Martin Foradori Hofstätter: Alto Adige’s Timekeeper

Well-pressed and well-dressed, renowned winemaker Martin Foradori Hofstätter radiates timeless authenticity. He may speak German as his mother tongue, but there’s no denying a classically Italian sense of style. His brown leather jacket hangs casually open, his black-rimmed glasses sit precisely placed. He leans his tall, trim frame against the modern office desk as easily as if it were a weathered picnic bench atop his mountainside vineyards, surrounded by nature and the large, rose-hued berries of his historic and highly prized Gewürztraminer vines. 

He is also the picture of calm. Mind you, this is a man with estates to manage in Alto Adige-Südtirol, Trentino, and the Mosel and who has agreed to squeeze in an interview following time at his Mosel estate and on his way to the airport for a trip that will hit both Paris and New York. Each word, each movement feels connected to the next, perfectly synchronized, deliberate to the point of mindful in its precision timing. He neither wears a watch nor seems to mind any clock. An internal temporal sense appears to rule his day. 

In others, such care might feel scripted, guarded, even circumspect. In him, however, it simply feels timeless. He looks the part of someone untroubled by the sand ticking through life’s hourglass, with no more than a scattering of silver in his trimmed beard and full head of hair, stylishly accentuated by the discrete silver bracelet on his wrist. All of this make his response to the final interview question that much more surprising. When asked what holds him back, his answer: “Time. Time is standing in my way. Everything is moving so quickly these days. It affects all of us.” 

Time has, however, certainly smiled on Hofstätter, bringing him fame as the owner of the J. Hofstätter estate in the small northern Italian village of Tramin, just south of the Alps. He represents the fourth generation of his family to make wine in Alto Adige-Südtirol, with a portfolio of vineyards that include Roccolo, Barthenau and Vigna Pirchschrait, the cradle of some of the most coveted wines in the region; his father, Paolo Foradori, was known as the father of Pinot Noir in Alto Adige-Südtirol. Yet, even with this enviable pedigree, Hofstätter deflects when the conversation lingers too long on forcing a single vinous identity for the region.

He instead emphasizes his sense of where the region works best: when it embraces its complex terroir diversity. “Of course it can be confusing when you visit, to find that Alto Adige lacks a signature variety,” Hofstätter says, settling into his straight-backed chair. “It’s not like it is in Germany, where you immediately think of Riesling, or in Tuscany, where you think of Sangiovese, or in Piedmont you think of Nebbiolo. This has never existed in Alto Adige, nor is it possible because the region is simply too diverse.”

Few are better positioned than Hofstätter to understand the impact and responsibility of this situation. His five historic estates cover more than 50 hectares of vines on both sides of the Adige Valley, the only family-owned winery in the region to do so. The cool eastern and warm western sides of the valley feature markedly different mesoclimates, including a 1,000-hour annual difference in sun exposure, varying slope orientations, and elevations stretching from 250 to 800 meters above sea level. He has embraced the heterogeneity of the terroir as the region’s calling card more than any single varietal ambassador, and in so doing has elevated himself into a viticultural model for unlocking the full potential of the tiny Italian region south of the Alps today. 

But that’s far from the end of his ambitions, which are broad and wide, and threatened only by the allotted number of days he has to see them done. In other words: time.

The Timeless Legacy of Alto Adige’s Wine Pioneer

As with many who grow up around winemaking, there was never a time that Hofstätter wasn’t a part of the family business. From the time he was tall enough to thin the tender green shoots on the estate’s Pinot vines, it seemed likely, even obvious, that he would follow in the footsteps of his forebearers. After an internship in Switzerland, Hofstätter officially joined the family estate in Tramin in 1992. He was just 22, but as with most of the winemaker’s decisions, it couldn’t have been better timed, for Alto Adige-Südtirol, after years of bulk wine and overly manipulated Vernatsch, was on the cusp of significant change. 

The start came in part with the success of international varieties in the region in the 1970s and ‘80s, and gave a much-needed boon of international attention as a result. In a short period, Vernatsch sank from 80% of the region’s plantings to 13%, turning the vinous tide from red to white. In addition, Italy’s leading wine guide, Gamboro Rosso, reported on the power of Alto Adige’s white wines, which in turn helped open up what would become the region’s biggest “export” market, namely the rest of Italy. 

