Rizzi Christian

Organic farmer - Nikolaushof

My harvest:
 
Apples
Royal Gala
Red Delicious
Golden Delicious
Pinova
Ambrosia™
Scilate / envy™
R201 / Kissabel® rouge
WA38 / Cosmic Crisp®
Pears
Pears
„Our dream: farming side by side as father and son.“
Rizzi Christian

My story

Since our farmstead once stood next to the Church of St. Nicholas in Laces, my mother named it “Nikolaushof.” Thus, the connection to the Romanesque church from the 14th century remains alive to this day. Before I converted to organic farming, I gave my son Hannes the time to successfully complete his training at the agricultural school. Afterwards, we immediately switched to organic farming together. As a sociable father-and-son team, we are very open to experimentation. This is reflected in our great passion for farming and in the eight apple varieties we cultivate: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Royal Gala, Pinova, Cosmic Crisp, Envy, Kissabel, and Ambrosia. The latter is currently our favorite, both visually and in taste. We have also grown fond of the Williams pear, which we cultivate in small quantities. Thanks to this diversity of varieties, our harvest window is extended – which is a great advantage.

Our particular focus is on our greatest asset: the fertile Vinschgau soil. Regular soil tests and only as much fertilizer as is truly necessary ensure that it always has enough “juice” for the trees. We aim for slow growth, because rapid growth only produces too many leaves and thus too much surface for pests. Often, the meadows are not fertilized for years, and yet they still have enough energy for large and healthy fruits. For us, organic is therefore synonymous with “slow food” production. Many manual steps bring the best results. Manual thinning in spring regulates growth professionally so that not too many apples ripen on one tree. Each year we refine our knowledge so that every tree produces just the right amount of splendid apples – no more, no less. Over time, one develops a sense of how many fruits each tree is willing to give without being overburdened.

My son Hannes also finds organic farming more interesting than other methods and agrees with me when I sometimes advise him to be patient. You must be able to wait and see what nature does. When, for example, the woolly apple aphid appears, we both rely on the beneficial Aphelinus mali wasp. The female lays its eggs in the aphid larvae, parasitizing them and preventing the pest population from spreading. All this takes time – nature demands patience from us. Likewise, the soil must be given time to develop slowly. It is a living organism, even more alive since we switched to organic. A lived ritual is the exchange of knowledge between Hannes and me whenever we talk about our favorite subject: our dream job, being farmers in the Alpine Vinschgau.
 
 

My farm

Here, I cultivate my fields every day with great passion and care. This is how high-quality products are created, of which I am very proud.
Place: LATSCH
My harvest
 
