Weingut Abraham is a small, artisanal estate located outside of the town of Eppan, one of Alto Adige’s top winegrowing areas. It is run by Marlies and Martin Abraham who inherited the estate from their parents. The origins of the estate go back to 1901 when Martin’s great grandfather inherited the estate from his godparents. For most of its life the estate was one of mixed agriculture – with both livestock as well as vines. Up until 2011, when the family left the local coop in Eppan, the family had sold grapes. 2011 was the birth of the current winery. Marlies and Martin had a passion for wine and wanted to realize their estate’s full potential. Martin took some courses at the local university but largely the two of them learned on their own through practice.

Their vineyards are certified organic, and they employ some biodynamic practices into their farming as well. Their vineyards are a mix of traditional pergola training as well as guyot. The pergola system has become used more and more as it tends to produce wines with lower acidity and the shading of the canopy slows ripeness and helps limit alcohol levels. The system requires more attention in farming but they feel the results are well worth it.

The family have some vineyards around the winery as well as in some small parcels in key spots scattered around their area. Included in this is the In der Laam vineyard, which is a steep, west-facing vineyard at 500 meters which produces one of the stars of their lineup, a racy, mineral-laden Weissburgunder grown on morainic (glacial runoff) soils rich in quartz and volcanic porphyry. They also make a Schiava blend called Upupa Rot. In their area, Schiava was traditionally blended with a little bit of Pinot Noir, a practice they continue to employ. Upupa is the German word for the Hoopoe bird, a colorful bird which is their logo and featured on their wines.