“At that time,” says Hofstätter, “If you didn’t have a Chardonnay or Cabernet [Sauvignon], then nobody took you seriously.” Things are better now, he notes, and “[our] ‘ace up the sleeve’ lies in a range of other grape varieties, mainly white wines, as well as Pinot and even Lagrein.”

“Alto Adige is a mountainous region with multiple mesoclimates, with many different soils. It’s what makes us so singular.”

Although he continues to see a future for Chardonnay in Alto Adige-Südtirol due to favorable climatic conditions, other varieties from that international boom, varieties that were perhaps more a result of trend than terroir, should, in his opinion, make a graceful exit. “Let’s leave Cabernet [Sauvignon] to the winegrowers and the regions that can manage it a little better than we can,” he acknowledges. “I’m known for Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer. Pinot Blanc is also a big part of what I do, as is Sauvignon [Blanc]. I’m not afraid to work in that direction and leave some varieties behind.” 

A Philosophy of Terroir and Timing

In 1959, Paolo Foradori (1935-2020) set a course for both the estate and the region by vinifying his first Pinot Noir from the Barthenau farm, purchased in 1941 by Martin Foradori’s Hofstätter’s grandfather Vittorio Foradori. Then as now, the Pinot vines sat opposite the Tramin estate, on an elevated plateau on the cool eastern side of the valley where exposure to sunlight. Wind currents circulate through the Alpine corridor. Limestone soils give the vines the water they need. Although much of the Mazzon region today is devoted to Pinot Noir vines, it wasn’t always that way. Paolo’s Barthenau Pinot Noir marked the first time that the fruit, including 70+-year-old pergola-trained vines — the oldest in Alto Adige-Südtirol — was vinified by the estate rather than sold off to a local winery as a blending partner for Vernatsch. Today it is the coveted Barthenau Vigna Roccolo.

It was not the only innovation by a man known today as the “father of Alto Adige Pinot Noir.” He also chose to name the wine for the place where it was born, rather than by an invented fantasy name as was a trend of the time. Nearly 30 years later in 1987, he released “Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano Pinot Noir,” the first time that a wine from a defined parcel was recognized as such on the label, and the first officially classified vintage wine of Alto Adige. 

While Hofstätter has added Vigna wines to the estate’s prestigious portfolio, just as importantly, he has built on his family’s philosophy in other ways as well. “My father showed me the way,” he says, discussing the newly legislated vineyard classification, the region’s first. “We [J. Hofstätter] have always been heavily — one might say: fanatically — oriented in this direction. And what’s interesting is that this regional thinking has now finally spilled over into all of Alto Adige-Südtirol.” 

The seal of approval from the ministry of agriculture in Rome concluded a seven-year zonation process spearheaded in part by Hofstätter as vice president of the Alto Adige Wine Consortium. Starting with the 2024 harvest, any of the more than 86 UGAs (Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive), clearly defined and carefully documented geographical units, may be listed on the label along with the more general designation Alto Adige DOC. In addition to geographical delineation based on historical tradition and reputation, strict criteria now limit varieties and yields, as they do in most of the renowned wine regions around the world.

For Hofstätter, this approach is best not just as a philosophy for his estate, but as a compass for the entire region. “I strongly believe that the next generations will have to pay more attention to the terroir. [Alto Adige-Südtirol] is a mountainous region with multiple mesoclimates, with many different soils. It’s what makes us so singular.” This would be a change from what he sees as the current oenologist-led approach of some in the region, whose active intervention he compares to a DJ at the mixing console or a classical conductor bending a performance to a personal vision rather than reflecting what the local circumstances — time and place, good and bad — have to offer. “That is the direction we have to pursue.”

Dr. Fischer: Hofstätter’s Saar Rieslings

For all his hyperlocal focus on northern Italian terroir, Hofstätter has proven plenty willing to test his theories in other fields. 2014 saw him turn his compass north. When a call came in that a small historic estate in Ockfen, Germany, was on the market, the winemaker didn’t hesitate to exchange Italy’s Adige River for Germany’s Saar, and the rich aromas of his beloved Gewürztraminer for the equally complex and polarizing Riesling in the process. 

