Alto Adige (Südtirol) DOC
Italy's most consistent white-wine region, an Alpine province where German is the first language and the cooperatives (Terlano, Tramin, Colterenzio, San Michele Appiano, Kaltern) make wines at a level few private estates match. Whites are precise and mineral: Pinot Bianco with green apple and chalk, Sauvignon with grapefruit and nettle, Gewürztraminer with lychee and rose from its home village of Tramin, Kerner and Sylvaner from the Isarco valley with racy acidity. Reds range from pale, cherry-scented Schiava (Santa Maddalena) to dark, inky Lagrein with blackberry, violet and bitter chocolate, plus increasingly good Pinot Nero. Almost every DOC label carries a grape name, so pick by variety.
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| Producer | Wine | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alois Lageder | Alto Adige Pinot Bianco Biodynamic estate with wide US distribution; green apple, pear, chalk, a textbook Alpine Pinot Bianco. | $18 to $22 | Wine-Searcher |
| Cantina Terlano | Alto Adige Terlano Pinot Bianco Vorberg Riserva Banville import; the serious bottle, large-cask aged, with smoke, quince, herbs and 20-year aging potential. | $45 to $55 | Wine-Searcher |
| Cantina Tramin | Alto Adige Gewürztraminer From the grape's namesake village; lychee, rose, ginger, dry and surprisingly fresh for the variety. | $20 to $25 | Wine-Searcher |