Wine holidays in South Tyrol

Our winegrowing area in Eisacktal valley!

Originating from the large Burgundy family, Pinot Grigio - also known as Ruländer or Grauburgunder- is currently the most cultivated white wine variety in South Tyrol. Pinot Grigio is a medium-bodied white wine with warm, flowery aromas resembling ripe apples, pears, quince or linden blossoms. The variety demonstrates different characteristics depending upon its zone of cultivation. The spectrum ranges from slim, fresh wines in the Vinschgau valley/Val Venosta to Pinot Grigios with a certain mineral quality in the Etschtal/Adige valley to the bright, richer versions from Bolzano and the Überetsch/Oltradige valley.

Pinot Blanc was apparently cultivated in South Tyrol for the first time in 1850. Since it developed magnificently within the province, it joined Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc as the leading white wine grape varieties in the area. The elegant scent of apples, pears, lemons, tones of hay blossoms and hazel nuts as well as a lively acidity, make Pinot Blanc the perfect everyday wine. To preserve the variety’s fruitiness and finesse, winemakers use oak very sparingly.

This very old grape variety was introduced to South Tyrol from France at the end of the nineteenth century. The area of cultivation is increasing. In South Tyrol, Sauvignon Blanc offers aromas typical of the variety with passion fruit, gooseberries, elder blossoms, and black currants, producing both crisp, fresh wines and those with a marked intensity.

The name of the variety "Gewürztraminer" most likely originates from the South Tyrol winegrowing village of Tramin. “Traminer” was a term known throughout the entire German-speaking world as early as the thirteenth century. Today it is one of South Tyrol’s most popular wines. Its spectrum of scents, with notes of rose petals, cloves, lychees, and other tropical fruits, makes Gewürztraminer the absolute embodiment of an aromatic wine variety. With its intense color, comparatively high alcohol content, and luxuriant texture, Gewürztraminer is the epitome of a meditation wine.

This noble variety from Germany was brought to South Tyrol in the nineteenth century. In contrast to German wines, these Rieslings are fermented dry, for the most part leaving little or no residual sugar. Especially in the cooler regions of the Eisacktal/Isarco valley and the Vinschgau/Val Venosta valley, Rieslings emerge with fine peach and citrus aromas and a lively, bright acidity.

Thanks to its resistance to frost, the hybrid of Schiava and Riesling, named after the German poet Justinus Kerner, is planted primarily at higher elevations of the Eisacktal/Isarco valley. This grape produces sleek, spicy wines with a slight hint of nutmeg. With its abundant aromas of tangerine, melon and passion fruit, Kerner has the potential to become a new point of pride for South Tyrolean wine.

It was primarily Austrian winegrowers who made Grüner Veltliner viable at the international level. In South Tyrol, its cultivation is concentrated in the Eisacktal/Isarco valley. By means of new winery technology and consistent restrictions on yield, Grüner Veltliner has developed into is a fresh and fruity, pleasantly spicy wine with subtle aromas of green apples and grapefruit.

Named after the Swiss vine researcher Hermann Müller from Thurgau, this hybrid that has achieved worldwide success produces especially lively, aromatic white wines. Along with its typical aroma of nutmeg, the wine presents flowery tones of lilacs and geraniums, citrus fruit and from time to time also black currants.

In South Tyrol (Südtirol), Sylvaner has been cultivated since 1857 almost exclusively in the Eisacktal Valley. The variety develops both sufficient body and a robust acidity. An earthy, mineral-rich scent is typical of Sylvaner, accompanied by aromas of fresh herbs or hay as well as apples, peaches and mint.