Come Hell
or High Water: Trentino-Alto Adige’s 2023 and 2024 VintagesBY ERIC GUIDO |
DECEMBER 4, 2025Trentino-Alto Adige is far from your typical Italian wine
region. Its geography is as dramatic as its culture—steep valleys, craggy rock
outcroppings and high alpine peaks define a landscape lined with forgotten
ruins and ancient castles, some of which are still in use. I like to compare
the area to a tuning fork, with the Adige Valley forming its base in Trentino before
morphing into two prongs, the Val d'Adige and Valle Isarco. While Trentino in
the south maintains a distinctly Italian feel, the more northern Alto Adige
(Südtirol) has strong Austrian influences, with a German-speaking majority and
architecture out of a Grimm’s fairytale. The wines from this region are also
quite different from those in most of Italy, with pure, crisp, mineral-driven
whites and alpine-inspired reds.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1764860047502-High-elevation+vineyards+in+the+Adige+Valley_Vinous.jpg">High-elevation
vineyards in the Adige Valley.Mother Nature has not been kind to Italy over the last two
years, but Trentino-Alto Adige weathered the storm with resilience and
determination. Surprisingly, the locals don’t seem to express any defeatism, which
is more than I can say for some other Italian regions. Instead, in a very stoic
way, these winemakers pick themselves back up after a challenging year, having
made the best of what the season offered, and approach the future
optimistically.The complete list of grape varieties in the region is
extensive. There’s a dizzying array of whites, such as Pinot Grigio,
Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner, Kerner,
Riesling and Gewürztraminer. There are also PIWI varieties, i.e., disease- and
drought-resistant hybrids that create wild wines. On the red side, Pinot Noir
has seen a surge in quality as a new single-vineyard approach spreads
throughout the region, while Merlot, Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet
Franc continue to excel. Moreover, indigenous varieties like Teroldego, Lagrein
and Schiava have never been better. Call it global warming working in their
favor, or maybe just a positive result of updated standards and a new sense of local
pride, but I can’t help but feel that the region is experiencing a
renaissance.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1764860079920-The+sprawling+hillside+vineyards+of+the+St.+Magdalener+DOC_Vinous.jpg">The sprawling hillside vineyards of the St. Magdalener DOC.Established as of the 2024 vintage, the 86 new UGAs (Unità Geografica
Aggiuntiva) continue to gain popularity throughout Alto Adige. As a result, I’m
encountering more single-vineyard wines, which can be explored while viewing
the new maps designed by the Consorzio Vini Alto Adige. While many producers were
already harvesting throughout the assigned vineyards, in order to use the new
UGAs on their labels, they must establish a 25% reduction in yield compared to
standard DOC regulations. Moreover, each UGA set a maximum of five designated
grape varieties ideally suited for that location's specific soils and
microclimate. This is a big step forward for Alto Adige, and I’m sure we’ll
witness a further uptick in quality as more producers begin to take advantage
of it.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1764860117469-Pergola+vine+training+remains+paramount+to+the+success+of+San+Leonard+in+Trentino_Vinous.jpg">Pergola
vine training remains paramount to the success of San Leonard in Trentino.A Tale of Two VintagesOne of the most interesting things about vintages in
Trentino-Alto Adige is how remarkably different they are from the rest of Italy.
With regard to
Trentino in the southern part of the region, this has much to do with Lake
Garda. One might presume that Trentino would have similar vintages to neighboring
Veneto, but Lake Garda’s moderating influence and the mountains arcing
across both sides create a different set of conditions. Standing at the
northernmost beaches of Lake Garda puts this into perspective; intense air
currents make this area ideal for windsurfing, which many Italians take
advantage of each morning throughout the warmer months.Alto-Adige is a dramatic mountain landscape. The mountains
not only block the weather, but also trap the heat
between them. The convergence of two valleys—the Val d'Adige from
the west and the Valle Isarco from the northeast—pulls warming air currents
from the south up toward the city of Bolzano by day, and cooling currents from
the north at night. In most cases, there is little similarity between vintages
in Trentino-Alto Adige and vintages in the rest of Italy.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1764860452701-Gloria_Vinous.jpg">Gloria
Mayr of Nusserhof, pictured here in her vineyards within the city of Bolzano.A Near Miss: The 2023 VintageThe 2023 vintage in Trentino-Alto Adige was a challenging
season with high disease pressure and multiple heatwaves, but it was ultimately
successful, particularly for red varieties. These reds have aromatic lift and
energy I’ve rarely seen. They are fruit-forward, crisp and precise, with juicy
acidity and balanced structure. I expect many of the larger-framed,
late-release wines to show finesse and minerality over power. Pinot Noir,
Schiava, Lagrein and Bordeaux varieties all show tremendous potential. I do
have my concerns about Trento DOC, as winemakers there would have picked for
sparkling wines during or near one of the season’s heatwaves. I will report on
