Baron Eyrl
Gries, Moritzing
Sun galore in the Gries green belt.
I live in the district of Gries, very close to the city of Bolzano but still surrounded by vineyards. There are also vines all around the house. The area is known as Grieser Grünkeil. It serves as a green lung for the city and may not be built on. I can’t say how long our family has owned the vineyards, but my ancestors, the Barons and Baronesses of Eyrl, owned land around Bolzano for centuries. Gries is where the grapes for one of Alto Adige’s best wines grow – Lagrein. It needs plenty of sun, and here it shines from early morning to well into the evening. I am a wine grower although I actually trained as a restorer.
Wine and old paintings both need care and attention.
My workshop is right next to the house, and from every window I have a view of seemingly endless rows of vines. I’m currently restoring the “Emperor Portraits” from Trostburg Castle in the Isarco Valley, and I’m inspired in my work by the sight of all that greenery. It’s a wonderful place to work: Old paintings and wine, somehow they go well together. They both need a lot of care and attention. With some pictures it takes me months until all the damage has been repaired and the original beauty of the painting is revealed. The older the picture, the easier it is. That may sound strange, but it’s usually the case all the same, because they worked with simpler materials in the past.
Better than muddling along on your own.
I look after the vineyards myself, with the help of my father, who has years of experience. He always worked with cooperatives, even when Gries and Santa Maddalena were separate wineries. He is a real cooperative fan. He says it’s better to help and support each other rather than muddle along on your own. The results bear him out, because our Lagrein is one of the best Alto Adige red wines you can get. Every year I look forward to the harvest; for me that’s the nicest time of the year.
