Alto Adige / Trentino Wine Region – North Italy

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Note: In April 2024, we held an Alto Adige wine tasting event where we voted and crowned a winner. As customary, we featured this champion in the best wines section of our website, offering recommendations following each live tasting.

Alto Adige/Trentino is a northern Italian wine region where, due to the cooler climate, white wines tend to predominate as grapes struggle to ripen fully. This may seem unconventional, as we typically associate red wines with winter and lighter wines with the hotter summer months, but we can attribute this to the blessings of export opportunities! Moving closer to the border, one encounters a blend of cultures, owing to the region’s history of border adjustments. Although we are in Italy, the majority of the population in this region speaks German, and the name Südtirol (German for Alto Adige) may sound more familiar. After all, the land was ceded to Italy following World War I in 1919, from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Due to this historical background, the region has strong connections to both Austrian and Bavarian cultures.

In addition to the predominantly German language, one might find it confusing to encounter Italian and German names for the same grape varieties. However, many of these grapes are essentially famous French varieties. Nevertheless, confusion may arise, such as between Schiava and Vernatsch, which refer to the same local red grape.

Trentino, on the other hand, is more deeply rooted in Italian culture, so while the two areas are often grouped together, they differ significantly in terms of wine style and heritage.

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H Lun - Moscato Giallo. This wine won the panels votes on the best wine for the Alto Adige tasting.
H Lun – Moscato Giallo. This wine won the panels votes on the best wine for the Alto Adige tasting in 2024.04.20

Speaking of grape varieties, on the white side, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Müller-Thurgau are all common, either as single varietals or blends. Among reds, Lagrein is the most renowned, with Schiava, Teroldego, and Pinot Nero following closely. Chardonnay is typically found in Trentino, where it’s used for sparkling wine production, and this is also where most Pinot Nero (Noir) grapes are used for traditional champagne-style production. Ferrari (unrelated to the famous sports car brand) is one of the region’s most important wine producers and offers a nice alternative to the simpler prosecco primarily produced in the Veneto region, located directly south of Alto Adige.

While oversimplification can sometimes dilute the complexity of a subject, Alto Adige/Trentino could be likened to the Italian equivalent of France’s Alsace region, as it shares many stylistic similarities in its wines with the French region, in a country otherwise known mainly for its indigenous grape varieties.

Links:

Lagrein (Red Grape)

Best Wine

Flashcards for Learning

Northern Italy White Wines (Including Sparkling)

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