Wedged between Austria and Switzerland in the Dolomite mountains, Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost wine producing area and turns out some of the country’s most lauded whites.
Part of the Trentino-Alto Adige region, the province belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire until it was annexed to Italy after World War I. Both Italian and German are spoken here, which is also called Südtirol (South Tyrol in English).
Alto Adige’s radiant wines express their mountain setting. Thanks to varied soils and microclimates ranging from almost Mediterranean in the south to windy, steep slopes in the north, the denomination’s dazzling wines boast elegance, energy and depth. Top bottlings also have structure and impressive aging potential.
In the late 1970s, Alto Adige was geared toward red wine production led by native varieties Vernatsch (a k a Schiava) and Lagrein followed by Merlot and Pinot Nero. Today, white wines dominate, accounting for 64% of overall output. Pinot Grigio leads in terms of volume, followed by Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay. But many of Alto Adige’s
