The wines of the Alto Adige: Tasting and Master Class
I have visited the Alto Adige Region of Italy on a number of occasions and, in fact, I am there right now at a winery. Until last week, there had not been a tasting of the wines of the Alto Adige in New York in ten years. I attended both the tasting and master class as a sort of warm up to my trip.
“Dolomite Preservation Effect’ at the Alto Adige DOC Walk around tasting in NYC.
Alto Adige, also known as the Südtirol due to its deep-rooted bicultural heritage, is Italy’s northernmost wine region. Located at the foot of the Alps and the Dolomites, the region borders on Austria and Switzerland. The Alps protect it from inclement weather from the North and the Atlantic, while the Dolomites protect the vineyards from the cold, damaging winds from the east.
Along with its proximity to the Mediterranean and Lake Garda, this makes it an excellent region to grow grapes. The vineyards range from 600 to 3,300 feet and the soil is mainly porphyry, limestone and slate rock with glacial deposits of gravel, sand and clay. It is interesting to note that in the summer, the temperature in Bolzano is higher than in Palermo in Sicily. The people that live here call their region the Sud Tyrol and themselves Tyroleans. The food is decidedly Austrian with only a hint of Italy. Ham is called speck and they have a cheese called Weinkase Lagrein and bread called Schuttelbrot.
There are 16 different grape varieties grown in the region. In 1978, it was mostly a red wine region but now in 2026 it is a mostly a white wine region.
“der Keil” 2024 Manincor Various varieties of the Vernatsch (Schiava) family from vines some 100 years old. Vigna “der Keil” (monopole) at an altitude of 250 m above sea level; south-facing sites overlooking the Lake of Kaltern, among the warmest in all South Tyrol. The old vines are pergola-trained and grown in sandy clay soils rich in calcium carbonate. The grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in open wooden vats, partially using yeasts naturally occurring on the grapes. Skin contact for one week at relatively low temperatures (24° C) with the skins being gently pushed down once per day. The aroma and flavor of the wine were refined during five months’ maturation on the fine lees in a large oak barrels. Biodynamic and vegan, and alcohol is between 12% and 12.5%. The wine has hints of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, violet, toasted almonds, spice and a touch of smoke. This is a very impressive wine.
Alto Adige DOC “Buchholz” Peter Zemmer made from chardonnay (single vineyard). The vines are on terraced vineyards situated between 400 and 800 meters (1,300 to 2,600 feet) above sea level. The roots dig deep into Dolomite sedimentary rock, giving the wine its distinct mineral character. The grapes benefit from drastic day-to-night temperature changes. Cool northern breezes chill the vines in the morning, while the warm southern “Ora” wind heats them in the afternoon. The grapes are hand-harvested and undergo a brief cold skin maceration before gentle pressing. Fermentation takes place using pure yeasts at a controlled temperature of 19°C in large wooden barrels, which rounds out the wine without masking it in heavy oak. The wine has hints of ripe green apples, juicy pears, and sweet pineapple.
The wine has a clean taste of wet stones and salty dolomite rock from the mountain soil and is smooth and elegant. It is aged in large wood barrels making it creamy but not heavy. Each sip leaves a long, mouth-watering finish that tastes like fresh citrus peel.
Sudtirol-Alto Adige DOC St. Michael-Eppan made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes come from premium selected vineyards in Appiano. Vineyards are between 400 and 700 meters. The soil is limestone gravel and the training system is Guyot. There is 3 days cold maceration (skin contact) then a gentle pressing. Fermentation and aging in barrique and tonneau. This is followed by 12 months in wood, and then 18 months on the lees in steel tanks. The wine has hints of gooseberries, banana, white peach, pineapple and a touch of exotic fruit.
Abbasid Di Novella Kerner 2014 DOC Alto Adige-Valley Isarco 100% Kerner. The vineyards are located in the municipalities of Bressanone, Varna and Naz-Sciaves and are at 600 to 700 meters. The soil is gravelly morainal deposits and the exposure is south-southwest. The training system is guyot and there are 6,000 to 7,000 vines per hectare. The harvest takes place in early October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at 20°C. Natural and selected yeast is used and the wine remains in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before it is bottled. This is an aromatic white wine with hints of apple and peach, ripe and full with crisp acidity.
