Alto Adige

Santa Maddalena: light, fragrant Schiava from the hills above Bolzano.

Schiava with a splash of Lagrein from old pergola vines on porphyry slopes. Red cherry, violets, almond and soft tannin; serve it cool with speck or Knödel.

Schiava with a splash of Lagrein from old pergola vines on porphyry slopes. Red cherry, violets, almond and soft tannin; serve it cool with speck or Knödel.

A co-op selection-line white - Pinot Bianco or Gewürztraminer - the everyday star.

Terlano, Tramin or another quality co-op: clean, typical whites at prices private estates can't match.

Terlano, Tramin or another quality co-op: clean, typical whites at prices private estates can't match.

Speck platter + a cool glass of Santa Maddalena.

South Tyrol's smoked, cured ham with rye bread and pickles. A light, fragrant Schiava matches the smoke without heavy tannin.

South Tyrol's smoked, cured ham with rye bread and pickles. A light, fragrant Schiava matches the smoke without heavy tannin.

Lagrein: the dark native red - plum, cocoa and a bitter twist.

Deep-coloured and full, grown mainly in the warm Bolzano basin. Juicy young, velvety and savoury as a Riserva; also made as a rosé.

Deep-coloured and full, grown mainly in the warm Bolzano basin. Juicy young, velvety and savoury as a Riserva; also made as a rosé.

Venison or goulash + Lagrein Riserva.

Mountain game or a paprika beef stew, both common on Tyrolean menus. Lagrein's dark fruit and ripe tannin stand up to rich, spiced meat.

Mountain game or a paprika beef stew, both common on Tyrolean menus. Lagrein's dark fruit and ripe tannin stand up to rich, spiced meat.

Co-operatives make most of the wine - and many are excellent value.

Growers farm tiny plots, often around a hectare, so most deliver to co-operative cellars. The best co-ops - Terlano, Tramin, San Michele Appiano, Girlan - make some of the region's top wines.

Growers farm tiny plots, often around a hectare, so most deliver to co-operative cellars. The best co-ops - Terlano, Tramin, San Michele Appiano, Girlan - make some of the region's top wines.

Lago di Caldaro: the silkiest, most charming Schiava - a chillable lunch red.

From the slopes around the lake south of Bolzano, on limestone and gravel. Pale, perfumed, with strawberry, cherry and almond; the region's everyday red.

From the slopes around the lake south of Bolzano, on limestone and gravel. Pale, perfumed, with strawberry, cherry and almond; the region's everyday red.

A sub-zone name - Terlano, Valle Isarco, Santa Maddalena - narrows the style.

Almost everything is Alto Adige DOC with the grape on the label. Sub-zone names add a place: Terlano for long-lived whites, Valle Isarco for crisp mountain whites, Santa Maddalena and Lago di Caldaro for light Schiava reds.

Almost everything is Alto Adige DOC with the grape on the label. Sub-zone names add a place: Terlano for long-lived whites, Valle Isarco for crisp mountain whites, Santa Maddalena and Lago di Caldaro for light Schiava reds.

Alto Adige Pinot Nero: Italy's most Burgundian reds, best from Mazzon.

Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder) from mid-altitude slopes, above all the Mazzon plateau above Egna. Cherry, raspberry, spice and fine tannin; Riserva and single-vineyard wines age well.

Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder) from mid-altitude slopes, above all the Mazzon plateau above Egna. Cherry, raspberry, spice and fine tannin; Riserva and single-vineyard wines age well.

Lagrein: South Tyrol's own dark red - plum, chocolate, velvet.

Grown mainly in the warm Bolzano basin, best around Gries. Deep colour, blackberry, plum, cocoa and a savoury, slightly bitter finish; Riserva versions see oak and age well.

Grown mainly in the warm Bolzano basin, best around Gries. Deep colour, blackberry, plum, cocoa and a savoury, slightly bitter finish; Riserva versions see oak and age well.

Celebration bottle: a Mazzon Pinot Nero or a Gries Lagrein Riserva.

Hofstätter's Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano, Girlan's Trattmann or Muri-Gries' Klosteranger - the region's reds at their peak.

Hofstätter's Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano, Girlan's Trattmann or Muri-Gries' Klosteranger - the region's reds at their peak.

A small natural and biodynamic scene works the steep hills by hand.

Growers such as Pranzegg above Bolzano farm biodynamically, ferment with wild yeasts and bottle unfiltered; others make pét-nat from Müller-Thurgau.

Growers such as Pranzegg above Bolzano farm biodynamically, ferment with wild yeasts and bottle unfiltered; others make pét-nat from Müller-Thurgau.

