Image Source: Wine with Margaret - Overview wines to be tasted at the digital tasting at my home office.

Where Wine Meets Emotion

There are wine tastings, and then there are moments. The kind that carve themselves into your memory not just because the wines are good—though these were exceptional—but because something resonates deeper. A sense of place. A story unfolding in the glass. This is precisely what happened during an online tasting hosted by Studio Cru, PR agency featuring Cantina Tramin, a cooperative nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps, in the heart of Alto Adige.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: a cooperative? Isn’t that just a fancy word for bulk production? That was once my assumption too. But this tasting—featuring five wines from Cantina Tramin— flips that notion entirely. This was not mass-market juice churned out without soul. This was artisanal unity, where 160 growers, some farming less than a hectare, band together with a shared philosophy: to elevate terroir, character, and Alpine elegance.

In this article, I’ll take you through each bottle we’ve tasted—each its own character, its own chapter in a larger story. But more than that, I’ll try to unpack why Cantina Tramin doesn’t just produce wine. It captures emotion. At the end of the article I will share some background information on the region and the Cooperative for those interested.

Image Source: Wine with Margaret – Overview image of all the 5 wines tasted.

Five Wines, Five Chapters of Alpine Expression

1. Unterebner Pinot Grigio 2023: The Quiet Rebel

We began with the Unterebner Pinot Grigio—and let me tell you, forget everything you think you know about Pinot Grigio. This is not the insipid poolside sipper of yesteryear. Unterebner stands apart like a tuxedo in a sea of cargo shorts.

From the first nose, there’s a richness that surprises you: ripe pear, flinty minerality, a touch of smoke, and something herbal like mountain thyme. It’s Alpine, yes, but not in a timid way. It has texture, weight, and length—aged in large oak barrels, it has this quiet confidence that says, you’re going to want to pay attention to me.

And for the wine geeks some more info: This Pinot Grigio marks itself as Pinot Gris, yes the same variety, but in this case we are talking about style. What a wine. The grapes are grown at an elevation of 550-850m above sea level, where its roots can be found in calcareous soils with dolomite granite rocks.

I kept circling back to it throughout the tasting. It’s a wine that unravels slowly. And isn’t that the mark of something truly interesting?

In NL you can buy this amazing Pinot Grigio for around € 40,00. Yes it is some serious spending, but it is darn good not to0!

2. Stoan Bianco 2023: Harmony in a Bottle

Next came Stoan, a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, and Gewürztraminer. This was a symphony—and I don’t use that word lightly. If Unterebner was a soloist, Stoan was the full orchestra.

The aromatic complexity was stunning. Citrus and stone fruits upfront, followed by tropical hints and a grounding earthiness, peppery, apricots, peach, lemon peel, green asparagus, floral. There was a creamy texture balanced by vibrant acidity, like a ballet dancer who’s both graceful and powerful.

As Sigrid Pichler, Brand ambassador & Export of Cantina Tramin - likes to put it: “When this wine ages it gets such a unique profile. In youth, Stoan has these grassy notes that hint to Sauvignon Blanc, when it ages over time, you will get more excitement from the floral, lychee notes of the gewurztraminer attending and it gracefully will be taken over by the abundance of Chardonnay and its presence, just fabulous.”

Willi Stürz Chief Winemaker: “We wanted to make a wine that speaks “Alto Adige” in one wine, show its terroir, and I think Stoan resembles that perfectly.”

It’s hard to pull off a blend like this without losing focus. But Tramin doesn’t just blend grapes—they blend philosophies.

Image Source: Wine with Margaret - showing Willi Stürz & Sigrid Pichler

Stoan is a wine that knows exactly what it wants to be: expressive, layered, and immensely drinkable. It might just be the best-kept secret in Alpine wines. And in NL you can purchase it for about € 30,00.

3. Troy Chardonnay 2021: The Showstopper

Then came Troy—and if Stoan was harmony, Troy was drama. And as those who know me, I am a sucker for Chardonnay! It’s made from grapes grown at high altitude, which gives it finesse, but aged in French oak for intensity. The result? A wine that straddles two worlds: elegance and power.

Image Source: Cantina Tramin – The snow covered mountaintops of Tramin – Alto Adige.

I got ripe citrus, brioche, toasted almonds, ripe white fruit, and something smoky and saline—fresh, crisp acidity, high alcohol, lingering vanilla covered peaches, roundness, buttery, just mjam! It’s got that grand cru energy without being French, and it left me absolutely stunned. It retails for around € 86,-.

A question rose from the group, and we were stating that Troy could easily be mentioned as a single vineyard wine since it solely comes from one location but when a cooperation works together with several growers you cannot really state a wine that way. And yet it would have been absolutely right so to give the wine that statement.

Fantastic isn’t it. A cooperation, that has been founded in 1898 in the village of Tramin, and brings together 160 dedicated families, or members if you will.

If you’re the type who thinks Chardonnay is boring, Troy will correct you. It doesn’t ask for your attention. It simply demands it, it draws you in.

4. Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer 2023: Aromatics on Fire

And then—oh yes—the Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer. I’ve always had a complicated relationship with Gewürz. It can be too loud, too floral, too much like perfume. But Nussbaumer? This was different. It was like meeting someone flamboyant who, underneath all the glitter, actually has substance.

And I can understand why Cantina Tramin has their clear focus on Gewürztraminer. It is for starters their most planted variety and the Italians love Gewürz! Why? It can accompany every meal, you can drink it as an aperitif and during dinner and as a dessert wine. Heck, I can understand, especially when sipping Nussbaumer.

There were layers of lychee, rose petals, rosehip, candied ginger, and exotic spices, yes. Beautiful phenolic texture, slight pleasant bitter, roundness, and also that lingering salinity.

