Vintage 2025

Full-bodied yet refreshing – this is how Peter Zemmers’ Chardonnay from the finest vineyards around Kurtinig in South Tyrol’s Unterland region presents itself. The vines, grafted onto low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, benefit from their favourable location in the valley floor, ideal sunlight and good air circulation around the grapes. The hand-picked grapes are left to macerate on their skins for a few hours in a cool place before pressing – a step that transfers the fruity aromas from the skins into the must and intensifies the bouquet. Following gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 19 °C in stainless steel tanks.

South Tyrol's soul in a glass. The Vernatsch – italian Schiava – is the most widely cultivated red wine variety in the region and is currently experiencing a renaissance in quality. Peter Zemmer grows this autochthonous grape variety on the calcareous clay and gravel soils of the sun-drenched slopes around Kurtatsch, traditionally cultivated on the pergola – the typical pergola shape that has characterised the South Tyrolean landscape for centuries.

Appiano is the largest wine-growing community in South Tyrol – and the St. Michael-Eppan winery is its centrepiece. Together, 330 member companies cultivate 385 hectares on sunny slopes between 250 and 900 metres above sea level. What unites them is not just the geography, but the conviction that quality is created in the vineyard – and that Eppan offers the right conditions for this. The Chardonnay grows at around 400 metres above sea level along the famous South Tyrolean Wine Route, on moraine soils from the Ice Age – calcareous, well-aerated, with a natural ability to ripen slowly. Hand-picked, processed in stainless steel: fresh and typical of the variety.

Founded in 1889 by Pastor Christian Schrott, the Tramin Winery is today one of the most renowned co-operative wineries in Italy – supported by around 270 winegrowing families who cultivate their vineyards around Termeno, Neumarkt, Montan and Auer. Oenologist Willi Stürz, who has been at work since the 1990s, has turned this collective strength into a portfolio that has won many international awards. His credo: purity and terroir character – not a word too much in the cellar. The Pinot Bianco grows on chalky and clayey soils with gravel and crushed stone, between 250 and 500 metres above sea level.

Pinot Bianco is the most cultivated white wine variety at the St. Michael-Eppan winery – and there is a reason for this. At altitudes of 480 to 650 metres in the municipality of Appiano, the grape variety finds exactly what it needs: calcareous gravel soils with a light clay content, south-east exposure and the cool night winds that blow down from the Mendel Mountains. These winds are the invisible tool of the terroir – they slow down the ripening process and maintain the freshness that distinguishes Pinot Bianco at this altitude from all others. Hand-picked, vinification in steel. Typical of the variety, clean, easy to drink.

Pinot Grigio is the most widely cultivated white wine variety in South Tyrol – and at the same time the most misunderstood. Anyone who thinks it only knows one note has not yet drunk one from the vineyards around Termeno. The Tramin winery gets the best out of this grape variety: calcareous clay and gravel soils, altitudes between 200 and 400 metres and the temperature fluctuations between day and night that are typical of the valley. This is what gives the Pinot Grigio its tension. Vinified in steel tanks, with careful temperature control – no wood, no distractions. What ends up in the glass is the location.

A great, fresh and fruity Moscato from a specialist: fresh, fine nuances of yellow fruit, sage and white flowers. Delicate and fine perlage, wonderful drinking flow. Lively and electric, with freshly cut peach, candied lemon peel, fresh mint and wild flowers all swirling out of the glass. The palate is sweet, but not sticky, with plenty of stone fruit. The balance of this wine is masterful, with a tangy acidity that keeps the wine lively at all times and makes each glass as refreshing as the first. SUPERIORE.DE

The name is steeped in history: Falanghina, derived from the wooden phalanges – the stakes that have supported the vines since ancient times. A grape variety that has been cultivated in Campania since Roman times and which Mastroberardino, a ten-generation-old traditional house from Atripalda, has saved from oblivion through consistency and conviction. The grapes grow on the Apice estate in Sannio, 350 metres above sea level, exposed to the south-east, in volcanic clay soils with a mineral-rich skeleton. Hand-picked at the end of September, vinification in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature – cool, clean, designed for freshness and flavour.

