Italy
Alto Adige (Südtirol)
Alto Adige is small in size but home to a wide range of grape varieties and a diverse array of top-quality wines. The cooperatives that helped to establish the region’s international reputation still dominate local production.
Alto Adige – also known as Südtirol (South Tyrol) due to its many German-speaking inhabitants – is a diminutive but diverse region. With 5,414 hectares under vine, encompassing the Y-shaped valley created by the Adige and Isarco rivers, it is one of Italy’s smallest winegrowing districts (accounting for around 0.7% of the national vineyard area). Alto Adige has a high percentage of DOC wines, i.e. wines from controlled appellations. Cooperative wineries make about 70% of the region’s wine.
Perfect conditions for outstanding quality
The climate and soils of Alto Adige are ideal for winegrowing. Conditions are relatively mild throughout most of the region, where vineyards situated at 200 to 1,000 metres above sea level benefit from 300 days of sunshine each year. The Alps to the north shield the vines from cold winds, whereas the open valley to the south helps to funnel in warm air from Lake Garda and the Mediterranean. Significant temperature differences between day and night, an average temperature of 18°C during the growing season as well as sufficient rainfall are additional factors that result in high-quality fruit.
Diverse soils and grape varieties
Alto Adige’s wide range of soils offer something for every grape – from volcanic porphyry in Merano, Bolzano and Caldaro, to weathered primary rock soils composed of quartz and mica in the Isarco Valley, to limestone and dolomite in Bassa Atesina, to sandy marl south of Cortaccia. White grapes, of which Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Bianco (Weissburgunder) and Chardonnay are the most commonly planted, account for more than 60% of the area under vine. Dominant red grapes include Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, in addition to the native varieties Schiava and Lagrein.
