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Alto Adige’s best white wines
Despite being one of Italy’s smallest wine regions, with a mere 5,400 hectares under vine, Alto Adige offers a rich production of native and international varieties, both red and white. The region is divided into seven sub-zones, in which various DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wines are produced: Alto Adige Merano (in and around the area of the same name), Alto Adige Val Venosta (west of Merano and south of the River Adige), Alto Adige Valle Isacro (between Fiè allo Scillar and Varna), Alto Adige Bolzano (in and around Bolzano), Alto Adige Oltradige (as far as Terlano to the west of the River Adige) and Alto Adige Bassa Atesina (corresponding to the regional wine trail). Trentino-Alto Adige’s heights of excellence include Gewürztraminer, Kerner, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Moscato Giallo, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio. Lovers of Alto Adige’s wines appreciate their forthright, fresh character, acidity, and intense aromas.
Major designations
Among the most loved aromatic varieties of all time, Gewürztraminer takes its name from the village of Termeno, in Bassa Atesina, where it probably originated, although France also claims paternity, and it has been grown for centuries in Alsace, near the German border. Kerner is a semi-aromatic variety created by August Herold in Germany, in 1929, from a crossing of Schiava Grossa and Riesling. Its name is dedicated to a poet and doctor, Justinus Kerner, who wrote poems about wine. Sauvignon Blanc arrived in Alto Adige from France in the late 19th century. It grows very well here in areas facing east and west, where it manages to express the elegance typical of wines from the mountains. Already present in the southernmost part of the region, Riesling found its fortune in Val Venosta and Valle Isarco only about 20 years ago, and continues to rise in quality and reputation.
Pairings with white wines from Alto Adige
Often showing a golden yellow hue, Gewürztraminer is characterised by an aromatic profile of tropical fruit and spice, over a broad, complex palate. These traits make it an ideal pairing for Asian cuisine, such as sushi or chicken curry, or for well-structured, complex dishes. An example? Try Gewürztraminer and foie gras, one of the best pairings ever! Kerner is a white wine with a delicate straw colour, aromas of spring flowers, white pepper, tropical fruit and citrus, followed by an attractively fresh, elegant palate. Excellent as an aperitif, Kerner goes well with freshwater fish, cured meats and fresh cheeses, but also pasta dishes such as ricotta and spinach cannelloni or pappardelle with white rabbit ragù. Lastly, this wine also makes an elegant accompaniment to white meat main courses.
More harmonious flavours and aromas
Sauvignon Blanc gives of its best in these areas, showing the traits of a wine from the mountains, especially if not barrel aged, which means more vegetal aromas and notes of yellow citrus, rather than the classic ripe fruit profile seen in wine from the plains. It is a white for the whole meal, which goes well with medium-mature cheeses, fish-based pasta and rice dishes, and vegetable-based main courses such as asparagus with eggs. Unlike in Germany and France, where Riesling is vinified to retain some residual sugar, in Alto Adige it undergoes complete fermentation. This makes it a white wine suitable for accompanying the whole meal. It displays a straw yellow hue, aromas of citrus and peachy fruit, and good freshness on the palate. A truly versatile wine, it goes well with fresh cheeses, shellfish or a delicious chicken salad, especially when young. More complex, barrel aged Riesling can be paired with rich, unctuous dishes, cleansing the palate with its freshness in readiness for the next mouthful.