Trentino Alto Adige

Alto Adige, also known as South Tyrol, is one of the most significant Italian wine regions. The wide sunlit valleys around the Adige and Isarco rivers with large temperature differences and limestone subsoil, as well as the specific microclimate around Lake Caldaro, provide ideal conditions for growing mainly white varieties. The most widespread include Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, and the autochthonous Gewürztraminer. In the cooler parts such as the Isarco Valley, hardy "northern" varieties like Kerner or Sylvaner thrive, which easily withstand spring frosts and are characterized by their pronounced aroma. Among the red varieties, the local Lagrein and Schiava stand out, and the best Pinot Nero in all of Italy is produced here.

The vineyards in Alto Adige rise up to an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level, producing fresh, very high-quality wines. A phenomenon of Alto Adige is still the large wine cooperatives, but in recent years, small independent winemakers with very interesting wines have come to the forefront.

Somewhat overlooked, though undeservedly, is the wine production in Trentino, where excellent sparkling wines with the Trento DOC appellation are produced using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle. Compared to the more famous Lombard Franciacorta, they are fresher with more pronounced acidity.