awards in relation to the cultivation area, South Tyrol is the most successful wine-growing region in Italy.

Kaltern on the South Tyrolean Wine Road is naturally predestined as a location for a museum dedicated to wine as an important and traditional wine village. The wine museum was founded in 1955, making it the first wine museum south of the Alps at that time. Since 1996, the wine museum has been housed in the Zehentkeller of the princely Pfleghaus in the center of Kaltern. Today it is part of the South Tyrolean Folklore Museum in Dietenheim near Bruneck, which also includes the State Museum of Hunting and Fishing in Wolfsthurn Castle in Mareit.

The permanent exhibition of the museum primarily illustrates the work and customs around wine. The work in the vineyard and the necessary tools and equipment over the centuries are shown. The different production methods and storage techniques from wooden barrels to steel tanks are also presented. Another focus is the cultural-historical significance of wine and its role in customs, religion and art. In front of the museum, a wine educational trail leads to the typical and traditional vine trellises. Here, some of the old, now rare grape varieties also grow.

Naturally, a visit to the museum makes you thirsty and awakens the desire to enjoy the wine. Therefore, wine tastings are also held in the deep cellar by appointment. But you can also enjoy South Tyrolean wine in all its diversity in the local establishments, restaurants and cellars in Kaltern.

Address: Goldgasse 1, 39052 Kaltern, Tel. 0471/963168
Opening hours: April 1 - November 11 Tue-Sat 9.30-12, 14-18 Sun + holidays 10-12