South Tyrol

SOUTH TYROL WINES

Refreshing whites of Alto Adige

In the mountains of Trentino and Alto Adige (also called South Tyrol), wine-growing is restricted to the valley floor and the foothills of the mountains but it has, nonetheless, very ancient roots and important traditions.In Alto Adige, i.e., the province of Bolzano, wine-growing is affected by two climatic factors: the abundance of sunlight during the summer, which guarantees full ripening of the grapes, and the wide diurnal temperature variation, which facilitates the accumulation of aromatic substances on the skin of the grapes and helps maintain the acidity in the flesh. The wines of Alto Adige stand out for their intense, well-defined aromas and freshness of taste. It is, in fact, a region famous for its heady, refreshing, and elegant white wines. But there is no shortage of noteworthy reds, such as the great Pinot Noirs or sophisticated spumante produced using the Traditional Method.

The Alto Adige DOC designation (or Südtirol in German) extends throughout the province but is restricted to the arable areas along the valleys of the Adige and Isarco rivers. Both white and black grapes are cultivated in Alto Adige, especially international varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Gewürztraminer (Aromatic Traminer), a grey grape variety considered native to the municipality of Tramin on the right bank of the River Adige, is also cultivated; Gewürztraminer is an aromatic variety and produces very fragrant wines. The black Vernatsch (Schiava in Italian) and Lagrein grape varieties are also native. Schiava is a family of grapes with large berries and therefore the flesh/skin ratio favours the flesh.

ALTO ADIGE DESIGNATION

An excellence of Alto Adige are the reds made from Pinot Noir. Alto Adige DOC Pinot Noir wines are considered to be some of the most elegant wines produced outside Burgundy, especially those from the Mazzon plateau in the municipality of Egna on the left bank of the River Adige.

The Alto Adige DOC designation also includes some important sub-zones:

Valle Isarco. The vineyards stretch along the course of the River Isarco from Bolzano to Bressanone, where we find the northernmost vineyards in Italy. This is an area that produces mainly white wines, starting with Kerner, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer and Sylvaner. The wines have an Alpine character; they are distinguished by chiselled aromas, and are exquisitely fresh with mineral notes.

Val Venosta. Only the hillside facing south is cultivated with vineyards. Production is limited in quantity but not in quality and involves mainly white wines with a base of Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Müller-Thurgau. These wines are light in structure, sharp and with elegant aromas.

Meranese. The main grape variety cultivated in the hills around Merano is Schiava, which gives fruity wines for immediate consumption, with soft colours and delicate tannins.

Terlano. This area makes excellent quality whites with intense mineral notes and ageing potential. They can be a blend of several varieties, or monovarietal from Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner and Pinot Gris.

Santa Maddalena. In the hills behind Bolzano, on porphyry soil, the Schiava grape is cultivated and blended with Lagrein to produce very characteristic wines.

Trentino wines

The records of the Council of Trent (1545-1653) are full of praise for Trentino wines. Most of the production is white wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Yellow Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and the native grape variety, Nosiola. The most widely grown black grapes in the province of Trento are the native Marzemino and Teroldego varieties, together with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvigon, Schiava and Pinot Noir.

Nosiola is mainly cultivated in the Valle dei Laghi and gives dry wines characterised by a hazelnut aroma, or it is the base for sweet raisin wines, which are among the finest Italian sweet wines: Vino Santo Trentino DOC, which is also a Slow Food presidium. Marzemino is grown mainly in Vallagarina on both sides of the River Adige around the city of Rovereto. Trentino Marzemino DOC wines are fruity and soft, best drunk young, so as to appreciate their fragrance. Teroldego is the great black grape of Trentino, the cultivation of which is mainly concentrated in the so-called Piana Rotaliana. This is a plain of alluvial origin in the municipalities of Mezzolombardo, Mezzocorona and San Michele all'Adige, in the lee of Mount Mezzocorona and Mount Paganella. Teroldego Rotaliano DOC is available in several versions: from a young, round wine to be drunk immediately to more complex and structured wines. In the Superiore and Riserva versions, Teroldego Rotaliano DOC is a complex wine that is also capable of ageing. It pairs well with game dishes.

Trentino's mountain climate and morainic terrain, with its varied soil, rich in calcareous elements, have made it possible to produce some of the most elegant Bordeaux-style wines in Italy. Among the Trentino valleys from an oenological standpoint, Val di Cembra is well worth a mention. Here the vineyards are cultivated on steep slopes with a subsoil rich in porphyry. Mostly white grape varieties are cultivated here, notably Müller-Thurgau, which produces fruity wines with a mineral note, mostly drunk young.

FAMOUS ELEGANT SPUMANTE OF TRENTINO

Last but not least, since 1902 Trentino has also dedicated a fair part of its resources to the making of spumante. From that year on, Giulio Ferrari started producing Chardonnay-based spumante. Today this activity involves around 60 producers. While Trentino DOC wines are still, the Trento DOC wines are spumantes, made using the Traditional Method from Chardonnay, with the possibility of using Pinot Noir as well. Trento DOC spumante are delightful, fine and elegant wines, capable of prolonged ageing. Mountain conditions are, in fact, optimal for the ripening of grapes for spumante bases, because the Alpine climate and calcareous terrain favour the accumulation of aromatic substances, while preserving the grapes’ valuable acidity, even when fully ripe.