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Nusserhof, Henrich Mayr, Schiava, 'Elda'
One of the most incredible and inspiring stories in the wine world is that of Heinrich and Elda Mayr and their tiny farm in the Italian Tyrol. This humble property ties together everything that makes my work so exciting—history, adversity, farming with purpose, integrity, and of course, mind-blowing wine. Neither expensive or from a particularly flashy region, I can promise you that within the insider Italian sommelier culture in San Francisco and New York City, Heinrich and Elda’s wines are among the most prized and sought after. Less than 40 cases come to the West Coast each year and every bottle quickly disappears into the cellars of my favorite restaurants. But honestly, today’s offer goes much deeper than scarcity and hipness. Please continue reading below if you wish to start your day with one of the most fascinating stories in wine.
Bolzano, where this wine is produced, is a narrow valley in the Dolomites, 45 minutes south of the Austrian border. This is deutsch-speaking, lederhosen-wearing Italy, and the local culture is palpably Germanic—it feels like more like Austria than Italy. Bolzano (Bozen to locals) is a mix of mid-level industrial buildings, cold war-era municipal and university structures and multi-story housing projects. Upon exiting the city’s utilitarian train station and making your way past numerous warehouses enroute to Heinrich and Elda Mayr’s front door, you wouldn’t be faulted for doubting your proximity to a famous vineyard...but suddenly you round a corner and before you sits a beautiful, utopian biodynamic farm with ancient stone walls, chirping birds, wild flowers, and rows of vines and fruit trees. This is Heinrich and Elda’s farm and walking through their front door is not unlike stepping through a portal into the past. Everything remains as it was 400 years ago when Heinrich’s ancestors began farming here. Today, as tall buildings, the Autobahn, and a high speed rail line (separated by a stone wall on the vineyard's eastern border) creep up around it, this tiny and sacred 2.4-hectare parcel of land stands locked in time and is always looked out for by the local citizenry.
It’s not a coincidence that this property is fiercely protected. One of Heinrich Mayr's ancestors was a conscientious objector in WWII and a vocal opponent of Nazi occupation. He was eventually taken from the family farm and imprisoned in a concentration camp where he died as a Catholic martyr. So today, as the city of Bolzano rises and the modern world creeps in, Heinrich and Elda’s farm remains untouched as a landmark and reminder of the past. It’s fascinating to stand on the property and imagine how 400 years ago it was surrounded by vineyards and farms—but today, it is literally the only one left. Here’s an aerial photo to give you an idea of what it looks like—pretty incredible. As you can see the property is definitely an endangered species of the wine world.
All farming on Heinrich and Elda’s property is fiercely organic (certified by Bioland). The family farms vegetables, fruit trees, and a few different grape varietals: Lagrein, Teroldego, Blaterle, and my favorite, Schiava. All fruit is harvested by hand, fermented in small steel tanks, and ultimately aged in tiny 250L neutral oak barrels before bottling. This is one of the smallest commercial cellars in the region, and the family makes a miniscule amount of wine. You simply do not see the wines on retail shelves or wine lists in Europe. Even in the US, they are extremely rare and allocated seasonal treats that arrive and disappear in an instant each Summer.
