After a wet and warm summer, last year’s harvest in Terlano began with the first Sauvignon grapes on 23 August, and in spite of the very mixed weather it was completed without any major problems. “Very healthy and good quality grapes throughout, with ample sugar content and unexpectedly high levels of acidity,” says winemaker Rudi Kofler. On the other hand, the size of the 2012 harvest was below the long-term average. With new shoot formation reduced in part following a very dry winter and spring, the berries were slightly smaller than usual and total yield was down. By way of compensation, however, we can look forward to white wines with ripe fruit flavors and a refreshing acidity as well as highly promising, elegant reds.

Cool storage at constant temperatures, high level of humidity and as little light as possible
Cellar temperature: 10 - 15 °C
Excellent ageing potential > 10 years

• The quartz porphyry bedrock is of volcanic origin.
• The light, sandy-loamy soils are the foundation for naturally limited yields.
• The soils have a 55-60% quartz content and a slightly acidic pH.
• The minerally and distinctive wines are highly prized for their outstanding longevity.

Soil samples taken from three different sites have revealed the presence of a subvolcanic body around Terlano, which differs in composition from the classic volcanic rock. The skeletal sandy loamy soils have a high quartz content. The absence of calcium carbonate explains the slightly acid pH values. These factors result in a high permeability to water, a limited nutrient supply and thus balanced growth with naturally limited yields. Exceptional soil conditions influence the terroir of Terlano, where the vines have developed a specific reaction to micro-stress and produce their own terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the Terlano wines their distinctive character. The result is particularly salty wines with great tension and depth. The special mix of crystals and minerals in the Terlano soils produces white wines whose unique longevity never fails to impress the world’s wine gurus.

The high peaks of the main Alpine chain protect South Tyrol from the Atlantic winds and cold northerlies, while the region benefits from the Mediterranean climate from the south. Terlano has a remarkable microclimate, with pronounced differences in temperature between day and night caused by the cool downslope winds from the mountains.
To the south, a number of mountain massifs like the Adamello also have a protective function. As a result, annual precipitation is only about one-third of the average for the southern Alpine foothills, and the number of hours of sunshine is higher. The climatic conditions are not unlike those to be found in wine-growing areas like the Swiss Canton Valais.
When the sun rises behind the mountains east of Terlano on one of the year’s 300 sunny days, it is already high in the sky as the wine-growing area has a westerly to southwesterly exposure. The lower atmospheric density permits more direct solar irradiation with less diffuse sunlight. That increases the difference between the slopes on the sunny and shady sides of the valley.

Microclimate in Terlano
Continental climate (Cfa Köppen-Geiger)
Annual sunshine hours: ø 2135
Maximum temperatures: 38,2 °C
Average temperatures: 12,9 °C
Minimum temperatures: -10,7°C
Annual precipitation: ø 600 - 700 mm
Average global radiation: 150,1 W/m²
Winds
North foehn: cool and dry down-slope wind
Ora: valley wind system from the south, bringing in air from the Po Valley