Wines from South Tyrol and Trentino

A small marvel, perfectly harmonised with multi-layered aromas of tropical fruits, apples and honey. A highly interesting white natural wine that is far more than just a casual pleasure, as it offers an extremely full, well-structured flavour. Fermented with the skins using the red wine method. Strong yellow colour with golden reflections. Intense aroma of dried herbs, incense, candied lemon peel and a hint of bitter orange. Fresh citrus notes on the palate, an exciting acidity and a powerful structure lead into a very long finish, crowned by a hint of bitter almonds. Very complex and a wonderful accompaniment to food – be sure to aerate! SUPERIORE.DE

Riesling needs altitude. Not always, but in South Tyrol it does – and the Pitzon gets it: 500 to 750 metres above Nals, on the right bank of the Adige, where the temperatures drop noticeably at night and the vine is allowed to retain its acidity. This is also where the decisive tension of this wine lies: Mediterranean warmth during the day, Alpine freshness at night. The Riesling captures both. The soils of porphyry and limestone – volcanic primary rock meets marine limestone – give the wine its mineral undertone. East-south-east orientation, hand-picked, three weeks of fermentation at cool temperatures in steel tanks, seven months of maturation on the fine lees. Cellar master Schraffl keeps a low profile – the wine itself says what it has to say.

Alongside Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt is the second Austrian rarity at Ebnerhof – and is as rare as it is prized in South Tyrol. The cross between St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch, bred in Austria in 1922, feels amazingly at home in the very sheltered south-east-facing vineyards near Atzwang. On sandy-loamy, calcareous and porphyry soil at an altitude of 500 metres – with a remarkable 55 per cent slope – the Unterthiner family works with consistent yield regulation in Guyot training in order to obtain concentrated grape material. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and then matures in small oak barrels, which gives it structure and depth.

Riesling has been at home in the Vinschgau Valley since around 1840 – , having been introduced from German-speaking regions, where it was tolerated amongst fruit trees and Pinot Blanc. Yet its potential in these extreme terroirs went largely unrecognised for over a century and a half. It is only since the 1990s that the valley has shown what it is truly capable of. Franz Pratzner is one of those who realised this early on. His Riesling vines are planted on the Sonnenberg in the Vinschgau Valley, on the steepest south-facing slopes between 600 and 900 metres – of dry, ancient porphyry bedrock, with barren conditions, maximum sunshine and cool nights. Riesling is a late-ripening variety that takes time: harvest only takes place in early to mid-October, when the aromas have fully developed at this altitude. Then comes the winery’s signature style: fermentation in large acacia wood barrels, ten months on the coarse lees, and around twelve months’ bottle ageing.

Downdraught. The name is not marketing – it is pure meteorology. Every evening, cool air masses descend from the Mendel Mountains and sweep over the vineyards of Appiano, Caldaro and Cortaccia. These evening downdraughts give the entire terroir of the winery its character: they slow down ripening, maintain freshness and give the wines the flavour and longevity that cannot be taken for granted in this region. Merlot and Cabernet have been grown here since 1850, and the two varieties are vinified separately for the Riserva – in stainless steel tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation and ageing in barriques and tonneaux. After around a year, they are blended and mature further in steel. The Merlot brings soft tannins and fullness, the Cabernet structure and reverberation. The vineyards are located in the warmest areas of the municipalities of Appiano, Caldaro and Cortaccia, south to south-east facing, on calcareous gravel and moraine soils.

The Oberkofler family has been running the ancient Bachmannhof farm since 1853 and Pinot Nero has found its second home in South Tyrol for over a century – nowhere is this rootedness more evident than at the Bachmann from the steep vineyards around Bolzano. Between 600 and 700 metres above sea level, the vines thrive on mineral-rich soils, where cool nights and sunny days create the finesse that combines Burgundian elegance with Alpine clarity.

The Lageder family now produces only one Sauvignon Bianco, and it forms part of the "Kompositionen" range. It derives its complexity from the wide variety of different clones in the vineyards. The majority of these are situated at altitudes of over 400 metres and are rooted in limestone on the one hand and weathered volcanic rock on the other. The different source rocks and the diversity of the vines inspired the Lageder family to choose the wine's name. This is because it is composed of fragments from the finest organic and biodynamic vineyards, which are blended together to form a single whole.

La Rosé de Manincor is produced using the classic saignée method – by drawing off the juice from the estate's finest red wine batches. The grapes come from the Manincor, Seehof, Panholzerhof and Mazzon vineyards, situated at altitudes of between 250 and 500 metres. Rich clay soils, interspersed with limestone gravel and glacial rock deposits, define its character. The composition of the cuvée varies slightly from year to year – in 2025 it consists of 30% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 20% Pinot Nero, 13% Vernatsch, 4% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah and 4% Petit Verdot. After six to twelve hours of maceration, the must is racked off – the part that makes the red wines more concentrated and gives the rosé its colour, structure and richness of aroma. Fermentation takes place in wooden casks, partly spontaneously with wild yeasts. The wine is then aged on the fine lees for five months, during which time the aromas refine and that creamy texture develops which characterises La Rosé.