A wine with a legendary name and volcanic character: according to legend, God wept when he saw Lucifer steal a corner of the sky. And where his tears touched the earth, the vine Lacryma Christi grew. Mastroberardino vinifies this historical origin as a single-varietal Coda di Volpe from the mineral-rich slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Clear, bright straw yellow in colour. Ripe pear, honeydew melon and candied citrus fruit on the nose, complemented by fine notes of incense, herbs and exotic spices. Harmonious on the palate, juicy and carried by salty minerality, with a fine mellowness and floral freshness on the finish. An authentic white wine with an ancient soul and fascinating energy – between myth and terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

A Vermentino with a name that sounds like the sea – and that is precisely its promise: Cala Silente comes from selected vineyards blown by the mistral near the south-west coast of Sardinia. The grapes are harvested early in the morning and matured at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and aromatic clarity. Pale straw yellow in colour. The aroma is distinctive but subtle: white peach, lime and salty minerality, with a hint of Mediterranean herbs and wet stone. Lively and taut on the palate, with fresh acidity, a delicate melt and a long, cool finish – close to the coast and full of character. Cala Silente is an authentic representative of the Sardinian art of white wine: straightforward, aromatically precise and with a salty undertone that is inevitably reminiscent of the sea. If the glass sounds like a fresh breeze over the maquis, then it is probably Cala Silente ... SUPERIORE.DE

The Tramin winery, founded in 1898 and today one of the most renowned cooperatives in South Tyrol with over 300 members, vinifies this Chardonnay from vineyards between 240 and 500 metres above sea level in the municipalities of Ora, Tramin and Egna. The calcareous, loamy, gravelly soils and the marked day-night temperature fluctuations of the Alpine region give the grapes their characteristic intensity of flavour.

Morisfarms is located seven kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. And you can taste it. The Vermentino from the Poggetti estate carries the coast in the glass: salty, mineral, fresh, with that characteristic crispness that distinguishes Vermentino from the Tuscan coast from its more opulent relatives from Sardinia or Piedmont. The wine is not a pure Vermentino, but a harmonious blend: 90 per cent Vermentino, 10 per cent Viognier – the indigenous coastal variety and an aromatic northern player. The Viognier is harvested at the end of August, the Vermentino in mid-September. Both are cold clarified separately and fermented together in steel at 18 degrees. Matured lean, short fine lees, fresh in the bottle.

A hint of morning freshness: Al Qasar is the lighter side of Zibibbo, dry, elegant and designed for subtlety. Yellow in colour with a delicate golden shimmer in the glass. The nose opens with charming aromas of orange blossom, peach skin and a hint of elderflower. On the palate, it is clear and fragrant, with lively acidity, a creamy fruit centre and a floral finish that ends in svelteharmony. Al Qasar is an uncomplicated, yet characterful Zibibbo – ideal as an aperitif, with light antipasti or a fine fritto di mare. Elegant, dry and extremely charming. SUPERIORE.DE

A rosé that draws its strength from Aglianico – elegant, juicy and resolute in style. Terre Cerase shows its freshness in a bright salmon pink colour with a silky sheen. The bouquet already reveals aromas of ripe wild berries, sour cherry and floral nuances, underpinned by a subtle peppery spiciness. On the palate, the wine impresses with its round structure, pleasant volume and precise acidity. The fruit remains persistently present, while the dry finish leads into a delicate minerality. Despite its substantial texture, the Rosato is surprisingly light-footed and easy to drink. Ideal as an aperitif, with seafood, buffalo mozzarella or pizza – a rosato with its own personality, which is the result of uncompromising loyalty to the grape variety: an intense Aglianico in a charming guise. SUPERIORE.DE

Terraced vineyards at an altitude of 600 metres surround the traditional Liebrain farm in the Isarco Valley, where Silvaner has found its home for over two centuries. Weathered porphyry soils and extreme day-night temperature fluctuations give this crystal-clear white wine its purist character. The late harvest between the end of September and the beginning of October allows for optimal ripeness while maintaining the typical freshness.

Roccaleoni comes from old Falanghina vines on volcanic soils of ash and black pumice in the Rocca dei Leoni zone near Benevento. The vineyards are located at an altitude of around 400 metres and benefit from good ventilation and cool nights – perfect conditions for aromatic precision and freshness. Pale straw yellow in the glass with greenish reflections. Ripe apple, yellow peach, tropical fruit, elderflower and fine herbal notes on the nose. Juicy and clear on the palate, with lively acidity, ripe fruit and a subtle mineral vein. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the varietal character and light-hearted elegance. A harmonious Falanghina full of character that perfectly combines freshness and regional identity. SUPERIORE.DE

Vernatsch is South Tyrol in its most honest form. The autochthonous red wine variety – also known as Schiava – has accompanied the South Tyrolean wine route for centuries: light, easy to drink, uncomplicated in the best sense of the word. Not a wine that wants to impress. One that invites. Tiefenbrunner has been cultivating it since 1968 on three different sites between 220 and 650 metres – calcareous dolomite soils in the high altitudes of Penon, Hofstatt and Rain, limestone gravel soils from moraine deposits in Entiklar and on the Margreider Leiten, red sandy loam in Brenntal and Frauenriegel. Each site has its part to play. Vinified in concrete vats and large wooden barrels – the only use of wood in the entire Merus line.

