Traditional Törggelen

In autumn South Tyrol becomes unique.

It's Törggelen time

By mid October, the tart, pungent scent of fermenting wine begins to emerge from the cellars in the old town, walnuts are falling from the trees and locally grown chestnuts appear on market stalls. This is the time when the urge to head up to one of the farmsteads perched on the south-facing mountainsides high above the town becomes irresistible.

The new wine is ready for sampling, other fruits of autumn are ripe and what better way to spend a sunny afternoon than soaking up the mild sunshine, eating and drinking the produce of the surrounding vineyards and orchards.

The tradition is called "Törggelen", deriving from an old word for wine press and it revolves around the freshly fermented "Neuer" or new wine.

Numerous farmhouses serve simple but delicious Tyrolean country fare at this time of the year, along with autumn fruits, especially roasted chestnuts which are a speciality in the hillsides overlooking South Tyrol's central valleys. Indeed some ancient, gnarled sweet chestnut trees attain massive proportions and are listed as natural monuments. Roasted chestnuts are an excellent accompaniment to the new wine or freshly pressed grape juice.

Sitting outside watching the sun set behind the mountains there is a sudden chill in the air, though nobody moves inside before enjoying the spectacle of the Rosengarten mountains glowing full red, crimson, then violet as they reflect the sunset.