Andrian

1893 — The first cooperative

In 1893, Andriano’s winegrowers pooled their resources and founded a cooperative winery. It was the first winegrowers’ cooperative in Alto Adige and, at the time, the first in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. The decision established collective action as the institutional foundation of the winery and made Cantina Andriano the oldest cooperative winery in South Tyrol.

The growers subsequently developed a distinct record of experimentation and quality improvement. One of their historic achievements concerned Lagrein: Andriano was among the first places where the variety was matured in barriques.

2008 — Alliance with Cantina Terlano

In 2008, exactly 115 years after the cooperative’s foundation, the growers entered into an alliance with Cantina Terlano, located across the Adige Valley and the River Adige. The arrangement combined the strengths of the two wineries while retaining their separate identities, terroirs and approaches to wine.

Cantina Andriano continued to be defined by its limestone-rich sites, its climate—markedly different from that of Terlano—and varieties selected to suit those conditions. The quality criteria and close attention to terroir already employed at Terlano provided a framework for Andriano’s continued development without erasing its identity.

Present direction

The winery remains rooted in its cooperative origins while pursuing gradual qualitative development. Its guiding idea, “Tradition in motion,” treats tradition as something to be carried into the present and preserved for the future through continuing change. Although Andriano and Terlano work under one roof and use the same winemaking team, their grapes are vinified according to distinct philosophies so that the identity of each terroir remains recognizable.

Setting and topography

Andriano lies on the western side of the River Adige. Here the Adige Valley is broad and open toward the south and southeast, while the vineyards occupy undulating slopes sheltered by the Gantkofel. The principal cultivated area covers 80 ha within the DOC zone, at elevations of 260–340 m. Exposures range from south and south-southeast to east.

Geological formation

The soils developed from the interaction of two contrasting formations. Bolzano quartz porphyry originated in volcanic activity about 280 million years ago. Later movements of the Earth’s crust brought that material into contact with dolomite and limestone from the overlying Mendola formation. Erosion then formed a talus cone of calcareous clay interspersed with angular fragments of white dolomite.

The resulting soils range from medium-heavy to light. They are reddish, calcareous and clay-rich, with a substantial skeletal component. Close to the stream, stones account for 60–70% of the soil. The pH is neutral at 7.0, while humus content is 3–4%. Their loose structure supports aeration, balanced water retention and deep root development.

Light and temperature

The southeast-facing opening of the valley produces early morning sunshine. In late afternoon, the sun disappears behind the Gantkofel, which shades the vineyards during the hottest part of warm days. Cool evening downslope air also arrives from the mountain. This combination of early sunrise, early sunset and mountain shade creates a cooler microclimate than on the opposite side of the valley.

Average annual precipitation is 550–650 mm, and the mean temperature is 12.2 °C. The recorded maximum is 40.7 °C, reached in August 2003. Winter minima normally reach approximately −5 °C, while −13 °C occurs only rarely. The sites are strongly sheltered; a light northerly foehn can occur in spring and summer.

These conditions are paired with carefully selected late-ripening varieties. Low yields and a slightly higher level of acidity than on the other side of the valley contribute freshness, tension and intensity to the fruit.

Vineyard management is based on greening between the rows, gentle cultivation of the soil and natural approaches to diseases and pests. These measures are intended to protect soil structure, maintain aeration and water balance, and respect the natural conditions of the limestone-rich sites.

All grapes are harvested by hand. Picking is carried out carefully at optimum maturity, with the harvest date matched to the variety and individual site. Manual selection allows the growers to direct grapes toward the appropriate wine. The Selection range uses selected, late-harvested, hand-picked fruit, while the Classic range is made from selected, fully mature hand-picked grapes. Yields are kept low, producing concentrated and multilayered fruit.

The cooperative’s quality approach depends on close support for its winegrowers and on matching varieties to each site’s soils, exposure and cooler microclimate. Late-ripening varieties are particularly associated with the combination of early sunshine, afternoon shade and cool evening air.

Cellar work follows the principle of operating under one roof while keeping the identities of Andriano and Terlano separate. The same team works with both estates, but the grapes are vinified according to distinct philosophies, with the expression of each terroir as the central objective.

The timing of vinification is determined by full maturity for each variety and site. Classic white wines are vinified and matured in stainless steel, while Classic reds are matured in large wooden barrels. The Selection wines receive a more intensive cellar regime: the red selections Anrar, Gant, Peter 1893 and Tor di Lupo, the white Doran, and the sweet Juvelo are matured in small oak casks. Andrius is fermented primarily in stainless steel, with a smaller component matured in oak.

Wood is therefore used selectively rather than as a uniform cellar treatment. Small casks and larger barrels are assigned according to the wine category and the intended expression of the Andriano terroir. The historic use of barriques for Lagrein was one of the cooperative’s early technical achievements.