About the Producer
Driving north from Verona, in northeastern Italy, the autostrada enters the Alpine valley, lined with steep glacial walls. After passing Trento, it reaches Trentino–Alto Adige's wine and apple-growing district, with vines and orchards covering the valley floor. Near the border of Alto Adige or Südtirol, the charming village of Magrè appears. Though it seems like a quiet, well-preserved town, Magrè hosts the headquarters of Alois Lageder winery, one of Italy's top producers. The Lageder presence in Magrè is emblematic of the winery's intent to blend seamlessly into the local community and the natural environment in this bucolic, pristine setting. Lageder works hard to be a good neighbor and a good steward of the land by practicing biodynamic farming, doing their part to mitigate any harmful effects of their winemaking facilities, and helping their grower-partners and others in the valley to do the same. Founded in 1823 by Johann Lageder as a wine merchant in Bolzano, the company recently celebrated its bicentennial in the wine industry. Over the years, the family began producing their own wine and growing some of their own grapes. A major milestone came in 1934, when Johann's great-grandson Alois purchased the Löwengang wine estate in Magrè, shifting the company's focus from merchant to producer. Over time, the family acquired other well-positioned vineyards in Alto Adige and entered into purchase agreements with many of the small growers around Magrè. The current owner of the estate is Alois Lageder IV, the son of the man who bought the Löwengang estate. Alois IV took control of the company in the mid-1970s. Today, his son Alois Clemens Lageder, representing the sixth generation, has recently taken the helm of the winery's management, along with his two sisters. Clemens moved the winery towards producing only wines made from organic grapes or certified Demeter Biodynamic, which was achieved in 2024. The winey mantra is "Diversity is Key"!
