Here
in Val Venosta...

...our apples are hugged by nature.
We grow them at the heart of the Alps.

Cultivating apples in the mountains is magic because you seem to be closer to heaven. In Val Venosta, we know that well: Thanks to our cultivation areas situated at altitudes between 500 and 1000 meters we are Europe’s highest apple cultivation area. Our apple orchards have very special guardian angels: The high mountains of the Ötztal Alps and the Ortler group protect our valley and apples from bad weather in the north and south. A real paradise of green, blossoming and colorful orchards extending between Parcines and Malles: this is the Val Venosta Apple Paradise.

Not to mention the many distinctive traits that make our apples so unique. You will immediately recognize a mountain apple from an alpine apple region. Such an intense taste is the result of shorter vegetation phases and the slow ripening of our apples, but this is not all: The great range of temperature between day and night slows down cell division. So our apples become firmer and crunchier and have a longer shelf life. In short, a distinctive taste.

...our apples can contain fresh mountain air.
This is why they are so popular with those who live in the city.

It is as if nature were a silent guardian, a superhero who uses all means at his disposal to remove even the remaining rain clouds. Among them there is Val Venosta’s wind that simply blows them away and thus contributes to maintaining the ecosystem.

Few clouds, little precipitation and the game is made. In Val Venosta, you can enjoy wonderful days with blue sky and bright sunshine and crystal-clear nights with millions of stars sparkling in the moonlight in every season.

Moreover, here in Val Venosta we can always count on our fresh wind blowing from Resia Pass that has a big secret: It keeps our apples dry. So we have a perfect climate that is reflected in the taste of every single apple.

...our apples feel on top of the world.
No wonder. They grow in the Apple Paradise.

If perfection is the result of many factors, then Val Venosta has all the prerequisites for an ideal apple cultivation area. Our valley’s ideal microclimate meets the passion and work of 1700 apple producers who grow our apples in full harmony with nature.

Our apples are so good that they can only come from Val Venosta, the Apple Paradise.

...our apples are sun-kissed.
Because we have more than 300 sunny days per year.

Our apples are sun-kissed all around the year. 300 days means more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year. If you combine them with little precipitation and Val Venosta’s fresh wind you get the perfect conditions for the wonderful coloring and the extraordinary sweetness of our apples.

Such an arid climate rather reminds us of a steppe climate that does not offer the ideal conditions for an apple region at first sight. Let’s not get misled, though. The sun, indeed, is an indispensable ally for apple production. It confers our apples their nice color, increases their sugar content and rolls out the red carpet for bees during the flowering period.

...our apples don’t age.
Thanks to the great range of temperature between day and night they remain fresh and crunchy.

The great range of temperature between day and night is like a wellness treatment for our apples that keeps them fit throughout the season. The reason is simple: It slows down cell division and the growth of the fruits and at the same time increases our apples’ crunchiness and shelf life. An advantageous deal!

But this is not all. A temperature difference of 25 degrees between day and night gives our apples a nice coloring that gets even more shining thanks to the intense and frequent sunlight. Apples worthy of a rainbow!

...our apples sing «O sole mio…».
More than 2,000 hours of sun per year bring them in a good mood.

Did you know that the wind usually blows in the Paradise?

Val Venosta’s wind blows from Resia Pass to the valley floor and guarantees a dry, windy climate that is ideal for the production of high-quality apples. Another reason for Val Venosta’s ideal climatic conditions are the high mountains in the north and south that protect our valley from bad weather by keeping rain clouds away from our orchards and favoring the warm and dry foehn wind. So our apples can feel completely contented.

Moreover, Val Venosta has an average annual precipitation of 500 l/m². This is very little if you consider that near Merano registers an average annual precipitation of 800 l/m².

Here in Val Venosta the sun and best quality have one thing in common: They are always available!

...young people also want to become apple producers.
Because the passion for this job is in our DNA.

Here in Val Venosta fruit production is much more than just a job. It is a more than 100-year-long passion passed down from generation to generation.

The driving force of our production is the daily work of our producers who put all their energy into producing natural apples by hand and teach their children the secrets of this job.

All 1700 apple producers who cultivate our apples with great passion owe the quality of their results to the teachings of their grandfathers and their love for the detail. Family businesses in the name of taste and naturalness.

...we take care of every single apple.
Every apple gets the attention it needs from 1,700 pairs of hands.

Many things changed between 1950 and today but not the quality of Val Venosta’s apples. This even increased.

Ever since Val Venosta’s farmers realized that apples grow perfectly well in our valley, they have developed a fruit production model that unites the roots of tradition with technological progress.

In Val Venosta, there are many small agricultural businesses. All our 1700 farmer families cultivate an average of 3 hectares. Because love for the detail comes from the awareness that true commitment is indispensable if you want to cultivate good and natural apples.

...we don’t have anything to hide.
All our apples are traceable to the producer.

Stop and show ID!

You can find the name of the farmer who has produced your organic apples with commitment and dedication on each Bio Val Venosta Apples packaging. This project is so revolutionary because you can trace every single apple on biography.vip.coop. You just have to insert the producer’s name in the appropriate field to see who has cultivated the apple that you are eating.

But this is not all. You can discover the stories and many curiosities of Val Venosta’s organic apple producers as well. Because here in Val Venosta quality has a name. Discover more on biography.vip.coop

...apple producers are hoteliers as well.
Every year, they accommodate millions of bees.

Well, insects are probably not the most sociable creatures in nature, but they play a very important role in the orchards.

They adhere to the laws of nature and maintain the balance of the ecosystem by keeping away pests. They all have their advantages: Some are responsible for pollination, whereas others eat parasites. One thing, however, is for sure: They all do a valuable job.

This pretty picture is made perfect by the dry climate that drastically reduces the use of fungicides in natural agriculture. A biodiversity that we have to protect and to preserve.

...our apples are not chin-deep in water.
Because we handle the water resources from our mountains responsibly.

Here in Val Venosta we are never without water.

Val Venosta would never have become the Apple Paradise without its complex irrigation system. The water used for irrigating our orchards comes from the irrigation channels fed by the glaciers from the surrounding valleys. So we are able to artificially irrigate 99% of all agricultural areas.

Resource-saving drip irrigation already covers 50% of our production areas and will increase to 100% in future. Because a good harvest requires a wet orchard!

...our apples open the parachute.
To reduce the impact on the environment.

You can compare a harvest to a bike: You need balance to progress.

A row of bushes, a few stones and two busy hands – you don’t need a lot to maintain the balance in an ecosystem. One thing, however, is absolutely necessary: commitment.

A few small deeds are enough for big changes. If you now ask yourself what hedges and stones have to do with the ecosystem, then read here: Ecosystem: hedges, stones and animals