Valle Isarco: high, steep and cool - steely Sylvaner, Kerner and Riesling.

The northernmost valley, climbing towards the Brenner Pass. Whites are bone-dry, aromatic and racy: Sylvaner with melon and hay, Kerner with peach and herbs, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner with Alpine bite.

The northernmost valley, climbing towards the Brenner Pass. Whites are bone-dry, aromatic and racy: Sylvaner with melon and hay, Kerner with peach and herbs, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner with Alpine bite.

Sylvaner and Kerner: the Isarco valley's mountain whites.

Sylvaner gives melon, hay and stony dryness; Kerner, a crossing, gives peach, herbs and racy acidity. Both thrive in the cool northern valley.

Sylvaner gives melon, hay and stony dryness; Kerner, a crossing, gives peach, herbs and racy acidity. Both thrive in the cool northern valley.

Glögglhof: family estate whose Vigna Rondell is a reference Santa Maddalena.

The Gojer family's farm in the Santa Maddalena hills. Vigna Rondell, from old pergola vines, shows how perfumed and serious Schiava can be.

Glögglhof belongs to the Gojer family, one of the roughly two dozen small growers who own most of the Santa Maddalena Classico hillside above Bolzano. It's the estate most often held up as the benchmark for the appellation. The vines are trained on pergolas, many of them old, on porphyry soils, and the wines blend Schiava with a little Lagrein in the traditional way. Vigna Rondell, the single-vineyard Santa Maddalena, is perfumed, elegant and vibrant, with red cherry and violets, and a Riserva version adds depth; both regularly top tastings of the category. The family also makes a Lagrein Riserva. These wines are inexpensive for the quality and best served lightly chilled - a perfect lunch red with speck.

Ignaz Niedrist: small Cornaiano family estate; Limes is a lime-fresh Pinot Bianco.

A small family estate near Appiano working whites and reds with equal care. Limes, named after its vineyard, is a precise Pinot Bianco; the Lago di Caldaro is a model light red.

Ignaz Niedrist is a small family estate in the Oltradige, the hilly wine country around Appiano and Caldaro south-west of Bolzano, and one of the region's dependable private growers. It's known for doing everything well rather than one star wine. Limes, a Pinot Bianco named after its vineyard, is crisp and lime-scented, a fine example of the drier, more mineral style the Appiano hills give the grape. The estate's Lago di Caldaro Classico Superiore shows why Schiava deserves a second look - candied cherry, almond and fine, dry tannin - and its Lagrein Riserva is the darker, more serious red. Prices are fair for the quality. A useful name to know when a wine list runs to dozens of co-op bottlings.

Schiava's slide from majority grape to minority - and why it matters.

Schiava once covered most of the region's vineyards; it has shrunk sharply as growers replant with whites. The light, chillable style it gives is suddenly back in fashion.

Until the 1970s Schiava covered roughly two-thirds of South Tyrol's vineyards, much of it sold in bulk to Switzerland and Austria as light, cheap red. As demand shifted, growers replanted with whites, which now make up about two-thirds of production, and with Pinot Nero and Lagrein. The decline continues: Schiava area has fallen from close to 2,000 hectares at the turn of the century to a few hundred today, with old pergolas pulled out every year because the grapes fetch low prices and need more hand work. The irony is that Schiava's style - pale, fragrant, low-alcohol, low-tannin and best served cool - is exactly what many drinkers now look for. Committed family growers in Santa Maddalena and around Caldaro are making single-vineyard versions of real finesse. Drinking them is the best way to help keep the old vineyards alive.

Cantina Terlano: the co-op famous for whites that age for decades.

A co-operative founded in 1893 on porphyry slopes. Vorberg Pinot Bianco Riserva and Nova Domus are the classics; the Rarity wines are old vintages kept on their lees for years.

Cantina Terlano, founded in 1893 by a couple of dozen growers, now gathers around 140 members on south-facing porphyry slopes between roughly 250 and 900 metres. It is the producer that proved Alto Adige whites can age like fine white Burgundy. Vorberg, a single-vineyard Pinot Bianco Riserva, is the benchmark: apple, lemon rind and white pepper when young, gaining depth for ten years or more. Nova Domus is a blended white Riserva, and Quarz a Sauvignon from quartz-rich soils. The Rarity series - wines held on fine lees for a decade or longer before release - shows just how far the style can go. For a trip, order Vorberg in a restaurant; for a gift, an older vintage of it is one of the region's best buys.

Hofstätter: Tramin family house; Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano is a Mazzon icon.

A Tramin family estate with old vineyards on the Mazzon plateau. Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano, from vines over 65 years old, is one of Italy's reference Pinot Noirs.

