The Guardians of St. Magdalener

How winemakers shape the St. Magdalener Protection Consortium and evolve a traditional Bolzano wine.

Approaching Bolzano from the north offers a memorable sight: the mountains open up to reveal sunlit vineyards cascading like green terraces along the slopes. Row after row, a centuries-old cultural landscape emerges—more than a scenic view, it is the living heart of St. Magdalener.

This heart is sustained by the many winemakers working in St. Magdalena, St. Justina, Leitach-Chiusa, St. Peter, and Rentsch, cultivating Vernatsch, a native grape variety that forms the backbone of this increasingly versatile wine. Evi Unterkofler, junior manager of the Glögglhof estate, was inspired by her husband Florian’s passion. The family-run winery produces around 60,000 bottles annually and is part of the consortium founded in 1923, which first provided legal protection for the wine.

Today, the consortium includes around 30 members—cooperatives, wineries, and independent growers. “Our wines are strictly controlled and must comply with the Italian DOC standards,” Unterkofler explains. Vernatsch may be blended with up to 15% of other red varieties, typically Lagrein, which adds depth. However, St. Magdalener is produced as a field blend: Vernatsch and Lagrein are harvested and vinified together from the outset.

Women have always played a role in viticulture, though they are more visible today. Unterkofler, raised in the vineyards, focuses on tastings and marketing, often traveling to promote the wines.

St. Magdalener can be experienced through tastings or at the St. Magdalener Aperitivo, the event organized by the Bolzano Bozen Tourism Board on September 4–5, 2026, in Bolzano’s Walther Square. From October, the first Riserva wines, aged for two years, will be released, marking another step in the wine’s evolution and quality.

Caption: Evi Unterkofler points to the vineyards of St. Magdalena, one of Bolzano’s key wine-growing areas. Women are playing an increasingly active role in the sector.

Photo: Ursula Pirchstaller.