📍 South Tyrol

Alto Adige (South Tyrol, Südtirol) is the northernmost area of Italian winemaking, in the Alps on the Austrian border. It is part of the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Most residents speak German, so many wines have two names, Italian and German.

Vineyards sit on the slopes of the Adige valley at 200 to 1,000 metres and higher. Days are warm and nights cool, giving fresh, aromatic wines with good acidity. Traditional-method sparkling wine is made here too.

The main white grapes are Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer (the village of Tramin is often named as its birthplace), Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner and Kerner. Among reds are Lagrein, a local dark grape with black-berry aromas, plus Pinot Noir and the local Schiava (Vernatsch). Lago di Caldaro (Kalterersee) is a well-known zone. Sweet wines are made as well.

The general DOC is called Alto Adige (Südtirol), and subzones are shown on labels. To the south lies Trentino, also known for sparkling wine, and to the north Austria. South Tyrolean cooking blends Italian and Austrian traditions, with speck, dumplings and strudel, and the wines go well with these dishes.