In the final stretch of the snow-free mountain season you should not miss the chance to combine the clear autumn days with a Törggelen walk (the South Tyrolean custom of going from farm to farm for the new wine and roast chestnuts) and to stop at a farm. In October the landscape shows itself in a blaze of autumn colour, the sun is strong and the smell of autumn intense. Mountaineers have always used this time of year to sit together in a farm parlour and chat about the trips of the past season. Over farmhouse food, fresh wine and roast chestnuts there is a lot of telling and listening, and quite often plans for winter tours get made along the way.
Even the experts do not agree about the tradition of „Törggelen“, whose origin and true form belong where wine and chestnuts grow. One theory says that townspeople and innkeepers from the Eisack Valley went from wine farm to wine farm and tasted the wine in the farmers' cellars and parlours. After that they bought the wine for the year's needs. Another theory holds that the wine growers of Bolzano invited their helpers to a better meal at the farm, the so-called „Auraumer“. This often took place in the cellars, where the wine press, the „Torggl“, stood, and the name „Törggelen“ is derived from it. Both theories may be right, but what counts is that at Törggelen everything revolves around the wine and the roast „Keschtn“. These are the prized sweet chestnuts that grow on the sunny, water-rich slopes and that must not be missing from a proper „Törggele-Marend“ alongside speck, Kaminwurzen and boiled potatoes. Only a few decades ago, in the 1970s, enterprising hosts also began serving hearty platters of butchered meat and creative treats for the palate. A special end to the „Törggelen menu“ are the sweet filled Krapfen. Worth trying are the Krapfen with a „Kloazn“ filling (dried pears), which are served above all around Bolzano.
You „go“ Törggelen!
You „go“ Törggelen, which means that a cheerful Törggelen outing should always be combined with a walk.
The walk in the lower mountains goes together with a visit to one of the many castles and strongholds or to one of the many art-historical treasures along the way. Worth recommending is the „Keschtnweg“, the chestnut trail, which runs from the Eisack Valley across the Ritten to the painted castle of Runkelstein. Along the „Keschtnweg“, where you keep passing mighty chestnut trees, farms also sell regional produce direct. Monuments of art and nature along the „Keschtnweg“ bear witness to a culture centuries old, and places full of legend tell of witches, fairies and ghosts. The Keschtnweg is 63 km long and can be walked in several stages. On the sun-drenched slopes of Jenesien, the municipality with the most chestnut trees in South Tyrol, you can also feel the power of the chestnut trees between the Rafenstein ruins, the hamlet of Glaning and the castle ruins of Neuhaus/Maultasch in Terlan.
Official start of the Törggelen season
To tie the cultural heritage of Törggelen more firmly to the places that shaped it, the initiative "Törggelen am Ursprung" was launched. You can do Törggelen at its source in a Buschenschank, a farm tavern where the wines come 100% from the farm's own vineyard, where chestnuts from South Tyrol are served, where authentic farmhouse dishes come to the table and where over 30% of the produce comes from the farm's own fields.
Altogether 13 Buschenschank businesses that follow the quality criteria of the „Roter Hahn“ label take part in the initiative. They lie along the Eisack Valley Keschtnweg and in the classic wine-growing areas of South Tyrol. What they have in common: they celebrate a South Tyrolean custom in its original form, at the right time and in those places where grapes and chestnuts grow and where the farmer turns the grapes into wine himself. From 6 p.m. a "Keschtenfeuer", a chestnut fire, is lit at every farm and the first chestnuts of the season are roasted on it. Besides the chestnut fire, every farm offers visitors another „attraction“ in the form of a tour of the farm, a tasting and so on.
Seven fine farms to stop at:
The Ebnicherhof above Bolzano
High above Bolzano, set among ancient chestnut groves on the sunny slopes of the Ritten, lies the Ebnicherhof. It is an ideal destination in spring as well as in autumn. The farm parlour and the sun terrace invite you to spend a comfortable few hours: with typical farmhouse dishes and a one-off view from the Dolomites down to the Unterland.
Ebnicherhof
Buschenschank in Ritten/Oberbozen
Fam. Tauferer
Tel.: +39 329 6085866
The Fronthof in Völs am Schlern
The rustic Fronthof in Völser Aicha lies on a sunny south-facing slope, right below the mighty Schlern massif. The farm was first mentioned in a document in 1379 and looks back on a long tradition. It is the largest surviving farmhouse in South Tyrol built on squared stone blocks.
Fronthof
Völser Aicha bei Völs am Schlern
Fam. Kompatscher
Tel.: +39 0471 601091
The Gostnerhof in Barbian
The Gostnerhof in Barbian lies on the sunny side of the Eisack Valley. Under the rays of the autumn sun and among colourful vine arbours, guests here enjoy original Eisack Valley farmhouse food. Two cosy farm parlours also invite you to take a seat and be spoiled with delicious treats. A generous playground makes sure the small guests have fun.
Gostnerhof
Fam. Winkler
Tel.: +39 0471 654357
www.gostnerhof.com
At the Oberpartegger below Villanders in the Eisack Valley
The Oberpartegger, which lies below St. Stefan and St. Moritz in Villanders, is almost entirely self-sufficient. In the two farm parlours you get meat, speck, sausages and „Surfleisch“ from the farm's own butchering and processing. The farm's own wine and several seasonal products from the farm round off a visit to the Oberpartegger.
Wine connoisseurs and wine lovers will appreciate the Sylvaner sparkling wine made in brut style. It comes across as elegant, with restrained spring aromas and warm notes of saffron and brioche. The current Pinot Blanc refreshes with its lively scent of glacier ice and a bunch of fresh mountain herbs. The Sylvaner too is a delight on the palate, with a juicy fullness and a balanced minerality. The Oberpartegger's Vernatsch wins you over with a delicate taste of marzipan, and the Zweigelt is reminiscent of blackcurrant on the nose.
Oberpartegger
Unter St. Stefan 7 – Villanders
Fam. Kainzwaldner
Tel. +39 0472 847869
Mobil +39 329 1118211
At the Griesserhof in Vahrn
North of Brixen, between Vahrn and Neustift, the listed Griesserhof lies at the foot of a steep vineyard hill. It once belonged to the so-called Mairhöfe and provided for the bishop's upkeep. Today it spoils guests with a good drop of the farm's own wine and with tasty dishes. Wine tastings are also offered at the farm by arrangement.
Griesserhof
Griessweg 5-Vahrn
Fam. Huber
T +39 0472 834805
At the Rielinger-Hof in Siffian
The Rielingerhof sits completely on its own at 750 m above sea level, surrounded by vines and fruit trees. The whole grape harvest is turned into fine organic wines at the farm. Guests also enjoy the farm's own organic meat and a wide variety of fruit and vegetables from its own fields. The farm also offers farm holidays.
Rielinger-Hof
Siffianer Leitach 7
Fam. Messner
T +39 0471 356274
At the Winklerhof in Villanders
The Winklerhof was first mentioned in a document in 1314. The typical seasonal Eisack Valley dishes, made mainly from the farm's own produce, are the crowning end to a rewarding walk on the Keschtnweg. Over a glass of wine it is good to linger on the sun terrace under the walnut tree or in the two rustic parlours. The farm also offers farm holidays.
Winklerhof
Sauders 25 - Villanders
Fam. Fink
T +39 331 3990090
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