Alto Adige: On a Roll

BY IAN D'AGATA | FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Understanding the wines of Alto Adige (also called Süd Tirol by those more Germanically inclined) is easy: there is no region in Italy that makes better red or whites. Yes, Piedmont and Tuscany make a slew of unforgettable red wines, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Campania are home to many world-class whites, and Abruzzo and Puglia make some of the world’s best and most underrated Rosati (Rosé) wines; but no region in Italy makes more high-quality whites and reds than Alto Adige.

The vineyards of Alto Adige

What Works

First, Alto Adige is where you’ll find Italy’s, and arguably the world’s, best cooperatives. The level of viticulture and winemaking at these establishments is really non-pareil. Many of Italy’s best whites are made in these co-ops. Second, quality is remarkably consistent across the region’s many estates; in fact, it is the highest in Italy, with very few duds and practically no flawed wines to be found, be they white, red or pink. Third, it is safe to argue that the largest volumes of Italy’s best monovariety wines are in fact those of Alto Adige. Read ’em and weep: Alto Adige’s Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer wines are, without question, Italy’s best; and actually, only Alsace boasts a larger volume of world-class Gewürzes (though given that Alto Adige’s versions are more classically dry than their Alsatian counterparts, many a wine enthusiast prefers the former to the latter). Alto Adige’s Pinot Grigios and Pinot Biancos are also the best such wines made in Italy (only Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Valle d’Aosta when Pinot Grigio is being discussed, can contest that claim). Also best in class are Alto Adige’s Sylvaner, Kerner and Müller-Thurgau, from grapes that are traditional to the Valle Isarco, a specific denomination of Alto Adige, though admittedly this is a one-horse race because nobody else in Italy grows those cultivars or makes wines from them. However, my point is that such wines are not just without peer in Italy, but rank among the world’s best. Arguably, only Franken and Alsace make Sylvaner wines that compare to Alto Adige’s; some German efforts can top the “world’s best” Müller-Thurgau sweepstakes, but Alto Adige’s are a close second; and as far as Kerner is concerned, there simply isn’t anyone making better and similarly large volumes of Kerner wines than Alto Adige right now – it helps that Alto Adige’s Kerner wines are never flat, cloying or bubble-gummy, as wines made with this crossing often are.