This was more the culmination of a lifelong love affair than a first flirt with Riesling. “I blame my father for it!” Hofstätter says with a laugh, before relaying the story of his own Riesling genesis. Starting with his time auditing at Germany’s preeminent wine university Geisenheim, Paolo Foradori had begun collecting a deep cellar of Riesling wines, from Germany and elsewhere. Every Christmas Eve, just before the start of dinner, father and son would select a bottle for the holiday meal. “And 90% of these Riesling bottles were from Alsace, or the Wachau. That shaped my love of Riesling… I am convinced that a Riesling from Alto Adige is a nice white wine. But with the exception of maybe two or three wines, they don’t even come close to the style that is found north of the Alps. ”

Hofstätter produces five hectares of Riesling under the Dr. Fischer name from the historic vineyards. Although the steep slopes visually echo the imposing Dolomite mountains of his home, the estate’s flagship vineyard Bockstein reaches only 320 m.a.s.l, far from alpine. Hofstätter’s prized dry Gewürztraminers, for example, start to develop the acidity they need to be interesting at about 360 m.a.s.l. Nevertheless, the Saar’s southwest-facing slate vineyard offers the experienced vintner considerable new challenges. “If I’m being honest, I believe it takes far more than just a decade to truly understand the nuances of a region. I love the Mosel, I love the Saar, but, for now, I prefer to listen and learn from my winemaking colleagues [in the region].”

When he took over, Hofstätter reduced the range to two wines: an estate-level dry Riesling and a fruity Bockstein kabinett. The majority of the fruit is used in the dry wine, a cool, crisp and characteristic Riesling nuanced with notes of tropical fruit and slate. The Italian market, which currently makes up 90% of his sales, is, Hofstätter feels, not yet ready to fully appreciate the intricacies of the complex terroir and classification of the Mosel Valley. “How often have I heard over the last ten years,” Hofstätter says, “Does wine even grow in Germany?” 

“When I taste what fellow winegrowers on the Saar are doing today with Pinot… it’s clear to me the
potential is enormous.”

Although Riesling and Gewürztraminer are two very different varieties, they are linked — and haunted — by the same “residual sugar ghost,” i.e., the challenge of selling them outside their respective domestic markets, weighed down by outdated stereotypes. Hofstätter, whose family has helped redefine Alto Adige-Südtirol Gewürztraminer, is well familiar with the problem. North of the Alps, Gewürztraminer has been traditionally characterized by a sweet and opulent style, says Hofstätter. “But the classic Italian wine consumer,” he continues, “has learned to love and appreciate Gewürztraminer thanks to the Alto Adige Gewürztraminers… they were and remain dry. They have an incredible elegance, with just a touch of acidity.” Today’s consumer is looking for lightness and freshness in wine, something Riesling has in spades. Despite the Italian market’s slow acceptance, Hofstätter sees himself as a “Wanderprediger” (traveling preacher) in Italy for the cool Rieslings of the Mosel and Saar. 

The Dr. Fischer project is spearheaded by Hofstätter’s son, Niklas Foradori, who joined the family estate in 2023, and oenologist Marcus Heinel. “When it comes to the cellar there, my son knows much more than I do. The reins have already been handed to the next generation.” Niklas, born in 1997, studied at Geisenheim University, garnering practical experience around the world at such renowned estates as Wilhelm Weil in the Rheingau, Marquis d’Angerville in Burgundy, The Eyrie Vineyards in Oregon, and Hamilton Russell Vineyards in South Africa. A “roter Faden” (common thread) of Pinot Noir expertise is hard to ignore. 

“I can’t deny,” the northern Italian winemaker says when the topic of Pinot in the region is raised, “that I continue to keep an eye open to what’s happening with Pinot Noir in the Saar.” As of 2022, five percent of the Mosel’s hectares under vine were planted to Pinot Noir, and 2024 saw the first VDP.GG Pinot in the Mosel. These signs, together with rising temperatures due to climate chaos, mean that sites where ripeness was previously impossible are now regularly showing beautiful fruit. None of this surprises Hofstätter. “When I taste what fellow winegrowers on the Saar are doing today with Pinot… it’s clear to me that the potential is enormous.” In particular, the region’s preferred Pinot style echoes Hofstätter’s vision of lightness and grace — a reflection of that which the terroir gladly nurtures.

