Simply good – that’s how the Merano region tastes

Several cooks spoil the broth? Not true. At least not in Merano and Environs. Last Saturday I followed the culinary call of the region and took the train and post bus in the direction of South Tyrol again. Across the Swiss National Park and through the town of Glorenza, where I tasted South Tyrolean whisky in spring, this time I continued with the Vinschgau Railway to the well-known Merano. I took advantage of the sunny weather for a detour to the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle. Definitely a must for all garden and plant lovers when visiting Merano. The last rays of sunshine had to be savoured properly, because although South Tyrol is supposedly adorned with 300 days of sunshine per year, I always catch the rainy days.

Foodie Factory: the Unplugged taste

The next day, I was promptly woken up by the splashing of rain. Too bad, too bad. Because the real reason for my trip was a highlight of the culinary event series “Foodie Factory” in Merano and Environs. Helli Gufler, the landlord of the Gompm Alm in the Hirz area (above Scena) had the brilliant idea of bringing together six top chefs on his alpine pasture, who prepare sophisticated regional dishes on old wooden stoves without any electricity. The event “Gompm Alm – the unplugged taste” was born.

And what took place last year in bright sunshine on green alpine meadows had to be postponed to the Merano Winery this year. The building, designed by the Vinschgau architect Werner Tscholl, is located in a slightly elevated position on the western slope of Merano. In terms of views, this location definitely can’t keep up with the alpine pasture, but at the latest after a glass of sparkling Arunda sparkling wine from Italy’s highest sparkling wine cellar and a piece of South Tyrolean bacon, I can definitely come to terms with the alternative.

The wood-burning stoves were set up in the light-flooded storage room of the Merano winery instead of on the alpine pasture. It sizzles, it steams and it is stirred. The six chefs – Othmar Raich, Luis Haller, Walter Weger, Raimund Brunner, Gerhard Wieser and Agostino Buillas – and the numerous helpers are already in their element.

There is no fixed menu flow. If you feel like it, you can get the creations directly from the stations and at the same time get the right wine to go with them – the only stumbling block, there is only one wine glass per participant. I try my way through curd dumplings, baccalà ravioli, pressed dumplings with muaskraut, sweetbreads, barley-alpine herb risotto and wholemeal polenta and at the latest by the dessert buffet I have definitely reached foodie heaven. A delicious treat!

The Gompm Alm

On the following day, even the rain couldn’t stop us from a trip to the Gompm Alm. Michelin-starred chef Luis Haller and alpine innkeeper Helli Gufler had invited to the cooking course. But firstly, after a wet 30-minute walk from the mountain station of the Hirzer cable car to the alpine pasture, we are spoiled with a hearty “Holbmittog”. In the cozy parlor, farmer’s bacon, potatoes, Schüttelbrot and cheese are served. In addition, there is a Vernatsch from the self-made. Simply good.

Afterward, we put on our blue apron and are initiated into the secrets of Schlutzkrapfen and apple strudel creation by the star chef himself. “We don’t make ravioli,” he says of my first attempt at Schlutzkrapfen – but I manage to roll out the shortcrust pastry for the apple strudel quite well.

As we all know, cooking makes you hungry, and so we round off our culinary excursion to Merano and environs with a sophisticated three-course meal. Luis Haller, who usually wields the wooden spoon at Castel Fragsburg, conjures up the star variant and Helli Gufler complements the dish with his alpine interpretation.

To digest our past, we walk down the valley to the middle station in Prenn.

Home away from home

Not only did I eat delicious food in Merano, but I was also given a princely bed. Villa Bergmann is a two-minute walk from the arcades in the quiet old town district of Merano and is a true oasis. The building was built in the 19th century by Austrian architect Karl Moeser. The current owner is also an architect and has renovated the building with so much attention to detail that he decided to offer the apartments as holiday apartments instead of renting them out. A dream home! The icing on the cake is the beautifully prepared breakfast table, where hostess Eva’s dear husband contributes homemade crumble cake, and she spoils us with freshly picked tomatoes from her garden.

Oh South Tyrol, even if you regularly mess it up with the weather. We will be back. You and your people just have what it takes!

By the way, if your stomach is growling from all the food pictures (sorry), then you can already save the date for the next Gompm Alm: the unplugged taste event. This will take place on 21 August 2016. The price, including drinks, is 125 euros per person.

Note: I was invited to this culinary journey by the Merano Marketing Company – thank you very much for that. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.