In 1929 August Herold, a German, crossed a red variety Schiava and Riesling. The result was Kerner named in honor of the poet and physician, Justinus Kerner from Swabia. This is an aromatic white wine with hints of apple and peach, ripe and full with crisp acidity
Löwengang 2022 Alois Lageder made from 100% Chardonnay. The best selected parcels of the estate are situated in Magrè at 230 to 330 meters. The soil is sandy and gravelly with a high content of limestone. Spontaneous fermentation is in barriques and large casks. The wine remains on the lees for several months. Aging is in bottle for about one year. The wine has hints of pear, apricot and peach with a touch of butter and a note of wood. Alcohol 12%
Sūdtirol-Alto Adige DOC St. Magdalener HUCH AM BACK 2025 produced by the highly regarded cooperative winery Cantina Bolzano/Kellerei Bozan. Made from vines are grown on gravelly soils above Bolzano. A traditional regional blend composed primarily of Schiava (Vernatsch) 85–90%) and a small percentage of Lagrein 10–15%. The vineyard is a large slope scaling from 250 meters to 500 meters, with the Lagrein grown on the lower portion of the hill. These are old vines averaging between 40-50 years old. Traditional fermentation followed by aging in large oak vats (or stainless steel depending on vintage). This a medium bodied wine has hints of cherry, violets, roses, raspberries, bitter almond, and marzipan.
Lagrein 2024 J Hofstãtter made from 100% Lagrein. The grapes are harvested from selected vineyards planted on hillside and mountain soils rich in clay, gravel, and sand. There is partial whole bunch use to add structural complexity. 75% of the grapes are destemmed and crushed, while the remaining 25% are placed whole into the fermentation vats. The must ferments for approximately 10 days at a strictly controlled temperature. During this time, it remains in continuous contact with the grape skins to build flavor and body. As fermentation occurs, the skins and solids float to the top, forming a “cap”. Winemakers break up this cap and keep it constantly submerged using punching down (pigéage) and pumping over (remontage) to maximize extraction. Toward the end of the 10 days, the temperature is allowed to rise slightly. This heat spike ensures the optimal extraction of Lagrein’s characteristic deep color, intense aromas, and velvet-like tannins from the skins. Following fermentation, the wine is aged for 10 months in tanks rather than oak barriques. This preserves the fresh fruit profile, bright acidity, and indigenous spice notes that define their classic style. The wine has hints of blueberries, blackberries, black cherry, violets and spice.
Pinot Nero 2023 Franz Hass The Pinot Nero vines are located at variable altitudes between 350 and 900 meters above sea level on very heterogeneous terrains. High-density planting ensures the highest quality of the grapes. There is a use of selected low-yield clones. Fermentation of the grapes takes place in open-top stainless steel tanks. During this process the floating cap of grape skins is gently and frequently plunged. Thanks to this technique the dyeing substances and flavors contained in the skins are extracted and transferred to the wine. The wine then matures for one year in barrique and after bottling it further refines for a few months in the bottle.
I first tasted the wines of Rottensteiner at a wine dinner and tasting in Rome two years ago organized by Federica Schir, federica@federicaschir-pr.com. Representing this family winery was Hannes Rottensteiner from Tenuta Hans Rottensteiner. Hannes is the winemaker and jointly conducts the affairs of the winery with his father Anton (Toni) with the help of other members of the family. Hannes’ wife Judith takes care of sales and marketing and two of his sisters, Eli and Silvia, supply grapes to the winery. I was very impressed by the wines.
At the the New York, tasting to my surprise and delight Judith, Hannes’ wife was pouring the wines.
Südtirol-Alto Adige DOC Select Lagrein Gries Riserva 2021 Rottensteiner made from 100% Lagrein which grows in three vineyards in the center of Bolzano Gries where there are deep sedimentary soils with more than 30 year-old grapevines. The training system is guyot. Vinification is in French barriques. This is a full-bodied red wine with hints of violets, chocolate, blackberries and a touch of tobacco. Judith said the tradition and modernity of the Rottensteiner family finds its clearest expression in this wine.
In addition to the walk around tasting, I also attended the Master Class “Defying Time: The Dolomite Preservation Effect”given by Madeline Puckette, a certified sommelier, visual designer, author, and the co-founder and chief design officer of Wine Folly. It was an excellent presentation. You can find Madeline’s full presentation here