Einkellern: when the new wine finds its place

5 terms that matter during South Tyrol’s Törggelen season.

With the end of the grape harvest, autumn in South Tyrol marks the beginning of a phase that is just as important as the work in the vineyards themselves: Einkellern, the process of bringing the new wine into the cellar. The term refers to the processing of freshly harvested grapes and the subsequent storage of the young wine in the cellar. In the past, Einkellern was a central event in the farming year. After the harvest, the grapes were pressed, the must fermented, and the barrels were carefully stored in the cool cellars.

Today, Einkellern remains closely connected to South Tyrol’s wine culture. It is in the cellar that a wine’s development is determined: temperature, ageing time and the choice between wooden barrels and stainless-steel tanks all have a significant influence on its character. Here, centuries of experience meet modern cellar technology. What follows is a period of ageing and waiting – the new vintage begins to take shape.

These 5 terms will accompany you throughout the South Tyrolean autumn – with our newsletter, you’ll be well prepared for Törggelen!

Törggelen

Probably the best-known South Tyrolean autumn tradition. Originally, after the grape harvest, winegrowers, neighbours and friends would gather at Buschenschänke to taste the new wine. Chestnuts, speck, krapfen and other autumn specialities were served alongside it. The name derives from the “Torggl”, the historic wine press.

Suser/Nuier

Suser refers to partially fermented grape must, which is available for only a few weeks each year. It is considered a harbinger of the new vintage and, for many South Tyroleans, is an inseparable part of the Törggelen season.

Torggl

The Torggl is the traditional wine press once used to press grapes. Many historic farms and cellars in and around Bolzano still have such presses today. They are an important testament to the region’s centuries-old wine culture.

Einkellern

After the grape harvest, must and wine are stored in barrels or tanks, where they ferment and mature. Einkellern marks the transition from working in the vineyard to working in the cellar and is a crucial step on the way to the finished wine.

Wimmen

This is the South Tyrolean term for the grape harvest. The word comes from the Tyrolean dialect and refers to the harvesting of grapes.

Image: Bolzano Bozen Tourism Board

Text: Ursula Pirchstaller.