Weingut Eichholz

Irene Grünenfelder gave up her career in teaching and founded her own winery in 1995, equipped with a solitary 500-litre vessel. It was thanks to no shortage of effort and improvisation that she transformed her estate into one of the best in Graubünden within a short space of time. Her rare wines are among the most sought after in Switzerland.

The way that Weingut Eichholz has moved with the times is akin to how a bottle of wine evolves over time. What began as a one-woman show is now a five-hectare family winery. Today, Irene Grünenfelder and her son produce authentic, vibrant wines of great finesse – and feel privileged and lucky to be able to do so.

Self-taught

A dream came true for the self-taught Irene when she started making wine in Jenins in 1995. She is now one of the top winegrowers in the Bündner Herrschaft area of Graubünden. Her characterful, rare, ageworthy wines are some of the most coveted in Switzerland. Irene’s son, Johannes Hunger, studied wine technology and has been bringing his knowledge and ideas to bear in recent years.

The organic approach

The microclimate in Jenins allows for a long growing season and good levels of ripeness, while crops at Weingut Eichholz are limited to as little as 400 grams per square metre – a third of the maximum permitted yield in the winegrowing canton of Graubünden. Irene also favours an integrated crop protection approach and eschews chemical fertilisers. Rounded, fruit-driven wines are the result. The mantra of ‘less is more’ also applies in the cellar, where the use of vinification technology is kept to an absolute minimum. 

eichholz-weine.ch