Dear wine friends,
As the days get longer and temperatures climb, our taste for wines shifts. Sitting on the deck or porch my thinking of “which wine would I like to drink now” shifts from the heavy reds to more white wines and to wines with lower alcohol levels.
One wine region comes to mind where there is an abundance of such wines: Trentino-Alto Adige in Northern Italy.
Being the northernmost wine region of Italy, Trentino - Alto Adige as this region is referred to in English-language guide books of wine regions, is a very special place where Italian and German traditions merge. Trentino-Alto Adige is a fascinating and unique region in the Alpes.
It boasts of an extraordinary variety of landscapes: snow-capped mountains in the Dolomites, valleys, streams, Lake Garda, century-old breathtakingly beautiful towns true to their hybrid Germanic-Italian culture.x In the Middle Ages this region situated south of the Brenner Pass, went through a rollercoaster of invasions and was a continuous bone of contention because of its strategic importance. Even in Roman times, the Brenner Pass was a strategically important Alpine pass. In the Middle Ages, it served as the main connection between Central Europe and Italy for merchants, pilgrims, and armies. Finally, in the early 16-hundreds Trentino (Süd-Tirol)-Alto Adige- became part of the Habsburg Empire. After the fall of the Habsburg Empire and the Central Powers after WW I, this region was annexed by Italy. The population is completely bi-lingual: official languages are German and Italian.
Trentino-Alto Adige has a very long history of winemaking, about 3000 years. Trentino-Alto-Adige’s vineyards are true Alpin vineyards on elevations of 700 - 3,300 ft on mostly gravelly soils. Because of its altitude, even in the hot and sunny summers night temperatures are always cool and these diurnal temperature differences are excellent for the production of wines of great finesse.
This makes the region famous for single variety crisp, beautiful white wines such as Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc), Gewürztraminer, and the indigenous grape Nosiola. In terms of quantity, more red wine is produced than white. More than 50 percent of all vineyards are planted with the light Schiava (Vernatsch in German). More and more vineyard area has been dedicated to Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir). The red Lagrein vine actually comes originally from Trentino, but the finest Lagrein grows in Gries on flatter, lower-lying vineyards directly near Bozen in Alto Adige. The often almost opaque, dark purple Teroldego Rotaliano, also an indigenous grape variety of the region, on the other hand, comes from one of the few rock-lined valleys in the northern part of Trentino. Trentino is also home of the production of modern style red blends. Trentino-Alto Adige also is a paradise for high quality sparkling wine lovers. Almost all wineries produce a sparkling wine in the traditional method with long aging on the lees before disgorgement.
Did I make you curious? If so, I invite to join me on a 7 night wine tour through this region. To make it extraordinary comfortable we do not need to change hotels during this tour. The region can be explored easily by staying in Bozen. We stay 7 nights in the beautiful, stately Park Hotel Laurin in Bozen. This is one of the last true “Grand Hotels”. It was lovingly renovated to stay true to its 1910 Art Nouveau design and is located a 5 minute walk from the main train station. Art still place a central part at this hotel. Each of the luxurious rooms with marble bathrooms and state of the art technology features an original painting by a contemporary artist. The beautiful park with old trees, gorgeous plants, great pool and great outdoor bar invites for relaxation after a day of wine tastings.
During this wine tour we travel through 3 main valleys carved out by the rivers Adige (Etsch) and Isarco (Eisack). These valleys form a Y since in Bozen, the capital of the Alto Adige region, the Isarco joins the Adige. From Bozen we follow the Adige river further south and spend a day in Verona the city much beloved by Shakespeare who set more than just one play in this northern Italian town. We will use this opportunity to also visit some wineries where we taste the unique, delicious Amarone.
There only are very limited seats available on this wine tour. As many of you know I only travel with small groups: I travel with a maximum of 12 people. For more information, please get in touch with me. I will send you the complete itinerary.
I wish you a relaxing Memorial Day with family and friends.
Cheers Annette
WINE EDUCATION /// WINE TOURS Annette Schiller, Diplom-Volkswirt Professional Member and Wine Educator American Wine Society AWS German Wine Society, Capital Chapter ombiasy PR, LLC Washington DC - Frankfurt am Main T: +1 (703) 459.7513 T: + 49 177.337.0281 aschiller@ombiasypr.com web: ombiasypr.com blog: schiller-wine.blogspot.com
Alto Adige in 2025
Fifth Stop: Lana in Alto Adige
We drove from Montalcino in Tuscany to Lana in Alto Adige and checked in at Hotel im Tiefenbrunn in Lana. we stayed there for 3 nights.
Hotel Im Tiefenbrunn in Lana
Day 1 in Alto Adige (Lana)
Weinkelterei Meran
Before dinner, we had a glass of sparkling wine at the Weinkelterei Meran.
Dinner at Restaurant Sissy (1 Star Michelin)
Michelin: Situated just outside the pedestrianised area of beautiful Merano, the main dining room of this restaurant has a welcoming feel and is decorated in attractive Art-Nouveau style. Here, owner-chef Andrea Fenoglio divides his time between the kitchen and front of house so that he can take time to chat with guests. His cuisine has solid classic foundations, with a good choice of dishes on the à la carte, plus a surprise tasting menu (Settepiatti ) which changes every year (as does the ceramic tableware on which it is served!). The cuisine is comforting and full of generous flavours, to which Fenoglio adds a light modern touch with his carefully chosen accompaniments and presentation. Whatever dish you choose, you can be sure of finding the perfect wine pairing for your meal on the skilfully constructed wine list.