“This salinity - I guess you can say it is our signature of Alto Adige - since the salinity is present in all of our wines, it is our soil, our mountains, this is our terroir. The salinity is increasing in presence in the wines each year.” Added Willi.

They think it is the calcareous soils in combination of their vineyard aspects. I have no clue, it leaves you wondering your thoughts though when thinking how it can increase within the years. Interesting to say the least.

Let me finish my tasting note to make it complete. There was also acidity. Precision. A spine. This was not a wine drowning in its own aromatics. It danced—boldly, yes—but with poise.

This is one of Italy’s most celebrated Gewürztraminers for a reason. It dares you not to like it. And if you give in, it rewards you endlessly. And in NL you’ll spend about € 40,00 for a bottle, its worth it, I promise you.

5. Urban Lagrein 2022: The Earth Speaks

We closed the tasting with the Urban Lagrein—a red that comes from Alto Adige’s native red grape, and a personal favourite of mine when done well. This one? More than well. It was authentic.

The Lagrein underwent 1 year of aging in French Barrique, and afterwards another few months on concrete to further soften the wine. You can see Lagrein as a valid alternative to drinking a Cabernet or Merlot, and pairs well with game, since that is a lot of meat available in the region.

Lagrein is a rustic grape, often brooding, dark-fruited, with earthy tannins. But in the hands of Cantina Tramin, it’s tamed without being polished beyond recognition. The Urban Lagrein had notes of cherries, blackberry, violets, leather, and forest floor, hint of mushroom. It was juicy. It had structure but also softness. A wine that wears its ruggedness like a badge of honour.

It felt like the soul of Alto Adige in a bottle: proud, grounded, and utterly genuine.

Image Source: Cantina Tramin – During harvest

My Conclusion: Cantina Tramin is More Than Just Wine

What makes Cantina Tramin special isn’t just their mastery of winemaking, their precision, though that alone would be enough. It’s the deeper commitment to place, to people, and to integrity. This isn’t a faceless operation churning out formulaic wines. This is a community—multi-generational families, bound together not just by geography, but by vision.

They take Alpine wines and give them identity. They let terroir speak, not just through soil and elevation, but through emotion. You can see that through Willi Sturz his eyes when he talks about his wine, it is captivating. Each bottle from Cantina Tramin doesn’t just tell you where it’s from. It tells you why it matters.

And maybe that’s why this tasting will stay with me long after the last glass was empty. Because in a world that often rushes past nuance, Cantina Tramin invites you to slow down. To taste. To reflect.

To feel.

Final Note

If you ever come across a bottle from Cantina Tramin—whether it’s the evocative Gewürztraminer or the quietly stunning Unterebner—don’t just drink it.

Because these Alpine wines don’t whisper. They sing.

And once you hear the song, you’ll never forget the tune.

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Image Source: Cantina Tramin

Further Reading: Getting to Know Cantina Tramin a Bit Better

For those of you who, like me, want to dig a little deeper—here’s a quick snapshot of who Cantina Tramin is, what they stand for, and why their wines feel like they’ve got real soul behind them.

Quick Facts & Background

• Founded: 1898 by Christian Schrott, a forward-thinking parish priest and politician
• Location: Tramin, Alto Adige (right up in the Dolomites—think Alpine drama meets Italian charm)
• Vineyard Altitude: Between 250 and 850 meters above sea level
• Members: 160 families, many farming just 1 hectare each
• Chief Winemaker: Willi Stürz (since the ‘90s—absolute legend)
• Core Values: Accuracy, commitment, trust, and creativity
• Most Famous Wines: Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer, Troy Chardonnay, Stoan Bianco
• Climate Perks: Massive day-night temperature swings, and that warm "Ora" breeze from Lake Garda
• Soil Types: A geological buffet—limestone, clay, gravel, dolomite, porphyry—you name it
• Fun Fact: Yes, Gewürztraminer is named after the village of Tramin 

The Cooperative Model: Why It Works

Let’s be honest—when you hear “wine cooperative,” you might think budget blends with little soul. But Cantina Tramin flips that script completely. This is 160 growers, most of them farming tiny vineyard plots, working together with one clear goal: make wines that speak for their land. And here's the kicker—they're rewarded not for how much they grow, but how good their grapes are. That kind of quality-first approach is rare, and it shows in every glass. You get boutique precision, but with the power of a team behind it. It's grassroots winemaking with a shared heartbeat.

Tramin & Gewürztraminer: A Name with Roots

This isn’t just a grape for Cantina Tramin—it’s their heritage in a glass. The word “Gewürztraminer” literally links back to Tramin, the village. That’s how deeply intertwined this variety is with their identity. Gewürz is their most planted grape, and honestly, their most expressive. From aperitif to dessert, it’s a grape that can do it all—and Tramin treats it like the star it is. The Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer in particular comes from a very specific micro-zone and is handled with crazy attention to detail. When they say they are Gewürztraminer, they mean it.

Image Source: Cantina Tramin

Alto Adige: Terroir in Extremes

Alto Adige is one of those magical regions where everything feels a bit more intense—in the best way. You’ve got vineyards climbing from 250 up to 850 meters above sea level, sharp swings between scorching daytime sun and crisp Alpine nights, and a patchwork of soils that range from limestone to porphyry to dolomite. Add in the warm “Ora” winds drifting up from Lake Garda and it’s like the vines are living in their own perfect storm of ripeness and freshness. This combo of altitude, sunlight, and mineral-rich soil gives the wines their signature clarity, aromatics, and that salty-snap of acidity we love. In short? This terroir keeps you on your toes—and the wines all the better for it.