those wines in an upcoming report. The heat also had negative effects on Pinot
Grigio, Pinot Blanc, and Müller-Thurgau, which growers typically harvest at the
end of August. Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer turned out noteworthy successes in
2023.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1764860500072-Despite+being+the+capital+of+Alto+Adige%2C+Bolzano+is+a+city+of+vines_Vinous.jpg">Despite
being the capital of Alto Adige, Bolzano is a city of vines.Like much of Italy, the region contended with a wet and
overcast spring. However, producers were better equipped than some of their
counterparts elsewhere in Italy to handle diseases like Peronospora (downy
mildew), which are more common here. The region's diverse landscape meant
vineyards at lower elevations experienced different outcomes than those in the
well-draining mountainous areas. Although vine disease initially affected red
varieties, the impact was less severe than in central and southern Italy. The
more significant issue for Trentino-Alto Adige came in the form of three
heatwaves, two in July and a third in late August.Fortunately, temperatures normalized through September and
October, with clear skies and dry conditions. This period allowed
later-ripening white and red varieties to regain balance closer to harvest. The
deciding factors for success were careful harvest timing and selective picking
of healthy bunches. Overall, producers were happy with the harvest, and unlike
much of Italy, yields were close to normal.Better Late than Never: The 2024 VintageAfter a nail-biting 2023 season, winemakers in
Trentino-Alto Adige did not find any relief in 2024. It was a cool and rainy
year that favored white varieties over reds. The white wines display a textural
richness that, when acidity remains balanced, adds remarkable depth and
concentration. Soaring aromatics and a distinct saline character make the 2024s
irresistible and gastronomic. Sylvaner and Kerner, two varieties that typically
ripen early, had extended hang-time through this cool season, which helped them
gain further richness and complexity. The bad news is that red varieties suffered
drastically due to naturally reduced yields, disease pressure and occasionally the
inability to achieve physiological ripeness. As a result, many producers will
not bottle their top reds in 2024.The 2024 growing season started with a mild winter and
budbreak in mid-to-late March. The vintage seemed on track until a killing
frost in April decimated lower-elevation vineyards. Reported losses ranged from
10% to 70% for both red and white varieties, particularly Lagrein and Pinot
Grigio. To make matters worse, cool and wet conditions persisted through the
spring and into June, leading to poor flowering and high disease pressure. These
factors resulted in poorly formed bunches that reduced yields even further.
With July came sunny skies and warmer conditions, one of the year’s few silver
linings. However, winemakers already knew that the harvest would be delayed.
September remained cool but brought sporadic rains, causing fits and starts
with harvest. Timing and severe selection of bunches were essential to bring in
healthy fruit.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1764860565307-Trentino+Alto+Adige+Cover_Vinous.jpg">Three valleys connect at Bolzano, creating a
heat sink by day and a cold climate at night.The extreme diversity of terroir throughout Trentino-Alto
Adige means that some estates fared significantly better than others. Producers
like Köfererhof or Castel Juval Unterortl, deep in the northern mountains at
higher elevations, weathered the conditions well. The same cannot be said for producers
at lower elevations further south. That said, larger cooperatives have more
fruit to work with thanks to the vast holdings of their grower partners and can
make decisions at the blending table to bolster their entry-level or
prestige-tier wines, depending upon quality and need. At San Leonardo, in
Trentino, Peronospora in the spring was more impactful, reducing yields
by 30%, but the team was happy with the health of the fruit they brought in.
Having tasted two of the young 2024s during my visit to the estate, I can say
that the results are very promising. When I taste the 2024s in the coming year, I
expect to find many happy surprises and probably just as many letdowns. Only
time will tell, but I can assure readers that there will be far less wine to go
around than usual.





























































































I
tasted the wines for this article in Trentino-Alto Adige in July 2025 through
organized tastings and winery visits.© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/trentino-alto-adige-pushing-the-limits-mar-2024">Trentino-Alto Adige: Pushing the Limits</a>, Eric Guido, March 2024 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/trentino-alto-adige-knocking-on-heaven-s-door-may-2023">Trentino-Alto Adige: Knocking on Heaven’s Door</a>, Eric Guido, May 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/trentino-alto-adige-the-sky-s-the-limit-jun-2022">Trentino &amp; Alto Adige: The Sky’s the Limit</a>, Eric Guido, June 2022 <div><div></div></div><div><div><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/trentino-alto-adige-worlds-apart-nov-2020">Trentino &amp; Alto Adige: Worlds Apart</a>, Eric Guido, November 2020</div></div>

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