Tramin, winery-cooperative “jewel” of South Tyrol, inaugurates the new production facility

The project reaches completion for one of the symbols of South Tyrolean viticulture, a terroir where the production of white wines is among the most important and renowned in the world, with the inauguration of the new production facility of Cantina Tramin, one of the leading wineries in the region and beyond, bringing together 270 hectares of vineyards and 300 members, following an investment of 15 million euros, as previously reported by WineNews. This development represents the most significant investment in the 128 years of history of the cooperative winery in Termeno (Tramin), founded in 1898 on the initiative of Christian Schrott, the village priest and then a member of the Parliament in Vienna. The project was designed by architect Werner Tscholl, who also created the winery headquarters built in 2010, considered one of the most beautiful wineries in Italy and a landmark of Termeno. The expansion, largely underground, was carried out with the aim of further enhancing production standards and wine quality, from the grape reception stage during harvest through to vinification. Most of the new structure consists of two underground levels built on an already sealed surface, minimizing environmental impact. The entire project was conceived to enable rapid, flexible, and particularly gentle grape processing, even when weather conditions require the simultaneous harvesting of numerous vineyard parcels. The layout maximizes the use of gravity and includes three new presses, allowing all grapes to be handled with exceptional care and precision.
Therefore, Cantina Tramin continues to invest, and in doing so sends an important message to the entire wine world, confirming the strength of the South Tyrolean model which, according to a recent study published by the American Association of Wine Economists (Aawe), and as previously analyzed, ranks second only to Champagne in terms of wealth generated per hectare of vineyard land. In this way, Tscholl completes the sculptural complex which recalls vineyard vines both in form and color, creating a dialogue with the surrounding environment and evoking the site’s historic connection to viticulture. The new project enhances the production building with a profiled-glass façade in various shades of green, consistent with the style of the existing structure. Its light and transparent appearance blends harmoniously into the vineyard landscape while concealing the functional areas. The underground sections have been covered with soil and planted with vines, further integrating the building volume into the landscape. At the same time, the photovoltaic system has been expanded and now independently covers two-thirds of the winery energy requirements.
“The expansion and reorganization project of the production area will have a tangible and positive impact on the quality of our wines - affirms Willi Stürz, chief winemaker and technical director of Cantina Tramin (whose arrival in the 1990s helped consolidate the shift toward quality and launched the winery “Selection” wine project, ed). “The new facility opens up fresh opportunities for separate vinification and small-lot processing of grapes. In this way, we will be able to further highlight the character of individual terroirs and vineyard parcels, expressing with even greater precision the potential and identity of each vintage”.