Day 2 in Alto Adige (Lana)
Meran
Up in the Mountains (by Car)
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Up in the Mountains (by Cable Car and Chair Lift)
Light Dinner at Hotel im Tiefenbrunn in Lana
Day 3 in Alto Aldige (Lana)
Brixen
Dinner in the Mountains at Restaurant Appolonia (Bib Gourmand Michelin)
Day 4 in Alto Adige (Bozen)
Ice Cream at Avalon
Without the use of powdered milk, artificial flavours, artificial colours or hydrogenated vegetable fats.
The Avalon ice-cream parlour awaits you with over thirty different flavours, each prepared with extraordinary care and passion. Almost all of them are gluten-free, with a large selection of lactose-free and vegan flavours.
Come and enjoy a unique experience!
Foradori is a wine estate in the Dolomites region of northern Italy, particularly known for its red wines from the Teroldego variety. The estate dates back to 1901, and has been owned by the Foradori family since 1939. Elisabetta Foradori has made the wine since 1984, and currently oversees the estate although children Theo, Myrtha and Emilio Zierock are progressively taking a more active role in the family business.
The overall estate covers 24 hectares (59 acres) of owned and eight hectares (20 acres) of leased vineyards in multiple small plots around the Campo Rotaliano plain in the dramatic Trento-Alto Adige region, roughly 100km (60 miles) north of Verona.
Roughly three-quarters of the Foradori vineyards are planted with the red Teroldego. The rest are planted to Manzoni Bianco, with small amounts of Nosiola and Pinot Grigio.
Foridori's vineyards have been farmed biodynamically since 2002 and were certified biodynamic by Demeter in 2009.
All of Foridori's wines are released as IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti. The range is led by two Teroldego cuvées: Foridori and Granato.
Foradori is sourced from around ten hectares (25 acres) of vineyards on sandier soils, and is aged in oak and cement tanks for 12 months. Granato, which means pomegranate, comes from four hectares (10 acres) of old pergola vineyards on more stony soils, and is aged in wood for 15 months.
The estate also makes four other Teroldego wines which are aged on their skins in amphorae, and varietal wines from Manzoni Bianco, Nosiola and Pinot Grigio.
Foradori's winemaking follows a philosophy of minimal intervention, which includes the use of indigenous yeasts, no temperature control and bottling without filtration. Production reaches around 160,000 bottles per year, over half of which is the Foradori cuvee.
Since 2014, the wines have been made by Foradori's son Emilio Zierock.
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Alois Lageder
wine-searcher: Alois Lageder is a renowned wine producer in Alto Adige, Italy's northernmost wine region. The estate was established in 1823 and has been family owned and operated since. It makes a wide range of wines from both native and international grape varieties, including Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Schiava and Lagrein.
The estate consists of around 110 hectares (272 acres) of vineyard land across the region, including plots in Magrè, Cortaccia, Bolzano, San Michele and Appiano. This diversity of vineyard, which covers a vast range of exposures, soils, and mesoclimates, means that Alois Lageder can have a wide range of grape varieties, depending on the terroir of the individual site.
The main range includes three product lines. The top wines (Masterpieces) come from some of Lageder's best vineyard sites. The selection features mostly single variety wines, though the intriguing Casòn duo are a Viognier-Petit Manseng, and a Tannat-based red blend.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Löwengang Chardonnay and Cabernet wines, special editions were bottled. These are blends of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 vintages.
Below this sits a range of single-vineyard wines from other vineyard sites, known as Compositions. There are around eight whites and three reds.
Thirdly comes the Classical Grape Varieties line of whites and reds, plus a rosé made from Lagrein. Most, but not all are monovarietal bottlings. The grapes are sourced from across the estate.
Alois Lageder also owns a pair of subsidiary brands, Riff and Terra Alpina. The company works with partner growers to source the fruit for these wines.
Cantina Kurtatsch
Weingut Hofstaetter
Elena Walch
Manincor
tasteatlas.com: Manincor is a family-owned winery located in Kaltern, in the Alto Adige (South Tyrol) region of Italy. The estate's history dates back to 1608, and it is currently managed by Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg and his wife Sophie, who took over in 1991.
The winery spans approximately 50 hectares of vineyards, cultivating varieties such as Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Lagrein, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Manincor is dedicated to biodynamic farming, believing that maintaining natural balance is essential for producing high-quality wines.
The winery's cellar is uniquely situated beneath the vineyards, minimizing environmental impact and allowing for gravitational wine flow during production. This combination of traditional values and modern technology enables Manincor to craft wines that truly reflect the character of South Tyrol's terroir.
Day 6 in Alto Adige
Michelin: This restaurant is a Bolzano institution. It is a typical inn whose origins are lost in the mists of time, and is still furnished in traditional Biedermeier - style. The menu focuses on regional cuisine, with an occasional hint of the Mediterranean.
Post-dinner Wine at Toma by Lisa
Last Wine at Parkhotel Laurien
Day 7 in Alto Adige (Bozen)
Final breakfast before returning home to Frankfurt.
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