ISSIMO x Women in Wine: Karoline Walch
The Alto Adige winemaker talks family business, legacy and her passion for wine
Alto Adige might be one of Italy’s smallest wine regions (fun fact for you!), but its viticulture is an impressive one. Due to its location between Central and Southern Europe, the province’s climate is in fact characterized by extreme temperature fluctuations, meaning its grapes show a distinctive Mediterranean-meets-Alpine flavour you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else.
Because of that, its high-altitude wines are oh-so memorable, often excellent, and very much worthy of your attention if you haven’t given it to them yet.
The best way to get familiar with the local scene is, of course, by trying some of the very best. The Elena Walch winery in Tramin is a great place to start.
Family-run yet internationally renowned, the company has been around for generations (wine was actually being made on the premises already in the 18th century), though it was in the 1980s that it was established as we know it today by Elena Walch herself, a then architect who married into the winegrowing Walch family and made the vineyards the focus of her life.
These days, her daughters Julia and Karoline run the show – the fifth generation to do so – ensuring the estate’s philosophy, terroir and principles stay the same.
We spoke with Karoline to learn more about it, and how the Walch winemaking approach has evolved through the years.
You represent the new generation of Elena Walch – Did you always know you would join the family business?
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by the world of wine. I followed my mother everywhere, and what struck me was how varied her daily life was: one day in the vineyards, another in the cellar, then tastings, travels, or meetings with people from all over the world. It is a lively and dynamic world that has always intrigued me. Moreover, my bedroom was right above our barrel cellar, so you could say I have been breathing in the scent of wine since I was a child – it is truly in my blood. I pursued my studies with a clear idea of eventually joining the company and, after earning a degree in economics in Austria, I decided to go even further, to Adelaide, Australia, for a Master’s in Wine Business. It was an extraordinary experience that allowed me to broaden my knowledge and strengthen my passion for this sector.
Tell us about your role today.
I grew up in the company, and from an early age, I closely experienced the world of wine: from my first harvests to the everyday life of a winemaker. When I officially joined the company in 2013, I was mainly involved in sales, a role that allowed me to travel extensively and discover fascinating markets, cultures, and realities. Even today, I consider it essential to maintain direct contact with our importers and personally understand the trends of the various markets in which we operate. Over time, my role has expanded, and I have become more involved in business management. Today, together with my sister Julia, we lead the company as the fifth generation, dividing responsibilities in a complementary way. It has been a journey that has made us grow together, leading us to develop a shared vision while maintaining our individual approaches and personalities.
“Every choice we make, from vineyard to cellar, is guided by the desire to best express our territory and produce wines that tell the essence of Alto Adige and our unique vineyards.”
What aspect of your work at Elena Walch are you particularly proud of?
It is the constant pursuit of quality and innovation that defines our work. Every choice we make, from vineyard to cellar, is guided by the desire to best express our territory and produce wines that tell the essence of Alto Adige and our unique vineyards.
I am very proud of our focus on sustainability, a value we uphold with concrete commitments: from careful vineyard management to reducing our environmental impact in the winery and adopting a CO₂ balance sheet.
Another aspect that makes me proud is the enhancement of our iconic vineyards with the additional designation “Vigna” and exploring new challenges, such as cultivating high-altitude vineyards. Knowing that our “Single Vineyard” wines are the most authentic expression of our land and that each bottle tells a story of passion and dedication is a great satisfaction for me.
How has the company changed since you took over?
Since 2013, my sister Julia and I have taken the reins of the company, dividing our roles and expertise to carry on the family tradition with an eye to the future. Over the past ten years, we have undertaken significant projects, including the creation of the state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery in Tramin in 2015. This allowed us to handle the grapes with maximum delicacy, fully enhancing their potential. In 2022, we also revitalized the historic Gutskeller winery at the Castel Ringberg estate, dedicating it to the maturation of white wines from this award-winning Single Vineyard.
We were among the first in Alto Adige to introduce the “Vigna” designation on our labels, emphasizing the exclusive origin of grapes from historic vineyards like “Vigna Kastelaz” and “Vigna Castel Ringberg.” This ensures strict traceability and high quality for our “Single Vineyard” wines.
We are particularly proud of our flagship red wine, Pinot Noir Riserva Aton, whose first vintage was 2017 – a highly limited production crafted with the utmost care. It has been a great success, even among international wine guides. Additionally, we are exploring new potentials to address climate change, such as cultivating a high-altitude vineyard at 1,000 meters planted with Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Grigio.
As I mentioned earlier, sustainability is central to our company philosophy. In 2021, we published our first CO₂ balance sheet and continue implementing environmentally friendly practices, such as installing photovoltaic panels covering 60% of our electricity consumption. We have also recently introduced new lightweight bottles for our Selezione line, further reducing CO₂ emissions.
Finally, we have focused significantly on wine tourism, and today we are proud to offer a truly special hospitality program. We provide guided winery tours that combine the experience of our modern, cutting-edge spaces, both architecturally and technically, with the unique atmosphere of the historic cellar, where intricately carved wooden barrels dating back to 1873 are still housed. We also organize vineyard tours at Castel Ringberg to uncover the secrets of our vineyard work. Of course, tastings and Masterclasses are always highly appreciated by our guests. For those wishing to stay with us a little longer, we have a bistro located in the estate park in Tramin and a small Osteria in the heart of Vigna Castel Ringberg in Caldaro.
Is there a wine you particularly love?
A wine that is particularly close to my heart is our Cuvée Beyond the Clouds. This white blend, predominantly Chardonnay, was born with the new millennium, driven by the ambition to create a wine that transcends everything that existed in Alto Adige. It is a “Supercuvée” that encapsulates the aromas and characteristics of our territory in a single glass.
Beyond the Clouds is the result of a meticulous selection of the best grapes during harvest, coming from different varieties. These high-quality grapes are processed with great care: fermentation and maturation take place exclusively in wood, giving the wine complexity and depth. The varying ripeness levels of the grapes and the attention we put into every stage of vinification are reflected in the rich, elegant, and dominant character of this Cuvée.
What do you think makes a wine memorable?
It is emotions that make a wine unique and memorable. A bottle is special when it can tell the story of its territory, the characteristics of the vineyard, the challenges of the vintage, and, ultimately, bears the signature of those who created it with passion and dedication.
Looking ahead, what do you wish for Elena Walch?
I want to continue the journey my mother started in the 1980s, continuing to create wines of the highest quality that express the identity of a well-defined parcel. However, today, we want to go even deeper to raise the bar even further. Sustainability, the enhancement of the “Vigna” designation, and our family tradition, which has always guided us, will be the pillars on which we build the future.
We want to keep innovating, exploring new challenges, and surprising wine lovers around the world!
I live with my young family right on our beautiful Kastelaz hill in Tramin, and who knows – maybe one day, my two children will learn to appreciate and love wine as much as I do…