A white wine made from a red grape variety – and what a wine it is. The Bianco di Morgante is a Sicilian rarity: Nero d'Avola, pressed in white. The Morgante family has broken new ground with this wine, which also reflects the terroir of their home Grotte in the hinterland of Agrigento – barren limestone soils, intense hours of sunshine, Mediterranean breezes. In the glass, the Bianco has a light straw yellow colour with silvery reflections. The nose surprises with a vibrant aroma of lemon zest, green pear, white peach skin and a hint of broom blossom. Elegant and straightforward on the palate: cool citrus fruit, fine salty notes, precise acidity and a dry, very clear finish.

Guardia Sanframondi, Benevento. Clay-limestone hills at the foot of the Matese mountains, 350 to 450 metres above sea level, organic. Greco grows here – one of the oldest grape varieties in southern Italy, rooted in this region for centuries. Carlo and Filomena Iacobucci vinify it as it should be: in steel, fresh, without detours. Straw yellow in colour with green reflections. Intense floral notes, citrus peel, pear, white peach, a light hint of wild herbs. Refreshing on the palate, with lively acidity and a mineral finish that reveals its origin. Uncomplicated, precise, honest. SUPERIORE.DE

Falanghina is one of the great white wine classics of southern Italy – and Feudi di San Gregorio interprets it in its purest form. The grapes come from the gentle hills of the Sannio, a high altitude area with calcareous soils and striking day-night differences. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with greenish reflections. Aromas of white peach, apple blossom, lime and a hint of broom. Fresh, fruity and delicately flavoured on the palate, the minerality remains subtly in the background. A confident, clear white wine from a traditional grape variety that does not want to be fashionable, but speaks its origins. Ideal with seafood, pasta with vegetables or simply as an aperitif on a warm evening. SUPERIORE.DE

Dry Moscato from the Noto coast – unusual, but all the stronger in character. Allemanda comes from the south of Sicily, where the calcareous, sandy soils of Tenuta Buonivini and the Mediterranean climate create a unique terroir for aromatic grape varieties. Maturation in stainless steel tanks emphasises the purity and finesse of this rarely dry Muscat variety. Pale straw yellow in the glass with silver reflections. The aroma is clear and animating: lychee, white peach, lemon balm, wild flowers and a hint of nutmeg. Lively and dry on the palate, with a lean structure, well-integrated acidity and a delicate, almost salty finish. No opulence, but precise flavours with a fine spiciness. Allemanda shows that Moscato in the right location can also be a fragrant, elegant white wine. Ideal with summer cuisine, ceviche or marinated fennel with citrus. An original wine for explorers. SUPERIORE.DE

A fragrant bloomer from the hot south: Alastro, named after the wild flower that grows around Cantina Ulmo, combines the Mediterranean clarity of Grecanico with the aromatic freshness of Sauvignon Blanc. Delicate straw yellow in the glass with silvery reflections. The nose opens with tangerine, white peach, lychee and a hint of yellow blossom. Elegant and silky on the palate, with a smooth texture, clear fruit structure and lively, balanced acidity. The ageing on the lees gives the wine additional depth and finesse without detracting from its freshness. Alastro is a charming white wine for modern connoisseurs – aromatic, precise and multi-faceted. Ideal with cold pasta with summer vegetables, courgette carpaccio or grilled fish. SUPERIORE.DE

The autochthonous Lagrein grape grows in the middle hills between 250 and 400 metres, where clay meets calcareous inclusions, to produce one of the most characterful rosés in South Tyrol. The traditional Tramin winery, founded in 1898 by the visionary priest Christian Schrott, preserves a centuries-old South Tyrolean tradition with its Lagrein Kretzer. Pink to light ruby red in colour, the wine shimmers in the glass and develops a delicate, pleasantly fruity bouquet. The extreme interplay between sunny, Mediterranean-influenced days and cold down winds from the mountains gives it that lively freshness that is stimulating and invigorating on the palate. A classic South Tyrolean rosé with an authentic character. SUPERIORE.DE