Wines from South Tyrol and Trentino

The alluvial plains along the Adige provide the foundation for this Pinot Grigio. Gently vinified and matured in concrete tanks to preserve its purity and nuance, rather than masking them with oak – a distinctive style that earned the Merus Pinot Grigio, in the earlier 2023 vintage, the "Berebene" award from the Gambero Rosso wine guide for outstanding value. 

The grapes for this smooth red wine thrive on loamy, calcareous soils with gravelly subsoil in the hills around Tramin. The extreme interplay of sunny Mediterranean days and cool downslope winds from the surrounding mountains ensures an intense aroma. After maceration at a controlled temperature, the wine matures in large wooden barrels. The colour in the glass is a deep ruby red. The nose exudes aromas of wild cherry and redcurrant, accompanied by delicate spice and a hint of plum. The palate is full-bodied and soft with a velvety texture, supple tannins and a tart, fruity length. A Merlot that elegantly translates the Burgundian tradition to the South Tyrolean south – with hearty meat dishes, roasts or savoury cheeses. SUPERIORE.DE

Brilliant straw yellow. On the nose, an almost dramatic symphony of aromas of flint, dried flowers, tropical fruits and a subtle hint of lime. On the palate, it is taut, with good texture and structure, yet delicately spicy, lively and with a wonderfully pronounced salty tension. As it develops, it is very well-balanced, with a well-nuanced blend of fruit and acidity and a very refreshing clarity. SUPERIORE.DE

South Tyrol's very own red wine variety, vinified by a master of his trade. Peter Zemmer cultivates his Lagrein on the warm clay soils of the municipality of Auer in the South Tyrolean lowlands – where the indigenous grape variety has been at home for centuries. The outstanding location and careful cultivation of the vineyards create ideal conditions for grapes of particular concentration. After fermentation, the must is kept in contact with the skins through regular pumping over and gentle crushing, which ensures optimum colour yield and accentuated fruitiness. 70% of the wine is then matured in large oak barrels, the remaining 30% in two- to three-year-old barriques. Further bottle ageing follows the assemblage.

The grapes for this full-bodied red wine grow on warm, calcareous and gravelly clay soils in hilly areas between 250 and 350 metres above sea level. After maceration at a controlled temperature (28-30°C), the wine is matured in large wooden barrels – which gives it the necessary depth without masking the varietal character. The colour in the glass is a deep garnet red. The nose reveals a fruity bouquet of blackcurrant and red berries, underpinned by characteristic notes of green pepper, dried fruit and a hint of tobacco and chocolate. Dry and full-bodied on the palate, with supple tannins and earthy spice. The long-lasting finish confirms this: A South Tyrolean with a strong character that shines with red meat, game and mature hard cheese. SUPERIORE.DE

The Lageder winery from Magrè in southern South Tyrol has been one of the region's defining forces for six generations – and since 2024, all the cultivated areas, including around 60 partner winegrowers, have been fully certified biodynamic or organic. Not just lip service, but a conviction that is put into practice. The Pinot Grigio comes from selected vineyards between Magrè and Salorno, at an altitude of 230 to 420 metres – stony, sandy soils with a high lime content, alpine temperature fluctuations and plenty of light. The vinification is based on a small proportion of maceration, which gives the variety texture and aromatic depth; the rest matures for four months on the lees in steel tanks.

Lageder's Lagrein Rosé is a finely characterised expression of South Tyrolean origin: lively, mineral and carried by quiet precision. The grapes come from vineyards around Margreid and Salurn, where the Lagrein finds ideal conditions for aromatic depth and cool freshness on warm, gravel-rich soils.

Kretzer – this is what the rosé from Lagrein has been called in South Tyrol for centuries. The name sounds more determined than Rosato, and it is: Lagrein is one of the most independent grape varieties in the country, almost exclusively at home in South Tyrol, with an aroma that no other rosé grape displays in the same way. Wild berries, violets, a hint of dark spice – and the freshness that comes from vinification as a rosé. Martin Foradori aptly describes this wine as a character type between two worlds: "the freshness and fragrance of a white wine, the fruity juiciness and delicate spiciness of a red that can be drunk young".

Pinot Grigio is Italy's best-selling white wine variety – and at the same time one of the most misunderstood. What becomes a pale all-purpose weapon on an industrial scale shows a completely different face in South Tyrol. The grapes for Hofstätter's version come from Mazzon and Egna in the Adige Valley, where the soils are skeleton-rich and well-drained and the vine builds up its aromas with a concentration that gives the wine real substance.

Lagrein is the quintessential red wine of South Tyrol. This grape variety is grown in any significant quantity almost nowhere else in the world – it is so intrinsically linked to this region that its name still evokes the Adige Valley to this day. Kellerei Tramin sources its Lagrein from Auer, the warmest part of the growing region, where the Ora breezes from Lake Garda sweep through the valley every day and the vines reach full maturity in a climate that Lagrein clearly thrives in. The winery was founded in 1898 by the parish priest of Termeno. Since then, it has remained true to its commitment to getting the very best out of every vineyard – from the highest Gewürztraminer plots to the warm Lagrein vineyards on the valley floor in Auer.

Martin Foradori-Hofstätter sees his Chardonnay as an expression of the South Tyrolean lowlands: clear, precise, without detours via the wood. The grapes come from the Mazon and Egna vineyards, where marl soils and the typical diurnal variation between alpine night and warm afternoon give the Chardonnay a natural freshness that no cellar master could force. Vinified at controlled temperatures, matured exclusively in steel on the fine lees until the point of optimum ripeness.

