Wine – The Official Selection

Wine – The Official Selection is the result of a year-long process of tasting and assessment.

The Italian and international wines were selected by The WineHunter tasting panels and were rewarded with of one of the prestigious The WineHunter Award ROSSO, Gold or Platinum.

Click here to take a look at the exhibitors of Wine Italia.

Novelties of 2019

Leonardo da Vinci

“If you follow my teachings, you will drink an excellent wine!”
Merano WineFestival is a moment of shared stories, results of a union that often combines past and future. In this context, The WineHunter designed a tribute to celebrate the genius of Leonardo da Vinci and the five hundred years since his disappearing. The figure of Leonardo da Vinci well embodies the motto of The WineHunter “Excellence is an attitude”. Da Vinci, as an absolute forerunner, dedicated himself already in 1500 to topics such as oenology and the search for excellence in wine. The patron of the festival Helmuth Köcher dedicates a special area within the heart of the event, the stage of the Kursaal.

Vino in Anfora WineHunter Area
Taste a real peculiarity on the stage of the Kursaal: wines aged in amphora!

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New Entries
Monday of the Festival is dedicated to the New Entries: those wines which thanks to special quality and peculiarity stood out during the tastings and have never before been selected for the Merano WineFestival. You find these labels in the Pavillon des Fleurs.

Old Vintage Collections
On Monday, 11th November, you can taste an old vintage from the wine cellar at the tasting tables of the companies.
For this special occasion, bottles are tasted with a maturity of at least ten years to understand the history and longevity of the products.

Vino in Vulcano WineHunter Area
Vino in Vulcano is dedicated to wines of great quality that are the result of an extreme viticulture and express the intense energy of the volcano!

WineHunter Area
The wine bar of the Merano WineFestival is situated in the central Rotunde of the Kurhaus. Here you find a selection of wines, which were rewarded with The WineHunter Award. Under the support of professional sommeliers, the visitors can taste the huge variety of high quality wines selected by The WineHunter.

Wine International
In this area you find all the international protagonists. Your opportunity to discover and taste wine from all over the world.

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux
Historical Châteaux offer the possibility to taste their noblest products. A terroir which reflects the history of wine. A culture that was passed on throughout the decades.

Naturae et Purae bio&dynamica

Merano WineFestival for philosophers

Naturae et Purae is the part of the Merano WineFestival dedicated to enthusiasts of knowledge and researchers of life. Over the course of several days you have the opportunity to discover the topic of sustainability through discussions, talks and tastings. This year the focus lies mainly on water, but also on energy and future perspectives. The event is split into three sections, each with a different approach to the topic:

On November 4th and 5th, the summit “Breath and Cry Of The Earth” will inaugurate Naturae et Purae. Six analysis meetings and discussion groups addressing water as a primary and vital resource, innovation, usefulness of certifications and some case studies such as the “Abruzzo Sostenibile” model. The higher goal of the summit is the drafting of a manifesto. Which is ultimatley to be delivered, signed by all opinion leaders and stakeholders, to the Minister of Food and Forestry Policy. Other case studies with a special focus are the models of Campania and Georgia. Lectures, tastings and show cookings, offer a glimpse into the personal experiences of the people who live their respective models. Successes and difficulties

The Naturae et Purae Talks of this year’s event are designated Wine Resistance – Extreme Spirits, from Mediterranean Islands to Islands of the Spirit. The program, conceived by Helmuth Köcher and journalist Angelo Carrillo, runs from November 4-6, 2022, with 2 lectures per day at the Merano Academy. (Malvasia Tasting Booth, 4th of November).

The bio&dynamica is the grand finale of Naturae et Purae, on the 8th of November. While the parallel running Catwalk Champagne celebrates the world of champagne, with all its excellence and galmour, so too bio&dynamica celebrates the the spirit of Naturae et Purae with products from sustainable agriculture. bio&dynamica, as conclusion of Naturae et Purae Talk and “Breath and Cry Of The Earth”, is devoted exclusively to the tasting of organic, biodynamic, natural, Orange and PIWI wines. All recognized with the The WineHunter Award. Learn about sustainable production, naturalness and purity in food and wine directly from their producers. A worthy conclusion event for all who are interested in the future of grape growing. The Pavillon des Fleurs of the Kurhaus and it’s adjacent room will open their doors to 51 producer and their sustainable products. All the products have been selected through The WineHunter Award. Opening hours from 10. am to 4. pm, tuesday November 8th.

Location and Schedule of Naturae et Purae 2022

This years Naturae et Purae will be held from November 4th to 6th in the Acadeny Merano, in form of 6 talks sometimes with complementary tastings. At the same time, on friday 4th and saturday 5th, at the Puccini Theater you can listen into the summit “Breath and Cry Of The Earth”. On tuesday November 8th, bio&dynamica will be hosted inside the Kurhaus of Merano. The event is open from 10. am to 4. pm.

Registration Necessary

The Naturae et Purae Talk and the summit “Breath and Cry Of The Earth” are being held in historical building. Thus the number of total visitors to each event is limited. Following these links you will arrive at the free registration form:

The WineHunter Award at bio&dynamica and Naturae et Purae

The wines presented at Naturae et Purae bio&dynamica were part of a meticulous selection process that continues over the span of an entire year. The WineHunter Helmuth Köcher and his tastings commissions taste and select the wines, which are then rewarded with The WineHunter Award Rosso, Gold or Platinum. By clicking here you can find more information on The WineHunter Award.

