Plavenhof – once the seat of a mediaeval court
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Alber Christoph
BIO Organic Producer – Plavenhof
„Building the future with your own hands.”
Harvesting from the treetops
Happy at work
Carefully emptying the picking basket
A tractor at work
My story
Chrisoph Albers is from Oris which used to be an important staging post in Val Venosta. His farm is an ancient property in the hamlet of Piavenna. This medieval courthouse has been in his family since 1700.
Christoph converted to organic farming between 1998 and 2000 having learnt the ropes at the technical college for agriculture and forestry in Fürstenburg. "When dealing with the sensitive mountainous environment of Val Venosta" he says, "you have to use natural methods". Christoph brings his values to life by farming in an environmentally friendly way with a closed-cycle system. He runs his farm on his own and is particularly fond of winter, the quietest period of the year. He finds pruning the trees relaxing after the intense work of the autumn. His orchards have varieties which ripen very close to one another, which creates a lot of work. However, each time he bites into a freshly picked, crisp, sweet and sour apple all his efforts are worthwhile.
Christoph converted to organic farming between 1998 and 2000 having learnt the ropes at the technical college for agriculture and forestry in Fürstenburg. "When dealing with the sensitive mountainous environment of Val Venosta" he says, "you have to use natural methods". Christoph brings his values to life by farming in an environmentally friendly way with a closed-cycle system. He runs his farm on his own and is particularly fond of winter, the quietest period of the year. He finds pruning the trees relaxing after the intense work of the autumn. His orchards have varieties which ripen very close to one another, which creates a lot of work. However, each time he bites into a freshly picked, crisp, sweet and sour apple all his efforts are worthwhile.
Where I live
My harvest
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
Jonagold
The versatile gold piece
To be consumed fresh, baked, cooked, stewed and toasted, the apple of New York really is worth gold.
Appearance:
greenish yellow with crimson basic colour, striped and covered in faded red
Features:
juicy with loose, crispy and slightly grainy pulp
Taste:
bittersweet with a balanced ratio of sugar and acid
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.
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!
Appearance:
yellow base colour with flaming red secondary colour
Features:
juicy and crispy pulp
Taste:
very sweet and juicy, reminiscent of honey and nectar
Topaz
The beautiful acid
Topaz makes biting the sour apple worthy! The aromatic fruit impresses with a pleasant acidity and is also a common variety in organic farming.
Availability
January - May
Appearance:
basic yellow tone with red striped components, round shape with flattened calyx
Features:
crunchy pulp with pleasant cream colouring
Taste:
acidified with sharp acidity
R201 / Kissabel® rouge
Red skin, red heart
Kissabel® is a simple and natural kiss at each bite. Genuine, unique and inviting.
Availability
October - December
Appearance:
intense red skin with prominent lenticels
Features:
compact red flesh 100% natural, very crunchy and juicy
Taste:
fully flavoured with berry notes
Minneiska / SweeTango™
Summer in an apple
Juicy and sweet, with tropical notes and fruity notes of pineapple, banana, and fennel seeds.
Availability
September - November
Appearance:
Base color yellow, covering color ruby red with lenticels.
Features:
Pleasant texture, juicy and crunchy.
Taste:
Notes of pineapple, banana and fennel seeds dominate the aromatic profile. Balanced in sweetness and acidity.
WA38 / Cosmic Crisp®
Heavenly taste
Heavenly attractive in appearance and taste. Pleasant summer fruitiness with aromas of green grass, kiwi and gooseberry.
Availability
February – April
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.
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
