“Toergellen” in the Northern Italian Autonomous Region of South Tyrol is an ancient tradition as wine itself. For locals, “Toergellen” is almost a must-be-done-event during the fall months of October and November. They take family members, friends, neighbors and guests and walk throughout the Alpine landscape. You should try it. Stop and look at the terraced vineyards. Notice the rose hip-berries hanging from the almost naked bushes. Find where you can pick up the fresh chestnuts. When you are tired wandering around, enter a “Buschenschank or a Hofschank”. Have a lunch or a “Jause” with home made food. Taste the season’s new wine, listen to the music, sing along and be merry.

There must at least a cheerful wine and food fan group for a South Tyrolean “Toergellen” party. At the Griesser Hof Vinery -Weingut – Tenuta and Restaurant, David is the food master. Paul Huber is the wine master and proprietor. The family is there to pitch in for everyone. And, if by chance you are alone, don’t worry… Open the ‘Hof’s wooden entrance door, greet with a loud “Gruess Gott” [German/Tyrolean Greet God!]. You can also say “Buongiorno” or “Buonasera” [Italian Good Day or Good Evening]; then simply move along the hallway. Pass the open kitchen door and join the smiling, cheering, eating and singing crowd in the “Stube” (transl. living room)…

South Tyrol’s history dates back to before the ancient Romans. The Romans encountered the mountain people long after the iceman Oetzi’s crossed the Alps more than 5,000 years go. Castles, isolated mountain farms, called Hof, vineyards, apple orchards, wineries and cellars have been there since before the Middle Ages.

WHERE TO EXPERIENCE TOERGELLEN – WHERE TO ORDER GRIESSER HOF’S WINES: GRIESSER HOF WEINGUT – TENUTA – WINERY, PAUL HUBER, GRIESSWEG – I – 39040 VAHRN (BZ) – Tel. + 39 0472 834 805; griesserhof@brennercom.net – http://www.griesserhof.it

You can reach the Griesser Hof of Vharn (Varna), north of the Prince-Bishop-city of Brixen (Bressanone), either by car or by train from Bozen (Bolzano) or Meran (Merano); from Brixen (Bressanone) to Vharn (Varna) also by bus to the stop Gasthof Lamm. From there it is a short 5 minutes walk where you can experience “Toergellen.”

RECIPE: HOW TO PREPARE A FINE ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP

Serves 6-8

4 lbs. whole pumpkins and winter squash, preferably a mix (Kabocha, acorn, and Italian “zucca”), 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper, 2 Tbsp. butter, 1 medium onion, peeled, finely sliced (about 1 cup), 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 F (180 Celsius). Split the pumpkins or squash in half through the stem. Spoon out and set aside the seeds [you can roast them later if you wish]. Transfer the pieces on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet with the cut side up and rub with olive oil. Roast until tender [about 1 hour]. Set aside to cool off. In a pot, melt the butter, while stirring fry the sliced onions for about 4-5 minutes. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir. Add the chicken stock. Add the soft flesh of the pumpkin, add a little water and bring the soup to a simmer. With a hand blender, on slow speed, blend everything for 1-2 minutes and let simmer for 5 more minutes. If necessary, add either water or stock. Add the honey [or the maple syrup] and season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, sprinkle with shelled roasted “Kuerbiskerne” or snipped chives. You can also sprinkle over dried flower petals, as David at the Griesser Hof does… or drizzle with “Kuerbisoel”

ABOUT NORTH AFRICAN SOUTH ITALIAN “COCUZZE” GOURDS AND AMERICAN SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS:

North Africans and South Italians knew “cocuzze” way before the Spanish brought American pumpkins to Europe. Yet, “cocuzze” are not pumpkins neither “zucchini.” Today’s modern squash and pumpkin market includes the “cocuzze” but a greater variety of American gourds and squashes. Among the American varieties there are: summer crookneck squashes, patty pan squashes, yellow squashes and zucchini with their blossoms. During the fall and winter season, cooks can prepare their specialties with butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash. They can use also those big and large pumpkins which sometimes are carved during Halloween. Summer squashes have a milder and more delicate vegetable flavor. Winter squashes have a more dense, rich, dry and sweet flavor. Their flavor goes well if the squash is baked and mashed; winter pumpkins have also a good frozen quality. In Austria, large pumpkins, called Kuerbis, are not only used in soup. They are also used to make a deliciously dense dark pumpkin oil. The oil is used to top pumpkin soups, sprinkled with shelled and roasted pumpkin seeds.

