In the high reaches of Italy’s northeast, just south as you cross over the Austrian border, lies Alto Adige—a region defined by dramatic contrasts. Jagged mountain peaks tower over terraced vineyards, and cool Alpine breezes compliment sun-drenched daylight hours. It’s a place where nature feels outsized and yet everything—especially the wine—seems in perfect balance. 

Though it’s one of Italy’s smallest wine regions, Alto Adige is anything but modest. The region sits at a true cultural crossroads, where German and Italian are spoken side by side, and where Tyrolean mountain traditions meet Italian culinary flair. This mix of languages, architecture, and foodways shows up in the wines, too—layered, precise, and expressive. 

The vineyards here are some of the highest in the country, climbing from 200 to over 1,000 meters above sea level. That elevation isn’t just a detail—it’s central to the style. Warm days give the grapes enough ripeness, but the nights cool down fast, which helps the wines keep their freshness and bright aromatics. It’s a combination that’s hard to replicate anywhere else. 

Underfoot, the soils are just as complex as the terrain. Over millions of years, glaciers, tectonic shifts, and volcanic activity have shaped a mosaic of rock types—porphyry, dolomite, limestone, granite, quartz, and schist. These soils play a significant role in how each grape variety shows itself. Even small changes from one slope to the next can lead to noticeable differences in the glass. 

Most people know Alto Adige for its white wines, and with good reason. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Grüner Veltliner all thrive here, often times producing a more detailed, vibrant, and singular expression than their better known regional counterparts. But there’s another side to the region, too. Indigenous reds like Schiava and Lagrein are being rediscovered by a new generation of winemakers, along with cherished regional whites like Kerner, Sylvaner, and Muller Thurgau, which are turning heads far beyond Italy. 

What ties it all together is a focus on precision. Whether white or red, the best wines from Alto Adige are clean, balanced, and honest. They reflect their alpine origins—just enough fruit, just enough minerality, and always a sense of place. 

Alto Adige rewards close attention due to its unique features, culture, climate, and craftsmanship, along with the rich history of the region and the families who have farmed these vineyards across generations. The producers below each bring a unique perspective to this landscape while sharing a common goal: making wines that speak clearly and genuinely of their special home in the Italian Alps.  

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA

Among the oldest active wineries in the world, Abbazia di Novacella has been a center of culture and cultivation since 1142, when it was founded by Augustinian monks. Located in the far north of the Valle Isarco—Alto Adige’s coolest and most mineral-driven subzone—the Abbey’s wines are shaped by altitude, glacial soils, and a deep respect for nature through organic farming practices. Kerner, Sauvignon Blanc, and Grüner Veltliner find uncommon clarity here, just to name a few, each wine a study in precision and restraint.

ALTAMONTE

Named for the “high mountain” spirit that defines its terrain, Altamonte comes from one of the region’s oldest cooperatives in one of Alto Adige’s southernmost villages. Winemaker Christian Plattner farms steep, sun-drenched vineyards rich in dolomitic rock, crafting Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon Blancs that are racy, lifted, and full of energy, each from vineyards that sit at both lower and higher elevation sites to give layered, complete expressions of their varieties. Sustainability guides every decision at Altamonte, making this one of the region’s freshest and most promising voices. 

KÖFERERHOF

Just a stone’s throw from Abbazia di Novacella, Köfererhof is a small, family-run historic gem of an estate producing wines with remarkable clarity, minerality and texture. With Günther Kerschbaumer, whose family in the 1940s bought this historic estate that dates back to 976, at the helm today, Köfererhof focuses entirely on whites grown in high-elevation vineyards near Bressanone, aka Brixen. Their Kerner is a benchmark: floral, flinty, and electric with acidity, as is their coveted Pinot Grigio, which sets the standard of what alpine Pinot Grigio can offer year in and year out. Also grown and bottled are varietal expressions of Sylvaner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Grüner Veltiner. Each bottle speaks clearly of Valle Isarco’s alpine cool and stony character.