All producers of bio&dynamica 2022 listed. (.pdf)

The WineHunter Helmuth Köcher and his tastings commissions taste and select the wines, which are then rewarded with The WineHunter Award Rosso, Gold or Platinum Naturae et Purae - bio&dynamica is the event of the Merano WineFestival dedicated to the tasting of organic, biodynamic, natural, orange, PIWI and integrated farming wines.

Wine – The WineHunter Selection

The official selection of the wines at the Merano WineFestival is called Wine – The WineHunter Selection

Wine – The WineHunter Selection is the heart of Merano Wine Festival and you can learn about the stories of excellence that have received The WineHunter Award. So come and visit the Kurhaus from 4^th to 8^th November from 10 am to 6 pm and taste wines selected by The WineHunter Helmuth Köcher based on a year-long search.

Novelty at Wine The WineHunter Selection

This year there will be something new at the heart of the event: Wine – The WineHunter Selection will take place in the Kurhaus and will feature 122 Italian and international producers on 4th and 5th of November (session 1) and as many again on the 6th and 7th (session 2). There will be a link between the exhibition spaces in the Kurhaus and those in the GourmetArena. In the GourmetArena Foods Spirits Beer – The Official Selection will involve the same system of dividing producers between the different days into sessions. Some producers from session 1 will not be present in session 2 and vice versa. To keep the overview of the WineHunter Selection tidy and easily accesible, the selection has been divided into 6 section:

Wine Italia

The heart of the event with a selection of Italy’s best wineries. From Session 1 to Session 2 the section sees a total of 429 producers provinding all their WineHunter awarded products .

Wine International

In this area you find all the international protagonists. Your opportunity to discover and taste wine from all over the world.

New Entries

Monday of the Festival is dedicated to the New Entries: those wines which thanks to special quality and peculiarity stood out during the tastings and have never before been selected for the Merano WineFestival. You find these labels in the Pavillon des Fleurs.

old Vintage Collections

On Monday, 7th November, you can taste an old vintage from the wine cellar at the tasting tables of the companies. For this special occasion, bottles are tasted with a maturity of at least ten years to understand the history and longevity of the products.

bio&dynamica

The conclusion of Naturae et Purae, celebrates the spirit of the sustainability and sustainable agriculture. Learn about sustainable production, naturalness and purity in food and wine directly from applying producers.

WineHunter Area

A central wine bar of the Merano WineFestival. Situated on the stage of the Kursaal, main hall of the Kurhaus. Here you find a selection of wines, which were rewarded with The WineHunter Award. Under the support of professional sommeliers, the visitors can taste the huge variety of high quality wines selected by The WineHunter.

The WineHunter Area

The WineHunter Area is a vitrine of The WineHunter awarded wines presented by our professional sommeliers. This year, other than the presence of the Kursaal on the podium, The WineHunter Area will relinquish its usual display spaces and transfer as well to the lounges of Merano hotels. A digital lounge will also be created in this area, which will allow visitors to interact with the producers in real-time.

Excellence is an attitude, the motto of The WineHunter and the wine selection

“Excellence is an attitude”. The motto of The WineHunter and patron of the event Helmuth Köcher perfectly interprets the constant search for excellence. This researcht has made the Merano WineFestival a highly prestigious event in the world of wine. Wine – The WineHunter Selection, based on a voyage at the discovery of fine wine, is central to the event in Merano where the selection of best products given The Rosso, Gold and Platinum WineHunter Award is presented. These stories of excellence sought, discovered and selected by Helmuth Köcher, the famous patron of the Merano WineFestival, in collaboration with selected tasting committees from around Italy, will star at the Kurhaus from 6 to 9 November. The grand Liberty-style building will therefore be turned into a place where you can meet quality producers and taste the best wines of Italy and other countries.

Discover the producers of the WineHunter Area

Ein neues Gesicht erhält auch die The WineHunter Area, die Önothek aus The WineHunter Award prämierten Weinen präsentiert von unseren Sommeliers. The WineHunter Area is a vitrine of The WineHunter awarded wines presented by our professional sommeliers.

Catwalk Champagne & more

Champagne and bubble tasting combined with culinary delights, a glamorous Catwalk

It is tradition for the Merano WineFestival to conclude with the Catwalk Champagne. A grand finale, in a very exclusive manner, true to the motto excellence is an attitude. Next to Champagne, this year the closure day will also host sparkling wines that were produced with the the method Metodo Classico. A selection of the best champagnes in the world are served for tasting together with Metodo Classico sparkling wines and gastronomic specialties and culinary delights. All products are recognized with The WineHunter Award>, a real catwalk.

Elegance and refinement are the stars of this final day in the Kursaal on Tuesday 8th of November from 10 am to 4 pm. The best bubbles, selected by The WineHunter Helmuth Köcher, will be protagonists of this special Catwalk.

Catwalk Champagne & more, an oenogastronomic journey with tasting of sparkling wine and culinary specialties

Visitors will be involved in a unique journey through wine and food. An emotional and sensoric experience that unveils the existing combinations between champagne, sparkling wine and culinary excellences.

Our Catwalk Champagne is an event that combines culture, entertainment and discovery. Everything in the universally appreciated atmosphere of the Merano WineFestival.

Click here to take a look at the list of producers.

Since ever the Merano WineFestival closes with the Catwalk Champagne, the grand finale in a very exclusive manner true to the motto excellence is an attitude. Catwalk Champagne, an oenogastrnomical journey with tasting of French sparkling wine and culinary specialties