YES! There Are Amazing Wines in Alto Adige Italy

When I say “Italian wines” you probably don’t think about wines in Alto Adige.

You probably think about the wines of Tuscany like Chianti or the wines in Piedmont like Barolo.

Well, I’m here to change your vino-loving mind.

And to give you just one more reason why Alto Adige should be on your list for your Italian adventure — as if I haven’t given you enough already — charming towns, beautiful mountains, great trails…

That reason is wine.

Let’s dive into this more.

Because I think you’re going to be surprised that Alto Adige, otherwise known as Südtirol, has a wide variety of wine and that it is some of the best wine in all of Italy.

But first…

 

Where is Alto Adige?

If you’ve been reading this blog, you can probably skip over this section.

But if you’re new to Wander Your Way, then read on.

Alto Adige is part of the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Northern Italy.

It’s way up north and borders Austria.

The northern piece of this region is called Alto Adige.

And it’s very Germanic as it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire prior to WWI.

In fact, it’s known as Südtirol in German — South Tyrol.

Südtirol is rather neat and tidy by Italian standards.

No offense to Italy because I love Italy.

But things aren’t always orderly and timely in the boot.

Alto Adige tends to be a bit less Italian in this way.

However…

 

The wines in Alto Adige are fabulous

Believe it or not, Südtirol is one of Italy’s top white wine producers.

But you’ll find red wines here as well.

All the wines are superb, just as you would expect Italian wines to be.

In fact 98% of the wines here are labeled with the DOC designation — Denomination of Controlled Origin — which means the wines are controlled for quality and are of a high standard.

Let’s break down some of the wines.

 

White wines of Alto Adige

The white wines are excellent as the climate is a wee bit better for white varietals compared to red.

Pinot Grigio is often maligned here in the USA, but Italy is where this grape originated and this wine shines in Northern Italy.

You may see it as Grauburgunder or Rülander in Südtirol.

Do try a Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige.

Kerner and Sylvaner are 2 white wines that I really like from Alto Adige.

These 2 grapes produce fragrant wines with a nice minerality to them.

Gewürztraminer, a famous German wine, is actually an indigenous Alto Adige grape.

Yup.

I didn’t know this — until now.

And the wine makers here make really good versions of it.

You’ll also find Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Moscato Giallo, Riesling, and Grüner Veltliner.

The Müller-Thurgau is a much maligned varietal but I had some and think it’s actually pretty good.

My advice is to try some of the white wines of Alto Adige — something a bit different and see what you think.

You’ll probably be quite surprised as they are all delicious.

And, with such a variety to choose from, you’ll find something that suits your palate.

 

Red wines of Alto Adige

So while about 60% of the wine produced in Südtirol is white, they do create red wines.

And it’s also very tasty.  😋

There are 3 red wines that stand out to me.

First is the Schiava.

Also known as Vernatsch, this is one of 2 indigenous red grapes in Alto Adige.

This is a lovely, light red wine with low tannins.

You’ll get some fresh red fruit flavors from it.

It can get be chilled slightly which is how I like it.

The second standout red wine in Alto Adige is Pinot Nero.

We know it as Pinot Noir.

I think Pinot Nero really shines in this region of Italy.

The cool, sunny climate is fabulous for growing this fickle grape.

And the wine makers are creating some amazing Pinot Nero.

The third wine is another indigenous grape — Lagrein.

I’ve become a fan of this wine.

Lagrein is almost purple in color and is considered a medium-bodied wine.

But in Alto Adige, you’ll find it paired with heavier foods.

You’ll get mixed berries, spice and maybe even a bit of violet from this wine.

It’s delicious!

You will find Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, but these well-known varietals play second fiddle to the above 3.

 

Wineries in Alto Adige

One of the really unique aspects to vineyards in Alto Adige is that most vineyard owners only own small plots of land — just a little over 2 1/2 acres each.

So much of the wine produced is created by cooperatives.

It’s different from other regions in Italy.

But don’t think this lessens the quality — because it doesn’t.

On my recent travels to Südtirol, I visited 2 wineries in the growing region known as Bassa Atesina which is the most southerly growing region in Südtirol.

The wineries and experiences were both wonderful, yet different.

Let’s find out more about Castelfeder and Kurtatsch.

 

Castelfeder Winery

Castelfeder is a family-run winery founded by Alfons Giovanett.

Alfons’ son, Günther, and his wife, Alessandra, along with their 2 grown children, Ivan and Ines, now run Castelfeder.

