(Gerhard Retter / Editorial team / Photo: Manfred Klimek)
South Tyrol is small. At least on the map. Just under 5,800 hectares of vineyards nestled between the Alps, the Dolomites, apple orchards, steep slopes and terraces. A wine-growing region that can be described in a few figures – and yet defies any simple description. For South Tyrol is not a wine-growing region that can be understood in terms of hectares, litres or grape varieties. South Tyrol thrives on contrasts. Alpine and Mediterranean. German-speaking and Italian. Farmland and a region of design. A land of cooperatives and a laboratory for small-scale winemakers. Rooted in tradition yet astonishingly adaptable. South Tyrol is so ‘much much’.
South Tyrol’s true youthfulness has little to do with the age of its often very young winemakers. It is evident in their mindset. In their approach to provenance. In their approach to tradition. In its approach to change. This is how wines are created here that possess freshness, precision and a distinct sense of origin. Wines that rarely come across as merely pleasing, yet are incredibly easy to drink. Wines that reflect their surroundings: cool and clear in structure, yet characterised by that warmth which so distinctly defines life south of the Brenner Pass.
Yet South Tyrol is by no means defined solely by romantic small-scale estates. The cooperatives of Alto Adige are among the most efficient and quality-oriented in Europe. They have played a key role in ensuring that South Tyrol is now recognised internationally not only for its beautiful landscape, but also as a reliable wine-growing region. This is precisely what makes the region so special. Large, highly professional wineries exist alongside tiny family-run estates. Historic monastery wineries stand alongside young, low-intervention projects. The cooperative model coexists with radical plot-by-plot winemaking. The vines grow at altitudes between 200 and 1,000 metres above sea level, on limestone, porphyry, moraine, dolomite, gravel, loam, quartz and volcanic rock. The temperature differences between day and night are often as great as those that separate entire seasons elsewhere.
The result is wines full of tension. Pinot Bianco with remarkable structure. Sauvignon Blanc with alpine freshness rather than exotic excess. Chardonnay that doesn’t need to imitate Burgundy. Kerner that lets you taste the altitude. Pinot Noir with more finesse than brute force. Lagrein that is becoming ever more precise. And Vernatsch, perhaps South Tyrol’s most culturally significant grape variety, which is finally being recognised once again for what it can be: identity in a glass.
South Tyrol, too, is grappling with climate change, hail, late frosts, rising costs and shifting consumer behaviour. However, the region is starting from an unusually strong position. Origin, craftsmanship and premiumisation are not after-the-fact marketing ideas here, but have been part of the reality for decades. High-altitude vineyards are not merely a romantic backdrop, but a strategic advantage. At the same time, a generation of winemakers is coming of age who no longer need to prove that South Tyrol can produce great wines. They are more interested in precision than in making a splash. Prioritising provenance over style. Prioritising originality over the recognisability of international models. Here are two estates and two wines that I would like to introduce
Haderburg – South Tyrol’s great sparkling wine tradition
Let’s start with Haderburg in Salurn: the Ochsenreiter family works at the Hausmannhof in Buchholz, above Salurn, at altitudes between 350 and 550 metres. Haderburg is one of those estates that should be mentioned far more often in international discussions of sparkling wine. The conditions are ideal: cool nights, calcareous and sandy weathered soils, traditional bottle fermentation and long ageing on the lees. Above all, however, patience. Haderburg does not produce sparkling wines for immediate impact, but for development and depth.
The Pas Dosé 2019 is a prime example of this style. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir combine with precision, freshness and structure. The absence of dosage here does not come across as austere, but rather as a matter of course. Nothing is concealed. And nothing needs to be hidden. The result is not a sparkling wine for serving before a meal. It is a wine that can accompany a meal. Oysters, crudo, shellfish, poultry, mushrooms or truffles will find here a sparkling wine (produced using the Champagne method) that is their equal.
Kloster Neustift / Abbazia di Novacella – History as a real asset
Old, yet young at heart: the Augustinian Canons’ Abbey was founded as early as 1142. The Neustift Abbey Winery is one of the oldest active wineries in the world. Here, history is not treated as a museum piece, but put to productive use. It provides experience, knowledge and continuity. And there are many old cellar records that tell a wealth of stories about winemaking. The Eisack Valley has its own distinct character within South Tyrol. The high altitudes ensure freshness and lively acidity; the wines come across as precise, straightforward and aromatically clear. Hardly any grape variety benefits from this more than Kerner.
The Kerner Praepositus 2024 demonstrates why this variety has perhaps found its most compelling home in the Eisack Valley. Kerner can easily become too much: too aromatic, too exotic, too pleasing. Here, the opposite is true. The fruit remains present, but is underpinned by minerality, dryness and structure. The vineyards lie between 650 and 750 metres above sea level. Moraine soils, mica schist, paragneiss and quartzite shape the character. The cool nights preserve freshness and vibrancy.
The Praepositus therefore does not come across as trendy, but rather timeless. It pairs well with terrines, Asian-inspired dishes, poultry, spicy vegetable dishes or matured mountain cheese. With wines like this, it becomes clear that aromatics are never the problem. The problem arises when the wine lacks structure.