'Innovation and a pioneering spirit have driven this historic Oltradige winery since its beginnings in 1923. The winery and cellarmaster Gerhard Kofler play a significant role in the Alto Adige winemaking and vineyard scenario. These are all major wines with great technique and personality.' Gambero Rosso
'This Cornaiano winery does not miss a beat and, year after year is confirmed as one of the most close-knit and quality companies in South Tyrol. A successful team that combines tradition and innovative drive.'
Slow Wine 2019
For wine buyers looking to Italy for diversity and value, this is as good a place to start as any. We think these wines offer some of the brightest, most exciting values we ship—with not a Pinot Grigio in sight!
Founded in 1923 as a small co-operative winery with 23 growers on their books, Girlan is based in the heart of Italy’s beautiful, mountainous, Alto Adige region. This historic Cantina has always been determined to do things differently. It was one of the first in the region to pay a premium based on the quality of grapes received. That charter has only been strengthened under the current direction of Oscar Lorandi and cellarmaster Gerhard Kofler. Today they work with 200 families who farm around 215 hectares of vines (small in the context of the region), meaning the average grower’s holding still lies under a single hectare of vines. If the grower delivers grapes of a quality to make it into a premium Girlan bottling, they get a generous bonus. This incentive clearly goes a long way and it’s therefore little wonder that this address is held up as one of the beacons of the Valle dell’Adige. The wines speak loudly of their region’s mountainous, stony terroirs in a way that belies their humble price tag.
Over the last 10 years, Girlan has been busy establishing itself as one of the most interesting names of Alto Adige. It was the arrival of new cellarmaster Gehard Kofler in 2006, however, that really kicked things up a gear. By 2008, Girlan had five wines competing for Gambero Rosso’s ‘Tre Bicchieri’ (‘Three Glasses’) with one 2008 wine eventually winning this top designation. Girlan and Kofler control some great sites in Alto Adige’s Uberetsch-Unterland subregion.