Merlot in South Tyrol – this may sound like a misunderstanding, but it is one of the most convincing arguments in favour of the versatility of the southern lowlands. Margreid, the southernmost corner of the winery, supplies the white wine grapes to Gennen and Magred. The same soil, the same climate, the same ora – is used by Levad for something completely different. White limestone gravel soil with a high humus content, 220 to 350 metres, south-east exposure. Warm summers, mild winters, the daily afternoon wind from Lake Garda. Conditions that allow Merlot to fully ripen without suffocating it in opulence. Hand-picked, careful destemming, fermentation in steel tanks with gentle pumping over – then twelve months in barriques and a further year of bottle ageing. The ageing gives structure, the soil gives minerality, the climate gives depth.

Back to top. The name reveals the philosophy behind this Pinot Bianco, which emerges from the interplay between two fundamentally different worlds. On the one hand, the Bassa Atesina near Salorno and Magrè: calcareous soils, Mediterranean warmth, vines on both banks of the Adige. On the other, Dorf Tirol near Merano: volcanic rock, an alpine climate, a completely different energy. Alois Clemens Lageder, the sixth generation at Tòr Löwengang, calls such wines "compositions" – deliberate arrangements of contrasts that only reveal their full potential when brought together.

Lagrein is one of South Tyrol's indigenous grape varieties and, at Franz Haas, thrives in sunny vineyards at altitudes of between 220 and 250 metres. Here, at a significantly lower altitude than the white wine vineyards, this late-ripening variety benefits from warm, broodingalluvial soils with a high gravel content. The south-south-west aspect guarantees optimal sunshine right up to the late harvest – crucial for the full phenolic ripeness of this demanding grape variety. After careful hand-harvesting, the grapes are gently destemmed and fermented in open stainless-steel tanks. The cap is submerged gently and not too frequently to avoid the risk of excessive tannin extraction. Following alcoholic fermentation, the wine matures for 10 to 12 months in tonneaux, where malolactic fermentation also takes place. A few months' bottle ageing round off the wine's development before the Lagrein is released onto the market.

Gewürztraminer is one of South Tyrol's iconic aromatic wines, and Franz Haas interprets this demanding grape variety with the precision of a perfectionist. The vines are trained using the Guyot system at altitudes of between 350 and 650 metres, where south-west-facing, stony loam soils create ideal conditions. These medium altitudes preserve the balance between aromatic opulence and fresh structure – crucial for a Gewürztraminer that does not become stifled by overripe heaviness. After a short maceration period, the must ferments at low, controlled temperatures in stainless steel. This is followed by six months' ageing on the fine lees, during which the lees are stirred weekly – a labour-intensive process that lends the wine a creamy texture and added complexity. This patient work with the yeast clearly distinguishes Franz Haas's interpretation from simpler Gewürztraminers, which are bottled after just a few months.

Pinot Nero was first cultivated in South Tyrol in the 1860s. Since then, a handful of vineyards have emerged that offer ideal conditions for the variety – cool slopes with good air circulation, loam and limestone soils, and sufficient altitude for slow, even ripening. Mazon, above Montan, is regarded by connoisseurs as Italy’s most renowned Pinot Nero vineyard. The Pfitschers have lived here for decades with this conviction and have been making Pinot Nero from Gleno for almost 40 years. The Fuxleiten – of the Fuchshang – as the name of this vineyard translates – grows on the west-facing terrace of Gleno, overlooking the Adige Valley. The same site, the same philosophy as the estate’s Riserva Matan, only ripening earlier and more approachable: 10 to 14 days of constant punching down in stainless steel, followed by ageing in oak barrels. A fine glass of Montan.

For decades, the Porer vineyard on the Margreider alluvial fan has been regarded as the source of Lageder's most refined interpretation of Pinot Grigio. At altitudes of between 230 and 240 metres, where stony, sandy and highly calcareous soil, combined with dramatic day-night temperature fluctuations, creates a unique microclimate, grapes of exceptional complexity ripen. The organic cultivation of this single vineyard follows strict sustainability principles. The secret of the Porer lies in its three-stage vinification: one third is pressed immediately, another portion remains on the skins for 15 hours, whilst the final component is macerated with stems and skins for up to eight months. This orchestrated blend of different textures gives the wine its characteristic tension. Six months' ageing on the fine lees in stainless steel rounds off the complex aromatic profile.

Cabernet Sauvignon is considered a traveller – an international grape variety that arrives everywhere and rarely really settles down. In Margreid, it does. Lafot Riserva is not a cosmopolitan Cabernet here, it is a South Tyrolean one. The vineyards at the foot of the slope of Margreid, 220 to 350 metres, south-southeast, white limestone gravel soil with deep humus – it is the same terroir that gives Levad Merlot its minerality. Cabernet Sauvignon, however, needs more time to open up: Hand-picking, destemming, fermentation in steel tanks with gentle mash agitation, then twelve months in barriques and a further year in the bottle. The result is not a quick wine.

