Törggelen wine walk - the 500-year-old autumn ritual of chestnuts, new wine, and farmhouse taverns

Törggelen is South Tyrol's most sacred autumn tradition — walking between Buschenschänke (farmhouse taverns) from October to November, drinking new wine (Nuier), eating roasted chestnuts, Speck, and Schlachtplatte. The word comes from 'Torggl,' the wooden wine press. After harvest, farmers invited workers to taste the new vintage. 500 years later, the ritual survives.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Find a Buschenschank With a Branch on the Door Wine · Free

   Look for a branch or wreath with a red ribbon hanging above the door — this centuries-old signal means the tavern is open and the new wine is ready. A Buschenschank is a farmhouse tavern licensed to sell its OWN wine and food. The Eisack Valley between Chiusa/Klausen and Bressanone/Brixen is the birthplace of Törggelen (20 minutes north of Bolzano by car or train to Chiusa). The word comes from 'Torggl,' the old wooden wine press every farmhouse had. Season runs from the first Saturday of October through late November — no reservation needed at most places, just walk in when you spot the branch.

   Backup: If you can't find the branch, search 'Roter Hahn Buschenschank' on your phone — roterhahn.it lists all certified ones with addresses and opening times.

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2. 2 Taste Süßer and Nuier — Wine Before and After Fermentation Wine · Price: low

   Süßer is sweet, cloudy grape must that hasn't fermented yet — essentially grape juice on its way to becoming wine. Nuier ('new wine') is the just-fermented vintage, still rough and young. At your Buschenschank table, ask for 'Süßer und Nuier, bitte.' Taste the Süßer first — sweet, thick, grapey. Then the Nuier — notice how fermentation has converted sugar to alcohol, adding dryness and complexity. This is what farmers drank 500 years ago to decide if the vintage was good. The Süßer tells you what the grape gave; the Nuier tells you what the winemaker took. A quarter-litre of each costs €3-5.

   Backup: If Süßer is finished (it ferments quickly and is only available in early October), the Nuier alone tells the story. Ask the farmer: 'How is this year's vintage?' They'll give you the honest assessment that no marketing department would.

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3. 3 Eat the Schlachtplatte That Feeds a Valley History · Price: moderate

   Törggelen follows a sacred progression: (1) Barley soup to warm up. (2) Schlutzkrapfen (spinach-ricotta ravioli). (3) The Schlachtplatte — a massive platter of ribs, smoked sausages (Kaminwurzen), cured meats, and sauerkraut. This was harvest food when farmers needed 4,000 calories a day during pressing season. (4) Roasted chestnuts (Köstn). (5) Fried Krapfen pastries filled with jam. At your Buschenschank, order 'das Törggele-Menü' or point at other tables. The Schlachtplatte arrives on a wooden board — eat with your hands where appropriate. Ask: 'Do you make the sausages here?' At a real Buschenschank, the answer is yes. Budget €20-35 per person for the full progression including wine.

   Backup: If the full menu is too much, order just Speck, Kaminwurzen, and chestnuts with wine. That's the essential Törggelen experience in miniature — smoke, salt, sweet, and new wine.

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4. 4 Walk Between Taverns on the Chestnut Path Adventure · Free

   Törggelen was originally a WALK, not a dinner. Farmers walked from press house to press house, tasting each neighbor's new wine. The Keschtnweg (Chestnut Path) runs 60km from Feldthurns to Bolzano through chestnut groves, connecting multiple Buschenschänke. The golden autumn light through chestnut leaves, wine in your system, and the next farmhouse smoking in the distance — this rhythm has continued for 500 years. Start at one Buschenschank for Süßer and a snack, walk 2-3km to the next for the main meal, walk again to a third for chestnuts and Krapfen. The walking spaces the wine, clears the head, and connects the taverns into a narrative. Total: 6-10km of easy valley walking on the best stretch from Feldthurns to Klausen.

   Backup: If walking isn't possible, drive between Buschenschänke (designate a driver or take a taxi). The experience still works seated, but the walk between taverns is what makes it feel like a 500-year-old ritual rather than a restaurant crawl.

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