Franz Haas
For well over a century, the Haas family have been carving wines out of Alto Adige’s dramatic alpine slopes. Back in 1880, this winery got its start and has since been passed down through eight generations—each to the first-born, each carrying the same name: Franz. This isn’t a typo. They’re all called Franz.
Today, Franz is known for being incredibly exacting. Nothing slips through—every detail considered and deliberate. But even precision has its limits—some things are left to Mother Nature. After all, these are some of Italy’s most striking alpine vineyards: steep sites, wild temperature swings, sweltering summers to ice-cold winters. Across 30 hectares of estate vineyards (some pushing 1000 metres altitude) and a handful of carefully chosen growers, he works a patchwork of microclimates and aspects to get the best from each variety—whether that’s razor-sharp Pinot Bianco, deeply intense Lagrein, or plenty more besides.