The vineyards on the steep slopes at the bottom of the Sciliar mountain range, have an inclination from 50 to 70% and as a consequence most work has to be done by hand. This has never discouraged Markus Prackwieser, who took the winery over from his father in 2000, but presents just another challenge to the young winemaker.

The unique microclimate and soil composition offer optimal conditions for achieving quality grapes. During the day the vineyards are under the influence of the Mediterranean climate from the Bolzano basin, at night it is tempered by a cooling breeze setting in from the Isarco Valley. The combination of these changes in temperature, together with the scree-debris soils consisting of porphyr and the alluvium from the river Isarco, as well as the direct sunshine on the steep slopes form the best conditions for the grape varieties growing at the winery Gumphof.

One of Markus Prackwieser's main skills is it to take all these given factors into equal consideration and to manage the viticulture according to them. He makes use of particular cultivation methods achieving that the grapevines root deeply, thus receiving the precious minerals straight from the soil. In addition as every terrain has its own characteristics he pays attention to analyse them carefully and to plant exclusively the most suitable varieties of grapes. The soil, climate and grape type are all important but it is Markus Prackwieser's dedication and knowledge which give consistancy and quality to his wines