Between Anniversaries and Challenges: Our 2025 Recap

The past year has been full of contrasts. 2025 brought us big anniversary celebrations and strong results on the international stage – but also a challenging environment that put us to the test as a cooperative. In hindsight, it almost feels symbolic that our anniversary year coincided with such a demanding one: it made it even clearer that, thanks to our community and our cooperative structure, we have what it takes to face tough times together.

Beautiful Moments: Our Fondest Memories

2025 was all about a very special milestone: 125 years of Cantina Kurtatsch. A moment that invited us not only to celebrate, but also to pause and reflect. Around this anniversary, we experienced many memorable moments – above all, our celebration evening in May, which once again showed how strong the sense of togetherness is that has carried our cooperative since 1900 and continues to unite us today. We also supported our anniversary year with a powerful communication campaign centered around our three cypress trees and “125 Years of Cantina Kurtatsch.” A key piece was our new video, which focused on our origins, our community, and our journey – highlighting what we stand for as a cooperative and why collaboration and solidarity are the foundation of everything we do.

One of the highlights in autumn was the premiere of The Red Masters – a new event format spotlighting three grape varieties that have shaped our identity for years: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Hosting internationally renowned estates like Le Macchiole, Tua Rita, Petrolo, and Tenuta Guado al Tasso Marchesi Antinori here in Kurtatsch was a remarkable show of appreciation.

In addition to the 125th anniversary of the winery, 2025 brought two more milestones: 30 years of SONNTALER Schiava Old Vines and 30 years of BRENNTAL Merlot Riserva. These two wines represent continuity, origin, and evolution in different ways – one deeply rooted in our village’s long Schiava tradition, the other our very first wine from an additional geographical unit and a symbol of our steady commitment to international varieties in one of Alto Adige’s warmest sites. That both anniversaries happened to fall in the same year made our celebrations all the more special and meaningful.

Achievements & Innovations: What Makes Us Proud

In 2025, our wines reached new heights when it comes to awards and recognition – leaving us speechless at times! At the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), our FREIENFELD Chardonnay Riserva 2022 received Platinum, making it the top Chardonnay in all of Italy. It was also listed among Forbes’ 10 best Chardonnays in the world – an incredible moment for both our terroir and our team. And it wasn’t just the whites that shone: our top red wines reached new record ratings and accolades at national and international competitions and in the trade press. These successes are a clear sign that our focus on origin and on Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon is paying off.

There were exciting new developments on the product side, too: our SELECTION line got a fresh new look – modern, sustainable, and a visible expression of our commitment to quality with responsibility. And with the launch of SOMA XXV, a unique, strictly limited-edition wine marking 25 years of SOMA, we created another highlight that speaks to both our history and our expertise in Bordeaux varieties. What makes us particularly proud: all packaging development, as always at Cantina Kurtatsch, happened fully in-house – a true team effort.

After the Rain Comes Sunshine: Challenging Moments and Lessons Learned

Despite all these wonderful experiences and successes, 2025 – like for many others – was also a year of challenges. Global uncertainties like shifting trade structures, geopolitical crises, and changing consumer habits showed us how quickly circumstances can shift. And again, it felt somehow fitting that these realities played out during our anniversary year. It reminded us that our strength lies in our community and our cooperative structure – and that we're well equipped to handle difficult times together. For us, this meant responding with flexibility, staying closely connected as a team, working hand in hand with our 190 members – and always keeping our focus on the path ahead.

In a Nutshell: What We're Grateful for

… being part of a strong cooperative and a close-knit community.
… our motivated team, who brought great energy to all the activities of our anniversary year.
… the extraordinary effort from everyone during an intense harvest.
… a very good harvest – especially for Schiava.
… countless awards, particularly for our Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon – all reaffirming our direction.
… the strong support of our members – especially in a challenging year.
… the re-election of our president and board – a vote of confidence and continuity.

Looking Ahead: What We Want More of in 2026 and What We're Excited About

We’d love to see even more of:
… that strong sense of “we” and shaping things together.

We're looking forward to:

… a highly promising 2025 Schiava vintage – unlike anything we've seen before.
… the release of our first officially labeled wines from the new geographical units (UGA), complete with pictogram – and sharing our leadership role in Alto Adige with the world.
… everything else we’ll achieve together, united in our efforts.