J. Hofstätter is a family estate based in Tramin that owns the historic Barthenau farm on the Mazzon plateau, on the east side of the valley above Egna - the site most often named as Alto Adige's best for Pinot Nero. Barthenau Vigna S. Urbano comes from the heart of that vineyard, from vines more than 65 years old. It's a concentrated but elegant Pinot: sour cherry and raspberry, a touch of vanilla and spice from time in small then large barrels, fresh acidity and fine tannin, released only after more than two years of aging. It needs several more years in bottle to show its best. The estate is equally known for Gewürztraminer, so taste both. Order the standard Pinot Nero with dinner; keep S. Urbano for a special occasion.

Long lees aging is the secret behind Terlano's ageless whites.

Terlano's top whites rest on their fine lees for months - and the Rarity wines for a decade or more - before bottling, building texture and longevity.

Cantina Terlano began experimenting decades ago with leaving its best whites in contact with their fine lees - the dead yeast cells from fermentation - for far longer than usual. The lees protect the wine from oxygen and slowly add texture, a creamy, nutty depth and savoury complexity, while porphyry-grown acidity keeps everything taut. The standard top wines such as Vorberg Pinot Bianco Riserva and Nova Domus spend around a year on their lees, often in large casks. The Rarity series takes the idea to the extreme: selected wines are held on fine lees in steel tanks for at least ten years before bottling, then released as limited editions that taste remarkably fresh. For drinkers, it changes how to think about Alto Adige whites: the top Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay are not for drinking young. Buy a mature vintage if you see one; they're far cheaper than equivalent white Burgundy.

Local find: a Valle Isarco grower's Sylvaner, or Pranzegg's biodynamic wines.

Small family growers making taut, mountain whites and unfiltered reds you'll rarely see at home.

Beyond the co-ops, Alto Adige has a small band of family growers worth seeking out. In the Valle Isarco, Köfererhof, Kuenhof and Manni Nössing make bone-dry Sylvaner, Kerner and Riesling with real mountain precision - Köfererhof's Sylvaner R is a good place to start. Above Bolzano, Martin and Marion Gojer's Pranzegg farms a few hectares of steep terraces biodynamically, with sheep grazing between the vines, and makes Lagrein, Schiava and whites with wild yeasts, long lees aging and no filtration; the reds have tension rather than opulence. In the Venosta valley, growers such as Falkenstein make racy Riesling. These wines are made in small quantities and mostly sold locally or to specialist importers, so a good enoteca in Bolzano or Bressanone is the place to find them.

Köfererhof: family grower making some of the valley's finest Sylvaner.

A small family estate near Novacella. Its Sylvaner R - bone-dry, melon and herbs - is a reference for the grape in the Isarco valley.

Köfererhof is a family farm in the Valle Isarco near the abbey of Novacella, and one of a handful of private growers who have made this cool, steep valley famous for whites. It focuses on the varieties that thrive at altitude - Sylvaner, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau and others - and its Sylvaner R, from selected plots, is bone-dry with honeydew melon, aromatic herbs and a long, stony finish. The wines rank with the valley's best yet are still priced as everyday bottles by international standards. It's a good counterpoint to the softer whites of the Bolzano area: if you like Austrian Grüner or dry German Silvaner, this is your wine. Look also for neighbours Kuenhof and Manni Nössing, cited alongside it among the valley's best.

Altitude does the sorting: whites high up, reds in the warm valley floor.

Vineyards climb from around 200 to over 900 metres. The hot, sheltered Bolzano basin ripens Lagrein; mid-slopes suit Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero; the highest, coolest sites in Valle Isarco give razor-sharp whites.

Vineyards climb from around 200 to over 900 metres. The hot, sheltered Bolzano basin ripens Lagrein; mid-slopes suit Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero; the highest, coolest sites in Valle Isarco give razor-sharp whites.

In the glass: Low and warm: dark, soft reds. High and cool: crisp, aromatic whites with high acidity.

Alpine sun, cool nights: ripe flavour with mountain freshness.

Around 300 sunny days a year and big day-night temperature swings let grapes ripen fully while keeping acidity and aroma. It's why even the richer wines feel fresh.

Around 300 sunny days a year and big day-night temperature swings let grapes ripen fully while keeping acidity and aroma. It's why even the richer wines feel fresh.

In the glass: Pure, focused fruit, vivid acidity, good aromatic intensity.

Co-operatives make most of the wine - and many are excellent value.

Growers farm tiny plots, often around a hectare, so most deliver to co-operative cellars. The best co-ops - Terlano, Tramin, San Michele Appiano, Girlan - make some of the region's top wines.