Royal Gala
The elegant precocity
The tasty gala appears every summer in its reddish yellow shell and the new apple season begins.
Royal Gala
The elegant precocity
The tasty gala appears every summer in its reddish yellow shell and the new apple season begins.
Appearance: 
smooth shell, spherical shape, slightly conical, pale yellow base colour with bright red and striped cover
Features: 
crispy and juicy with firm pulp
Taste: 
refreshing, sweet with little acidity
Red Delicious
Red seduction
The image of the Red Delicious is difficult to resist. Seeing red can be really nice. And the red flavour is even more beautiful!
Red Delicious
Red seduction
The image of the Red Delicious is difficult to resist. Seeing red can be really nice. And the red flavour is even more beautiful!
Appearance: 
dark red colour, conical shape, oblong
Features: 
juicy with very white pulp
Taste: 
sweet, very aromatic with relatively slight acidity
Golden Delicious
The classic delicious
Golden Delicious is our main variety and, therefore, the queen of Val Venosta apples. That the most popular apple has a real quality, can be seen in its lovely red cheek. By the way, this is typical of fruits on a hillside.
Golden Delicious
The classic delicious
Golden Delicious is our main variety and, therefore, the queen of Val Venosta apples. That the most popular apple has a real quality, can be seen in its lovely red cheek. By the way, this is typical of fruits on a hillside.
Appearance: 
greenish yellow to golden yellow
Features: 
juicy with very fine and soft pulp
Taste: 
sweet with delicate acidity
Pinova
The Val Venosta resistant
The Pinova with its red vermilion-red skin is a typical apple of Val Venosta. Not only is it colourful, it also has a very balanced flavour. Thanks to its long durability, it offers you unlimited fruit enjoyment until the summer season.
Pinova
The Val Venosta resistant
The Pinova with its red vermilion-red skin is a typical apple of Val Venosta. Not only is it colourful, it also has a very balanced flavour. Thanks to its long durability, it offers you unlimited fruit enjoyment until the summer season.
Appearance: 
Bicolour, yellow to greenish, at least 30% of the fruit is covered with a bright vermilion colour
Features: 
refreshing with very crisp, juicy and firm pulp
Taste: 
Balanced proportion of sugar and acid
Ambrosia™
Snow White’s apple is sweet as honey
With its red cheeks, the Ambrosia™ is really good for biting. Children especially love this particularly sweet apple, which makes this healthy snack literally a treat!
Ambrosia™
Snow White’s apple is sweet as honey
With its red cheeks, the Ambrosia™ is really good for biting. Children especially love this particularly sweet apple, which makes this healthy snack literally a treat!
Appearance: 
yellow base colour with flaming red secondary colour
Features: 
juicy and crispy pulp
Taste: 
very sweet and juicy, reminiscent of honey and nectar
Scilate / envy™
The fresh surprise
For its juicy sweetness and light pear note, you can really envy the Scilate / envy™. In addition, you can share it very well with friends, because even if the apple likes to sunbathe, its pulp never gets tanned.
Scilate / envy™
The fresh surprise
For its juicy sweetness and light pear note, you can really envy the Scilate / envy™. In addition, you can share it very well with friends, because even if the apple likes to sunbathe, its pulp never gets tanned.
Appearance: 
red background colour, slightly striped
Features: 
very juicy, compact and crunchy pulp
Taste: 
sweet and juicy with a light pear aroma
R201 / Kissabel® rouge
Red skin, red heart
Kissabel® is a simple and natural kiss at each bite. Genuine, unique and inviting.
R201 / Kissabel® rouge
Red skin, red heart
Kissabel® is a simple and natural kiss at each bite. Genuine, unique and inviting.
Appearance: 
intense red skin with prominent lenticels
Features: 
compact red flesh 100% natural, very crunchy and juicy
Taste: 
fully flavoured with berry notes
WA38 / Cosmic Crisp®
Heavenly taste
Heavenly attractive in appearance and taste. Pleasant summer fruitiness with aromas of green grass, kiwi and gooseberry.
WA38 / Cosmic Crisp®
Heavenly taste
Heavenly attractive in appearance and taste. Pleasant summer fruitiness with aromas of green grass, kiwi and gooseberry.
Appearance: 
Dark red-purple blush on a yellow-bright base color.
Features: 
Very crunchy, particularly juicy and with a hard paring.
Taste: 
Sweet-sour; balanced taste. Aromas of green grass, kiwi and gooseberry.
Pears
Sweet treats
Pears are fruits with ancient origins. The Greek poet Homer described them as a sweet gift from God. In the sunny climate of Val Venosta, these fruits develop an enveloping sweetness and an aromatic heart. The pear is considered a versatile and vitamin-rich fruit, as well as easily digestible, to be enjoyed at any time of day.
Pears
Sweet treats
Pears are fruits with ancient origins. The Greek poet Homer described them as a sweet gift from God. In the sunny climate of Val Venosta, these fruits develop an enveloping sweetness and an aromatic heart. The pear is considered a versatile and vitamin-rich fruit, as well as easily digestible, to be enjoyed at any time of day.
Appearance: 
Spherical, pear- or bell-shaped, with green, sometimes yellow or reddish skin
Features: 
Crisp, fleshy or juicy and soft flesh
Taste: 
Sweet, with intense aroma and low acidity
 
 

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