2 – 5 November 2016
If you love spectacular mountain scenery, vibrant wines and a fascinating mix of Italian “dolce vita” and Austrian heritage, then this is the trip for you.
Winemaking in the Alto Adige dates back to Roman times and in the past thirty years it has gained an international reputation for its top-quality wines. Initially it was the whites that caught the world´s attention (arguably Italy´s best), but the region now also boasts some excellent reds. Wine aficionados can revel in a wide palette of grapes, from varieties found nowhere else to unique expressions of international stars. With their pure fruit flavours and fresh acidity, you can really taste the altitude. For here in this dramatically beautiful alpine region, vineyards climb up from the valley floor – in parts on breathtakingly steep slopes – to heights of over 1000 metres.
We will stay in Bozen (Bolzano), the lively city which has once again been ranked the most desirable place to live in Italy. Itself an historic wine town which lays claim to the best reds from Lagrein and Vernatsch (Schiava), it provides the perfect base for exploring the region´s very diverse terroirs:
- the Val d´Adige (Adige valley) to the north-west, source of some of Italy´s most ageworthy whites, among them Sauvignon Blanc, Pinots Grigio and Bianco and Chardonnay
- the Valle Isarco (Isarco valley) to the north-east, home to alpine viticulture with prized Riesling, Gruener Veltliner, Sylvaner and Kerner
- the Oltradige – Bassa Atesina to the south, the main production zone where the country´s oldest wine route snakes through hills carpeted with vines and castles. Whilst the whole spectrum of varieties are grown here, the area around the town of Tramin is especially famous for its Gewuerztraminer
Our exciting itinerary includes visits to the region´s top producers:
- Alois Lageder: quality pioneer, visionary and a champion of biodynamics
- Franz Haas: dazzling Pinot Noirs with equally attractive wine labels
- Cantina Terlan: superb co-operative with a reputation for its long-living whites
- Hofstaetter: traditional family-run winery with vineyards on both sides of the Adige river. Excellent single-vineyard Gewuerztraminer and Pinot Noir
- Manincor: aristocratic estate with correspondingly refined and elegant wines
- Stiftskeller Neustift (Abbey of Novacella): magnificent 12th century abbey which set the quality standards for the whole Isarco region
But it also incorporates lesser-known stars, such as
- Koefererhof: talented brother and sister team with an excellent restaurant and home-grown wines
- Pacherhof: delightful, Tyrolean-style hotel and winery run by a German-trained winegrower with a penchant for Riesling, Sylvaner and Kerner
as well as a brief foray into Trentino to the inimitable Elisabetta Foradori, queen of the native Teroldego.
During our vineyard and cellar tours we will encounter the full range of production methods, from traditional pergola training to biodynamics and wine made in tinajas (amphorae). And as we are in one of the lifestyle capitals of Italy, we can look forward to many culinary delights, characterful towns and their all-too inviting shops – can anyone leave Italy without a new pair of shoes and a handbag?
Optional day-trip to the Meran Wine Festival
The tour officially ends after breakfast on Saturday (5 Nov) but for those of you who are able to stay on until the evening, I have organized transport and entrance tickets to the highly-acclaimed wine festival in Meran.
This exclusive rendezvous for wine lovers has become one of the most important events in the Italian wine calender. It showcases producers from all over Italy and beyond (ie. not only South Tyrol, but also Tuscany, Piedmont, Bordeaux, South America ………), thus offering the perfect opportunity to sip and slurp your way around the world, fill in all those last gaps on Alto Adige and meet the winemakers that have written wine history as well as those who will write it.
Please note that there is an additional charge for this day tour to cover expenses.
