ITA_GG_N45-WEB

ITALY
– VINEYARDS –
Elena Walch with her daughters Julia and Karoline Walch,
who are in charge of the winery
The area is home to a succession of sun-kissed land, impervious
terraces and undulating vineyards, as well as high-altitude plots
exposed to the cooler air and the short but warm summer months.
The difference in altitude between the various plots is almost
800 metres - a feature that is virtually unique in the world of wine.
Such differing elevations provide the scope to ‘play around’ with the
production of wines showing unique characteristics.
In order to cope with climate change, the winery has extended its
high-altitude plots between 250 and 1,000 metres above sea level,
where climate change opens up new avenues for positive challenges.
Currently more than 15 hectares of vineyards are above 600 m
above sea level, mostly planted to Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Five hectares have just been planted in Aldino, a mountain village
on the East side of the valley, at about 1,000 m above sea level. A
further vineyard at 600 metres above sea level has been purchased
in Altenburg, on the side of the Mendola that runs alongside
Termeno. This is the mosaic in which Elena Walch is a practitioner
of mountain winegrowing.
Climate change has also seen increased risks of damage due to
spring frost, as well as more frequent hailstorms. However, the latter
remain very limited locally, as the mountains with their valleys stem
the air currents and moderate the clouds.
At the Elena Walch winery, mountain winegrowing is perceived as
interesting insofar as it provides the opportunity to produce wines
of the highest quality from a wide variety of sensitively interpreted
vineyard sites. Elena Walch produces approximately 550,000 bottles
annually, 50% of them exported to a total of 70 countries.
AUTUMN 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE 87