Growers farm tiny plots, often around a hectare, so most deliver to co-operative cellars. The best co-ops - Terlano, Tramin, San Michele Appiano, Girlan - make some of the region's top wines.

In the glass: Reliable, clean, typical wines at fair prices; top lines rival private estates.

Porphyry, limestone, schist: soils shift from valley to valley.

Volcanic quartz porphyry around Bolzano and Terlano, dolomitic limestone around Caldaro, schist and moraine in Valle Isarco - each nudges the style.

Alto Adige's geology is unusually varied for such a small region. Around Bolzano, Terlano and Santa Maddalena, much of the ground is quartz porphyry, a volcanic rock that weathers into acidic, well-drained soils; Terlano's whites, with their firm acidity and salty, stony character, are the best-known expression, and Santa Maddalena's Schiava gains a little extra grip there. South of Bolzano, around Caldaro, dolomitic limestone and gravel give the charming, silky Schiava of Lago di Caldaro and suit Pinot Bianco on the Appiano slopes. Valle Isarco, north-east of Bolzano, has schist, gneiss and moraine at high altitude, the home of steely Sylvaner, Kerner and Riesling. The warm alluvial floor of the Bolzano basin, around Gries, gives Lagrein its depth. When a producer names a site, ask about the soil: it's often the best clue to the texture in the glass.

In the glass: Porphyry: saline, firm whites. Limestone: silky reds, round whites. Schist: steely, aromatic whites.

Pergola training keeps Schiava alive - and costs growers dearly.

Old Schiava vines climb tall wooden pergolas. They shade the fruit and suit the light style, but need far more hand work, so many are being pulled out.

Old Schiava vines climb tall wooden pergolas. They shade the fruit and suit the light style, but need far more hand work, so many are being pulled out.

In the glass: Shaded, gently ripened fruit: fragrant, light, low-alcohol reds.

Most whites see steel, not oak - purity first.

Standard whites are fermented and aged in stainless steel to keep fruit and acidity crisp. Top selections may spend time in large casks or on lees.

Standard whites are fermented and aged in stainless steel to keep fruit and acidity crisp. Top selections may spend time in large casks or on lees.

In the glass: Bright, pure fruit; lees add texture and nutty depth to top whites.

Long lees aging is the secret behind Terlano's ageless whites.

Terlano's top whites rest on their fine lees for months - and the Rarity wines for a decade or more - before bottling, building texture and longevity.

Cantina Terlano began experimenting decades ago with leaving its best whites in contact with their fine lees - the dead yeast cells from fermentation - for far longer than usual. The lees protect the wine from oxygen and slowly add texture, a creamy, nutty depth and savoury complexity, while porphyry-grown acidity keeps everything taut. The standard top wines such as Vorberg Pinot Bianco Riserva and Nova Domus spend around a year on their lees, often in large casks. The Rarity series takes the idea to the extreme: selected wines are held on fine lees in steel tanks for at least ten years before bottling, then released as limited editions that taste remarkably fresh. For drinkers, it changes how to think about Alto Adige whites: the top Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay are not for drinking young. Buy a mature vintage if you see one; they're far cheaper than equivalent white Burgundy.

In the glass: Creamy texture, nutty and savoury complexity, very long life.

A small natural and biodynamic scene works the steep hills by hand.

Growers such as Pranzegg above Bolzano farm biodynamically, ferment with wild yeasts and bottle unfiltered; others make pét-nat from Müller-Thurgau.

Growers such as Pranzegg above Bolzano farm biodynamically, ferment with wild yeasts and bottle unfiltered; others make pét-nat from Müller-Thurgau.

In the glass: Taut, mineral, sometimes hazy wines with more tension than richness.

Schiava's slide from majority grape to minority - and why it matters.

Schiava once covered most of the region's vineyards; it has shrunk sharply as growers replant with whites. The light, chillable style it gives is suddenly back in fashion.

Until the 1970s Schiava covered roughly two-thirds of South Tyrol's vineyards, much of it sold in bulk to Switzerland and Austria as light, cheap red. As demand shifted, growers replanted with whites, which now make up about two-thirds of production, and with Pinot Nero and Lagrein. The decline continues: Schiava area has fallen from close to 2,000 hectares at the turn of the century to a few hundred today, with old pergolas pulled out every year because the grapes fetch low prices and need more hand work. The irony is that Schiava's style - pale, fragrant, low-alcohol, low-tannin and best served cool - is exactly what many drinkers now look for. Committed family growers in Santa Maddalena and around Caldaro are making single-vineyard versions of real finesse. Drinking them is the best way to help keep the old vineyards alive.

In the glass: Fewer, better Schiavas: more perfume and precision from old pergola vines.