The Magic of the Apple Blossom

Anyone driving through South Tyrol cannot escape the enchantment: the apple blossom covers the land. It seems to happen quickly: all at once, valleys – and in our case, the mountain too – transform into a sea of blossoms in white, rose, sometimes red and every shade in between. Countless blossoms open – and each one is a miracle, delicate and unique.

For us, the blossoms truly mark the start of a new apple year.

Effortlessly and as if it were the most natural thing, it happens every year around the same time. In truth, it is a finely tuned interplay of temperature, sunlight, humidity and much more. And those who pay close attention – as we do – notice: the blossom does not begin at exactly the same time every year.

The star of the blossom cluster: the king blossom.

Apple blossoms are arranged in so-called blossom clusters. Within each cluster of an apple tree, there is a leading lady: the king blossom. It sits in the centre, opens first – and is generally stronger and better nourished than its neighbours. If pollination succeeds, it often produces the most beautiful and largest apple, packed with aroma. For us, every pollinated king blossom is a promise – of fruit, of quality, of pleasure.

The right moment.

Astonishingly, the apple blossom needs time and cold. More precisely: a phase of at least 500 to 1,500 hours at temperatures between 0 and 7 degrees Celsius. Only then are the trees ready to bloom. This process is called cold induction, and it is necessary for the buds to open at all. When temperatures rise – which at our location on Ritten naturally happens later than in the valley floors of South Tyrol – the blossom begins and with it the grand spectacle. Usually it lasts only two to three weeks – a short but decisive phase.

A race against time: the bees in action.

Without pollination, no fruit. During the blossom season, our apple orchard is buzzing with activity: our neighbours bring us their bee colonies so that as many blossoms as possible are pollinated. The bees perform precision work and must demonstrate good timing: wind, rain or a sudden cold snap can cause problems during this phase.

What happens now determines the autumn.

'In the blossom lies the future,' says Thomas Kohl. And he means it literally: if the blossoms are not pollinated or if they freeze, there will be no apples. If they are pollinated too early or too late, quality often suffers. That is why we pay attention to every detail during this time: the temperature, the insect activity, the development of each variety. The apple blossom is not only the most beautiful but also the most sensitive moment of the year.

Why this matters for the juice.

What develops now – fruit set, cell formation, growth – later influences the texture and aroma of the apple. And thus also the quality of our juices. An apple that has grown slowly, in good rhythm and under ideal conditions, brings more depth and tension to the glass. That is why every spring is also the beginning of a new story for us. Months later, it tells itself in the flavour, in the glass.

Beauty with consequence.

The apple blossom is more than a postcard motif. It is the origin of our work and the foundation for why every drop of our mountain apple juices tastes of sunshine, mountain air and care. So the next time you pour a glass and the aroma rises: think of the blossom. Perhaps it was a king blossom that made this juice possible.