The Turmhof Castle Winery in Entiklar near Kurtatsch is one of the most traditional family businesses in South Tyrol. Christof and Sabine Tiefenbrunner are now the fifth generation to run the winery – with vineyards that range from 220 to over 1,000 metres above sea level and offer the ideal location for every variety. This Gewürztraminer combines grapes from two characterful sites between 220 and 350 metres: Entiklar/Margreider Leiten with limestone gravel soils from moraine deposits facing south to south-east and Brenntal/Frauenriegel, where red, sandy loam soil faces east. This combination gives the wine both aromatic depth and mineral freshness.

"Frauenrigl" – an old field name for one of the warmest vineyard sites above the wine route near Kurtatsch in the South Tyrolean lowlands. On calcareous gravel soils with loamy earth, a Gewürztraminer full of character thrives here under ideal sunlight and perfect aeration, which fulfils all the requirements of this demanding grape variety. After six to eight hours of cold maceration, the grapes are gently pressed and clarified by natural sedimentation before controlled fermentation takes place at 18°C in stainless steel tanks.

The name Gaun takes us back to the 17th century, when the noble family of the same name owned the Löwengang estate – a tribute to the historic roots of Lageder's ancestral home. Since 1934, when Alois III planted the first Chardonnay vines in Margreid, this wine has been regarded as a pioneer for international grape varieties in South Tyrol. The calcareous gravel soils around Margreid, Kurtatsch and Salurn, where Mediterranean influences meet Alpine coolness, produce grapes of exceptional minerality. During vinification, Lageder focuses on salinity and tension: part of the batch ferments spontaneously with whole bunches, allowing tannins from the skins and stems to accentuate the natural freshness.

The only thing that has actually changed is the name. The Unterthiner family have always vinified their Pinot Noir in the manner befitting a serious Pinot Noir – with the necessary time in the cellar. The wine matures in small wooden barrels for at least twelve months, often longer, because at the Ebnerhof decisions are never made according to the calendar, but according to taste. This ageing period meets the DOC requirements for a Riserva, so the wine now bears this designation. The approach remains unchanged: following a selective hand-harvest from the limestone-rich, sandy south-facing slopes, the wine undergoes controlled maceration in stainless-steel tanks before being transferred to small wooden barrels, which lend it depth and complexity.

Fórra, an elegant small-batch white wine, is made purely from Manzoni Bianco and has an interesting history and an exciting development. Lageder's project with this grape variety began several years ago and resulted in the crossing of Rhine Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Traditional methods were used in the cellar to ensure freshness and vibrancy. Contact with the skins over several days sharpens the profile of the wine. After spontaneous fermentation, Fórra remains on its lees in wooden barrels for several months. Fórra exudes all this passion and love, all this experience and craftsmanship - a wonderful, great pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

On the sand – the name already reveals the secret of this extraordinary interpretation of Gewürztraminer. A work of art of aromatic perfection springs from the sandy, calcareous soils of various locations in the lowlands between 240 and 370 metres. From Tramin to the Margreider Schuttkegel to Lake Kaltern and the Eisack Valley, Lageder combines the many facets of this traditional grape variety into a harmonious composition. The biodynamic Demeter cultivation of these selected plots follows the natural rhythms of the landscape. The secret lies in the staggered harvest: As the southern sites are all very hot, Lageder deliberately sets early accents and harvests the grapes at different stages of ripeness – sometimes even with noble rot. One part is vinified spontaneously with whole grapes, the rest matures for nine months partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels on the fine lees.

The name "Mimuèt" (to my taste) comes from Ladin. Convinced that South Tyrol offers the best conditions for the Pinot Noir grape variety, Alois Lageder paid particular attention to it at a very early stage. His goal is to produce wines with precision, lightness and filigree structure. Garnet red with ruby reflexes. Pinot Noir Mimuèt smells of ripe black cherries, flowers and spices. On the palate, elegant, almost light on its feet, with a multi-layered, soft finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Where cool Dolomite winds meet Mediterranean influence, Markus Prackwieser has been writing wine history with quiet consistency at the Gump Hof since 2000. The farm, which was first mentioned in a document in 1546, is spectacularly situated on the steep slopes of the southern Eisack Valley at the foot of the Schlern massif – vineyards with a 50 to 70 per cent gradient at 400 to 500 metres, which require pure manual labour. The experimental winegrower draws his inspiration from Burgundy, the Wachau and the Loire Valley, from the legendary Didier Dagueneau. The Praesulis Gewürztraminer 2024 grows on calcareous moraine soils over quartz porphyry. After a short maceration and gentle pressing, the wine ferments and matures for ten months in steel tanks on the fine lees.