This family has a total of 60 hectares stretching from Salorno in the far south of Alto Adige up to Bolzano.

That’s about 148 acres.

So they have quite a bit more land than the 2 1/2 acres!

However, this is still not large in comparison to some of the growers in Napa.

They do buy grapes from some of the other growers in the area to round out what they grow themselves.

Castelfeder produces about 500,000 bottles so they produce more than some but less than others.

And what they create is very, very good.

Katharina began my tour by walking me through a bit of the Castelfeder vineyards that are near Kurtinig/Cortina.

They have small plots located around this area, some just at river level and some at a much higher elevation.

Katharina pointed some out to me.

I then met Ines, Günther’s daughter, who guided me through my tasting.

Ines is wonderful.

Her English is impeccable and she is passionate and knowledgeable — and has a good sense of humor.

I had tasted a couple Castelfeder wines back home in Cincinnati, so I was eager to try some that I hadn’t tasted before.

Castelfeder has different lines or levels of wines — Selection, Reserve, Tecum and Mont Mès.

The Selection wines are the entry level wines, but don’t let that fool you as they are all delicious and come at a good price.

I tasted the Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Müller Thurgau, Kerner from the Selection white wines.

All are excellent.

Admittedly, I favor the Kerner and Pinot Bianco.

I also tried the Reserve Chardonnay and the Mont Mès Chardonnay because I was curious about Chardonnay produced in this area.

It’s not a typical grape of the region.

Admittedly, none of the Chardonnay wines were my favorite, but I did like the Selection and Mont Més Chardonnay more than the Reserve which does see some time in oak.

Ines treated me to the Tecum Pinot Bianco which had a bit more complexity to it compared to the Selection version.

Delicious!

The Lagrein Rose was a revelation.

I highly recommend this wine.

For reds I tasted the Schiava/Vernatsch and Lagrein from the Selection line.

I love both of these wines.

Then I tried the Pinot Nero from the Selection, Reserve and Mont Més lines.

Castelfeder does a wonderful job with this grape.

I loved all of these, but have to admit that the Selection Pinot Nero might be my favorite.

Ivan, Ines’ brother and winemaker, has started a project called Sorentberg in the Mosel region with German winemaker, Tobias Treis.

They are producing a couple of Rieslings.

I tasted one, but it was not my type of wine.

If you know Rieslings well, they can have a petrol-y profile which is what this one had.

Some folks — my brother comes to mind — like this.

I don’t.

But that’s why there are so many different wines.

And Castelfeder has such a wonderful array of wines to fit every palate.

And these wines are all superb.

I highly recommend a visit to the winery to taste these wines in Alto Adige.

 

Kurtatsch Winery

Kurtatsch is a cooperative located just a little bit north of Castelfeder.

This cooperative has 190 members and 190 hectares which is about 470 acres.

Daniela was my guide at this fabulous winery.

First we drove part way up a mountain.

She pointed out the various vineyards as we took in the stunning views of the Adige River valley.

The vines were right there before me.

Have I told you how much I love being in a vineyard?

Anyway…

We got back down the mountain just in time as it began to rain.

Then I tasted some of the delicious wines made at Kurtatsch.

Yes more magnificent wines in Alto Adige!

Kurtastch, like Castelfeder, has different lines or levels of wines.

At Kurtatsch you’ll find the Selection line, the Terroir line and the Freienfeld line.

I tasted wines in the Terrior line.

For whites I tried Hofstatt – Pinot Bianco, Kofl – Sauvignon, and Amos – a white blend or Cuveé.

All were good but the Pinot Bianco was my favorite.

I tasted 2 reds — Glen – Pinot Nero Riserva and Frauenrigl – Lagrein Riserva.

Both were delicious.

The folks that run the operation and make the wines do a superb job.

Othmar Doná is the chief winemaker who has been in this role since 1992.

He really does an outstanding job of taking the grapes from the 190 different growers and creating some lovely wines.

I highly recommend a stop by Kurtatsch to at least taste the wines.

And if you can get a tour, do that too!

 

Outstanding wines in Alto Adige

So you see, Alto Adige has more than gorgeous mountains, charming villages, great hiking trails and fabulous ski resorts.

This region of Italy also has some beautiful vineyards and some very tasty wines.

And there are more growing regions around Südtirol — Valle Isarco, Bolzano, Val Venosta, Merano, Val d’Adige and Oltradige.

Seriously.

If you love wine — and love to sip it while gazing at some stunning peaks, then you have to visit Alto Adige.