Rametz Castle

On a moraine hill in Maia Alta in Merano, there is Rametz Castle - "Schloss Rametz" in German, "Castel Rametz" in Italian - surrounded by grapevines. Here the grapes benefit from a Mediterranean climate, they are protected from rough winds by the surrounding mountains and also the soil is permeable. Consciously the owners of the castle chose the typical pergola way of farming for the 10 hectares of cultivation surface. An idyll that also comprises a museum, which is the Winegrowing Museum, established in 1980 in the basement and the cellars of Rametz Castle.

In four exhibition sites, you can admire items and tools for the cultivation, harvest and the transport that have in part also faded into obscurity, making you familiar with the wine production in former periods. Also crop cultivation and crop dusting are addressed in the museum. In 2007, the Winegrowing Museum was expanded by illustrations and ancient tools that make you discover how bacon is produced. The visit to the museum starts with a walk across the vineyards and information on the work in the vineyard. Then you proceed to the cellar of the 18th century and its porphyry stone blocks. The visit ends in the modern wine cellar, where you can taste the flavoursome beverage and the typical Kaiserspeck bacon.

Rametz Castle houses a vinotheque, the "Wine House" in the village of Tirolo as well as a restaurant. In 2018, three Castel Monreale champagnes of Rametz Castle have been awarded the prestigious "The WineHunter Award". Also as an event location - for private festivities as well as public events such as the Advent at Rametz Castle - it is widely known. And how to reach it? The impressive building can be found in the Via Labers road 4 at Maia Alta - it is accessible by car.