The Eisack Valley between Klausen and Brixen is one of the coolest wine-growing regions in South Tyrol – and one of the steepest. At 615 to 908 metres above sea level, on weathered mica schist and sandy gravel soils, the Müller-Thurgau vines of two winegrower partners, which Alois Lageder looks after organically, grow. This altitude is no coincidence: Müller Thurgau needs coolness and slow ripening to develop its fine flavour – the Eisack Valley has both in abundance. In the cellar, Lageder works with a level of care that goes beyond the usual: temperature-controlled fermentation in steel and in large wooden barrels, a small percentage ferments and macerates on the intact grapes – stalks and skins included. Maturation takes place on the fine lees in steel and on the full lees in large wooden barrels. Not filtered.

Moscato Giallo is one of the most fragrant grape varieties in South Tyrol – and one of the most vulnerable. In the wrong hands it becomes sugary sweet and arbitrary, in the right hands it shows something rare: aromatic depth with complete dryness. Nals Margreid cultivates it in the southernmost part of its vineyard area, in Margreid – the warmest, most Mediterranean tip between Nals and Lake Garda. The vineyards lie at an altitude of 220 to 350 metres, exposed to the south-southeast, on white, broodinglimestone gravel soil with a high humus content. The climate bears the fingerprint of the Ora, the warm afternoon wind that blows daily from Lake Garda over the slopes, extending the growing season and shaping the flavour of the grapes. Hand-picked, three weeks of fermentation in steel, five months of ageing on the fine lees.

Tiefenbrunner and Müller-Thurgau – is more than just a grape variety and a winery. The family has taken this cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale to the highest altitudes of their vineyards and created an icon in the process: the Vigna Feldmarschall von Fenner, one of the most famous high-altitude wines in Italy, at over 1,000 metres. And Merus is the start of this story – first vintage: 1968, the grapes come exclusively from the Graun vineyard at 750 to 900 metres above sea level – calcareous-loamy dolomite soils, south-southeast exposure, the coolest of the Merus sites. This altitude is no coincidence: Müller-Thurgau needs coolness to develop its characteristic herbal flavour. Vinified in concrete vats – like Chardonnay, but with a different result.

Tramin, the heart of South Tyrolean viticulture – and Hofstätter has been its most reliable interpreter for generations. "De Vite" is Martin Foradori-Hofstätter's entry into the world of white wines: a cuvée of Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and Müller-Thurgau, vinified in steel, focussed on freshness and drinkability. Light yellow in colour with greenish reflections, lively in the glass. The nose reveals green apples, a hint of lemongrass and delicate elderflower – clear, inviting, alpine. Precise acidity on the palate, good balance, a light, invigorating finish. A direct and beautiful wine for the moment, without detours, without any claim to great complexity, but with the typical Hofstätter sense of care even in simplicity. SUPERIORE.DE

Merus – the Latin word for pure, genuine, unmixed. The Tiefenbrunner family has given its entry-level line a name that says it all: no distractions, no overlaying – just the character of the grape variety and the place. Chardonnay Merus comes from two very different sites that complement each other: Penon, Hofstatt and Rain at 400 to 650 metres, on calcareous dolomite soils with south-southeast exposure, stand for freshness and minerality. Margreid, Punggl and Kurtinig at the bottom of the valley at 210 to 220 metres, on sandy-limestone alluvial soils, stand for fullness and fruit. Vinified in concrete vats.

South Tyrol's "regional red" par excellence thrives between 260 and 500 metres on calcareous clay-dolomite soils to authentic perfection. The autochthonous Vernatsch, mentioned in documents as early as 1370 as Vernatschia, has embodied the soul of South Tyrolean wine culture for centuries. The single-varietal Schiava is fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel and refined for six months in large wooden barrels, a vinification process that skilfully combines tradition and modernity and gives Bocado its characteristic structure.

Berg. The name gives away its origins. The higher elevations in the Adige Valley, on the right bank of the Adige, on soils of porphyry and limestone, which give the Pinot Bianco its mineral freshness and structure. The alpine climate, with mild summer months and cool autumns, slows down the ripening process – the harvest takes place in mid-October, considerably later than for comparable white wines. This patience pays off. In 1932, the winegrowers of Nals and Margreid founded their co-operative on a simple principle: better together than alone. This principle still applies today – to 140 member estates, which supply their grapes with the same care as they did back then.

South Tyrol's most widespread white wine develops its classic elegance on calcareous clay-dolomite soils between 260 and 380 metres. These medium altitudes offer optimal conditions for this classic grape variety: Alpine freshness with sufficient Mediterranean warmth for the reddish-grey berries. As a white mutation of Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio shows its southern Alpine facet here: controlled fermentation in stainless steel, followed by six months of ageing on the lees for additional texture and complexity.

The hill. A solitary, 50-metre-high ridge south of Margreid, which gives the Pinot Grigio its name and its character. The soil is unusual: grey, loamy sand with a high clay content – no porphyry, no limestone gravel, but rather a soft, nutrient-rich deposit that gives the Pinot Grigio a richness and freshness that poorer soils cannot provide. Margreid's Mediterranean climate – warm summers, mild winters, the afternoon Ora breeze from Lake Garda – ensures the grapes ripen evenly and develop their aromas. Hand-harvested, clarified must, three weeks' fermentation in stainless steel, five months on the fine lees.