One family business, one vineyard area, countless genotypes. The Plonerhof estate is located in a panoramic and strategic position for wine production in Marlengo near Merano. A typical South Tyrolean farmstead abandoned and renovated in 2004 by Erhard Tutzer. A small winery recently established in the Burgraviato, i.e. the district that encompasses the city of Merano and its surroundings, aims to occupy an extremely interesting niche. The success of the Plonerhof wine cellar is due to the incessant and continuous research full of curiosity that Tutzer has carried out throughout his life, returning from each of his past journeys with various 'souvenirs', i.e. rooted cuttings or grape seeds of particular vine varieties that were impossible to find at the time. In fact, his Pinot Noir vineyard today has 172 clones of the vine, making it the largest collection in Italy.
The vineyards on the Plonerhof estate cover 5 hectares, some of them with slopes up to 40%, where working is difficult and tiring. It is evident that under these conditions nothing is given as a gift.
Thanks to his resourcefulness, the Plonerhof kellermeister has recently created and taken part in Innovitis, a project that, together with the San Michele all'Adige Institute, is studying and experimenting with the use of so-called 'Piwi' vines, crosses between different vine species that, through the natural sharing of genetic heritage, develop resistance to parasitic diseases such as downy mildew or oidium, without even needing copper and sulphur. With these vines, Tutzer has also developed a white wine based on Solaris (Piwi vine) that is already giving great satisfaction, not to mention the environmental benefits.
