The Alto Adige, N. Italy, Part 1

The Grape Nation

I recently traveled to Northern Italy to visit the Alto Adige wine region, also known as Sudtirol or South Tyrol, near the Swiss and Austrian borders at the foothills of the Dolomites. The Alto Adige is one of the smallest wine growing regions and has become one of the country’s TOP white wine regions. This unique Alpine landscape is ironically kissed by the hot Mediterranean sun in the Summer. Many of the vineyards are planted on hills and steep mountainsides, producing high altitude, fresh and aromatic wines. Along with the wine estates, there are over a dozen cooperatives successfully representing thousands of small winegrowers in the region. The focus here is towards quality, not quantity, working with over 20 varietals including some of the best Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurtztraminer, Schiava, and Lagrein you will ever taste.

We were based out of Bolzano, the largest city of South Tyrol and the Capital. We visited, dined and tasted wine with over a dozen wineries and cooperitives. I will let the wine people of the Alto Adige tell their story. This is a two-part series. On this episode we will be talking to Martin Foradori from J. Hofstatter, Oscar Lorandi, Cantina Girlan, and Wolfgang Klotz, Cantina Tramin.

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