The Gump Hof estate traces its history back to 1546, when it was first recorded in official documents and already had close ties to nearby Prösels Castle. The picturesque frescoes in the courtyard tell of gatherings of knights and minstrels such as Oswald von Wolkenstein, who would pause along this vital north-south Alpine trade route, drink wine, and share their tales. For more than 200 years, the estate has been owned by the Prackwieser family.
In the 1990s, Markus Prackwieser, son of the then-owner Johann, discovered a deep passion for wine. Taking over the estate in 2000, he transformed it from a traditional agricultural property into a pioneer of modern, terroir-driven winemaking. His philosophy is built on meticulous craftsmanship, the use of traditional grape varieties, and a seamless blend of generational knowledge with international inspiration. Markus regularly draws ideas and techniques from world-renowned wine regions such as the Wachau, Burgundy, and the Loire Valley — even making a pilgrimage to the grave of legendary winemaker Didier Dagueneau.
The steep vineyards, with gradients reaching up to 70%, are located between 400 and 850 meters above sea level at the foot of the Schlern massif. Their calcareous moraine soils on solid Bolzano quartz porphyry, combined with the sharp temperature contrasts between warm Mediterranean daytime winds (Ora) and cool nocturnal breezes from the Dolomites, give the wines freshness, structure, and complexity. These exceptional growing conditions have sparked a renaissance in local viticulture, with Gump Hof now recognized as one of the leading ambassadors of fine South Tyrolean wine.
Today, Gump Hof blends deep local roots with a refined cosmopolitan spirit. Its wines capture both the essence of their terroir and the personal signature of the winemaker. The estate is also part of the “Weingespan(n)”, a collective of South Tyrol’s top wine producers, and maintains a strong focus on manual work from vine to bottle. In addition to classic varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Vernatsch, and Pinot Blanc, Markus Prackwieser also crafts sophisticated cuvées that have received multiple international accolades.
With his vision of combining traditional winemaking methods with global openness, Gump Hof has become a beacon of quality wine production in South Tyrol. The wines — made in small quantities — stand out for their distinctive character, highlighting the alpine elegance of their origins while appealing to a global audience.
