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Aerial view of Agriloro's vineyards in the Mendrisiotto, with the estate building and the Ticino mountains behind

Producer Portrait · Switzerland

Tenimento dell'Ör

An estate from the 18th century on Monte San Giorgio, with 28 grape varieties.

01/Portrait

Get to know Tenimento dell'Ör

The Tenimento dell'Ör in Arzo is already mentioned in 18th-century documents as one of the most important vineyard sites in the Mendrisiotto. Since 1981 it has belonged to Agriloro SA, founded at the time by Meinrad Casimir Perler. In 2002 the Tenimento La Prella in Genestrerio was added. Together they comprise 20 hectares.

At the foot of a World Heritage site

The eight hectares of vines in Arzo lie at 460 to 520 metres at the foot of Monte San Giorgio, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its fossil deposits. The twelve hectares in Genestrerio, where the headquarters and winery are also located, lie in the flatter part of the Mendrisiotto. Arzo is today a hamlet within the municipality of Mendrisio.

An ampelographic garden and 28 varieties in the vineyard

The estate maintains a collection of grape varieties from around the world. In the vineyard itself there are 28 different varieties, far more than the Merlot-dominated Ticino average. There is also its own amphora line. For around five years now, sheep have kept the grass short instead of herbicides being sprayed. A 100 kW photovoltaic installation covers a good ninety per cent of energy needs, and two of the estate's own weather stations guide plant protection measures.

2010 as the first Ticino winery

Agriloro became Swiss Winemaker of the Year in 2010, the first winery from Ticino to do so. Gault Millau ranks the estate among the 23 best producers in Ticino. Meinrad C. Perler passed away on 5 March 2025; since then Maria Teresa Perler has chaired the board. The oenologist is Mattia Vossen.

Facts about the estate

Country & Region
Switzerland · Tessin
Estate first mentioned
18th century, owned by Agriloro since 1981
Vineyard area
20 hectares in Arzo and Genestrerio
Variety diversity
28 varieties in the vineyard, plus a grape variety garden
Award
2010 Winemaker of the Year, the first winery from Ticino

Grape varieties

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Petit Verdot
  • Gamaret
  • Chardonnay
  • Sémillon
  • Galotta
Aerial view of Agriloro's terraced vineyards with a small vineyard hut
Agriloro's barrique cellar with hundreds of oak barrels
View across the vines to Agriloro's long, low estate building
Teresa Perler, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Agriloro, in a blazer bearing the estate's coat of arms

«Our grapes come from the two estates in Arzo and Genestrerio. The older one, the Tenimento dell'Ör in Arzo, was already cited in the 18th century as an ideal place for winegrowing.»

Jacques Perler, Agriloro SA

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