SONNTALER 2025: regional winner at the Vernatsch Cup

Great joy for our team and our 190 member families: our SONNTALER Alto Adige DOC Schiava Old Vines 2025 was named regional winner in the “Classic” category for Alto Adige Schiava at the Vernatsch Cup 2026. The award ceremony took place at the vigilius mountain resort on Monte San Vigilio near Lana and honors the finest Schiava wines of the vintage.

The Vernatsch Cup was established in 2004 to showcase the quality and diversity of this traditional Alto Adige grape variety. In its 23rd edition, an international jury of wine journalists, sommeliers and oenologists blind-tasted the submitted wines and selected the best representatives from the various growing areas.

For Cantina Kurtatsch, this award holds special significance. SONNTALER has been a true passion project for more than 30 years. It brings together grapes from our oldest Schiava vineyards, whose vines are between 60 and 90 years old. Naturally, these old vines produce low yields, resulting in grapes of exceptional quality. Vinification in concrete tanks is deliberately restrained and gentle, allowing the character of the variety to shine through. The result is a classic Schiava: smooth, fruity, and easy-drinking, but with structure, depth, and fine-grained tannins.

The award-winning 2025 vintage impressively demonstrates the potential of Schiava: delicate fruit, vibrant freshness and remarkable depth that goes far beyond the traditional image of an uncomplicated red wine. SONNTALER embodies exactly those qualities for which Schiava is increasingly appreciated today – elegance, drinkability and an unmistakable sense of origin.

Our winemaker Erwin Carli personally accepted the award and celebrated this recognition together with the entire team.