Trentino’s Time Capsule: Attitude Shaped by Altitude

As if he could hear the clock ticking and decided to move faster, only a few years later Hofstätter sought out new heights, and freshness, back in Italy. With the purchase of the Maso Michei vineyards in southern Trentino in 2017, he found himself with 13 hectares of what is often described as “viticultura heroica.” Although Hofstätter himself refutes the term for its implied theatrics, one look at the dizzying cliffs and single-stake training seems to warrant it for this author.

The Maso Michei vineyards in the Valle dei Ronchi above Ala are perched in a secluded Trentino mountainscape at 850 m.a.s.l. in a craggy setting where stone meets sky. As with his eponymous estate, he has focused heavily on optimizing the variety to the site, especially when it comes to elevation. The two areas also share a number of geological similarities when it comes to gravel, scree, and the mountains known as “Piccolo Dolomiti.”

Over three hectares of the highest of the vineyards are dedicated to the German workhorse grape, Müller-Thurgau, much of it planted by its previous owner. “Unfortunately, Müller-Thurgau has a poor reputation after years of being treated like the black sheep in the family. But in my opinion, [Müller-Thurgau] is the perfect grape variety for high elevation vineyards.” Lower-elevation sites, starting at approximately 600 meters, are planted to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. 

In a time of climbing temperatures, many winegrowers seem to be seeking a higher power, or at least a higher vineyard. But pursuing high-altitude sites with low-altitude viticulture, Hofstätter warns, can be a costly mistake. Both the planting and cultivation need to be conducted differently when far above sea level versus down in the valley. With a flowering delay of three to four weeks, there is a very small window of vegetation and grape ripening. “And if I have the misfortune to catch a cold year,” says Hofstätter, “it can be a real challenge to get my grapes to fully ripen.” To compensate for the shortened ripening window, he has significantly increased the planting density. He says: “We have more vines per hectare, fewer grapes per vine. But because of the additional vines, I can still harvest enough to keep the project going.” 

“It is wild,” Hofstätter says, “and that fascinates me.” 

With all that said, Hofstätter views his Trentino endeavor as the culmination of a pursuit of freshness as a stylistic choice, rather than a reaction to rising temperatures. He is intrigued by the acid structure he can achieve at those lofty heights. The crisp call of the wild. There is a peace, he admits, seeming to drift back to that place in mind if not in body, in the solitude of the stones, in the autumnal valley echo of the deer bellowing as they rut. “It is wild,” he says. “And that fascinates me.” 

Willamette Valley: A Future Foradori Project?

Given the strong Pinot thread that runs through the Foradori family, from Paolo to Martin to Niklas, it seems only a matter of time before Hofstätter looks to the country with the world’s second-largest Pinot plantings. “There is one area that has long intrigued me, for going on thirty years now, and that is Oregon,” Hofstätter admits, reminiscing about a visit in 1994 to Eola Hills, Oregon. There were few wineries there at the time, but the migration of viticulture to significantly cooler areas in the intervening years means that Eola Hills is now synonymous with Oregon Pinot Noir. 

There are no active acquisitions in the pipeline, but the area is never far from his sights. The opportunities are certainly there — he notes that he’d been offered five acres just a fortnight ago — but the time hasn’t been ripe to explore concrete plans. Not yet, anyways.

And so it is another reflection of how Martin Foradori Hofstätter works to his own inner timekeeper. Timing and tension, the backbone of all beautiful wine, go hand-in-hand: a feel for when to hold, when to resolve, and when to let go. A trust that the internal metronome is true, perfected over a lifetime of decisions minute and magnificent alike. Five minutes before Hofstätter’s taxi is set to pick him up for the short drive to the Frankfurt airport, he folds his hands in his lap in a graceful gesture signaling the interview’s end. “Did we run over?” he asks. I check my phone, but my reassuring answer surprises no one. An impeccable sense of timing has brought the northern Italian winemaker this far, and no one, least of all he himself, should doubt it now.