What would a “Toergellen” event be without the wines, the “Buschenschanks” and places such as Vahrna’s Griesser Hof? The term “Toergellen” dates back to ancient times, when the grapes were pressed in a press called in Latin TORCULUM. The juice of the grapes was stored in the cellars. The new wine was then ready to be tasted in “Schanken” or “Schenken” [see the German term: Ausschenken]. A bunch of pine branches, called “Buschl” [see German term: Buschl was the sign of an open and accessible “Schank.”

Speck and cheese, Kaminwurzen, Gerstensuppe, Knoedel, “Spinat or Brennesel Tirtlen”, Krautsalat, Rote Rotruebensalat, grilled or roasted pork and beef meat, Kaiserschmarren, Krapfen and roasted chestnuts are some of the specialties served at the Griesser Hof. For those who don’t drink wine, there is Griesser Hof’s apple and berry juice. Among the wines are: a fresh and almost sparkly RIGGER Gruener Veltliner, a GOLS Sylvaner, a GOLS Sauvignon with a light citrus aroma, two long lasting and spicy wines, such as the GOLS Mueller Thurgau and the GOLS Gewuerztraminer and the all purpose lovely white GALL Kerner.

A DICTIONARY FOR YOUR SOUTH TYROLEAN TOERGELLEN EXPERIENCE:

JAUSE OR PAUSE: A snack time usually taken by walkers who stop at a Buschenschank or at a Hofschank

WIRTSHAUS: Tavern

STUBE: The living room of the farm house

BUSCHENSCHANK – SCHANK: South Tyrolean Tavern and Winery

HOF: Farm with attached the home of a proprietor and his family.

SPECK: Air dried pork meat (a type of pork belly/bacon).

KAMINWURZ AND HIRSCHKAMINWURZ: Smoked and air dried pork sausage; sometimes made from venison meat.

KUERBISSUPPE – KUERBISKERNE – KUERBISOEL: Pumpkin soup – shelled roasted pumpkin seeds – pumpkin oil.

GERSTENSUPPE: Barley soup.

TIRTLEN: Fried wheat flour rounds filled with nettle greens, or spinach or sauerkraut.

KNOEDEL: Dumplings; can be Speck dumplings or bread dumplings or red beet dumplings or spinach dumplings.

KRAUTSALAT: Raw cabbage salad – without mayonnaise. It is dressed with white wine vinegar, water, salt and pepper and a touch of sugar.

KAISERSCHMARREN: Sweet shredded pancake; prepared often with raisins or pitted cherries and dusted with powder sugar.

KRAPFEN: Jam filled doughnuts.

KASTANIEN ALSO CALLED “KESTEN” – KASTANIENHERZ: Chestnuts. They are either prepared roasted or boiled. Boiled, pureed and riced chestnuts are often placed in chocolate hearts topped with whipped cream called Kastanienherz.

WHERE TO TASTE A DELICIOUS SOUTH TYROLEAN “KASTANIENHERZ”: ALBERTI Baeckerei – Panificio, Bahnhofstrasse 26 Via Stazione – I – 39042 Brixen/Bressanone (BZ); Tel. + 39 0472 833 125 – info@alberti.bz.it – http://www.alberti.bz.it

A COOKBOOK ABOUT REGIONAL ITALIAN AND SOUTH TYROLEAN CUISINE: Regional Italian Cuisine, More than 200 authentic recipes and cooking techniques from every region of Italy; by ReinkardHess and Sabine Saelzer; Introduction by Franco Benussi; translated and adapted to American measurements by Elisabetta Giacon Castleman; published by Barrons and available through Amazon. com

A SOUTH TYROLEAN COOKBOOK: Suedtiroler Leibgerichte; Authentic South Tyrolean Recipes with descriptions of the region and a useful South Tyrolean culinary glossary by Hanna Perwanger; introduction by Sepp Perwanger; translated into Italian by Mike Frajria; published by Athesia, Bolzano-Bozen.

WHERE TO MEET SOUTH TYROLEANS IN THE WORLD: SUEDTIROLER IN DER WELT – ARBEITSSTELLE FUER HEIMATFERNE – SUDTIROLESI NEL MONDO – UFFICIO EMIGRATI – KVW: Pfarrplatz 31, Piazza Parrocchia 31, 39100 Bozen (Bolzano); Tel. + 39 0471 309176 – suedtiroler-welt@kvw.org – http://www.suedtirolerinderwelt.kvw.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CITY OF BRIXEN (BRESSANONE) AND BUSCHEN AND HOFSCHANKEN: BRIXEN TOURISM, Regensburger Allee, Viale Ratisbona 9, Brixen (Bressanone); Tel. +39 0472 275252; info@brixen.org; http://www.brixen.org – Suedtiroler Bauernbund, K. Gamper Strasse, 5, I 39100 Bozen (Bolzano); Tel. +39 0471 999 325; info@roterhahn.it; http://www.roterhahn.it

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