SAN PIETRO

San Pietro comes to us from a collective of producers who have been growing grapes and making wine together on the steep slopes throughout South Tyrol since 1900. Vineyards in and around the town of Cortaccia have been passed down through generations and, under the Napoleonic Code, divided among siblings, often leaving each owner with tiny subplots – similar to the ownership structure of Burgundy. For this reason, there is a long-standing tradition in this region of working collectively, sharing winery resources while maintaining the highest fruit quality possible. 

 

This is the story of San Pietro: a collection of vineyards spanning 17 hectares, from the lower hillsides at 220 meters up to the higher reaches at 900 meters above sea level. The resulting wines offer a cascading, vibrant, terroir-driven expression of Pinot Grigio that tells the story of these fresh alpine slopes from first sip to last

Learn more about the estates:

Abbazia di Novacella | Altamonte | Köfererhof | San Pietro

THE WINES

ALTAMONTE PINOT GRIGIO ALTO ADIGE DOC 2024

Practicing Organic 100% Pinot Grigio A blend of fruit from two different subzones of Cortaccia: lower altitude vineyards add richness and power while higher slopes add minerality and perfume Fermentation and aging exclusively in stainless steel

ALTAMONTE SAUVIGNON BLANC ALTO ADIGE 2023

Practicing Organic 100% Sauvignon Blanc 450-600 meters above sea level with eastern exposure Sandy, gravelly soils rich in dolomite  Fermentation takes places in temperature controlled stainless steel followed by aging on the fine lees for 6 months Approximately 900 cases produced annually

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA PINOT GRIGIO 2024

Practicing Organic 100% Ruländer (Pinot Gris) Permeable moraine deposits composed of mica schist, para gneiss and quartzite 600-750 meters in elevation South, south-east, south-west orientation 3/4 of the wine fermented and aged in stainless steel and 1/4 fermented in 30 hectolitre oak casks using natural yeasts 6,000 cases produced annually

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA KERNER 2024

Practicing Organic 100% Kerner Soil type: Permeable morainic deposits composed of mica schist, para gneiss and quartzite 650-800m elevation  South, south-east, south-west orientation Vinified and aged six months in stainless steel tanks using indigenous yeasts 14,000 cases produced annually

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA SAUVIGNON 2024

Practicing Organic 100% Sauvignon grown in gravelly soils with marinal deposits Fermentation in stainless steel tanks and large oak barrels using natural yeasts Maturation period: 6 months in stainless steel tanks 3,000 cases produced annually

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA GRÜNER VELTLINER 2024

Practicing Organic Grüner Veltliner from gravelly morainic soil vineyards in Bressanone, Varna and Naz-Sciaves  at 1950-2450 feet above sea level (600-750mt). 6000 plants per hectare, yields of 60 HL per hectare Vinified in stainless steel with indigenous yeast 1,650 cases produced annually

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA PINOT NERO 2023

Practicing Organic 100% Blauburgunder (Pinot Nero) Permeable moraine deposits on a porphyritic bedrock 420m elevation Fermentation in stainless steel Natural yeasts Malolactic fermentation and maturation in 60 hl oak casks for 6 months 4,000 cases produced annually

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA LAGREIN 2024

Practicing Organic From vineyards in Bolzano’s Quirein district at 850-1150 feet (260-350 mt). The soil is a mixture of sand, clay and eroded quartzite porphyry 2500-3000 plants per hectare with yields of 80 hl per hectare Harvest is in Mid October Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and lasts about 15 days Malolactic fermentation and aging occur in 60 hl oak casks for 6 months 3,500 cases produced annually

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA SCHIAVA 2024

Practicing organic 100% Schiava (Vernatsch) from Cornaiano Elevation is 350 to 420 m with a northerly exposure Soils are permeable moraine deposits on porphyritic bedrock Fermentation on the skins for 5 days in stainless steel

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA PRAEPOSITUS KERNER 2023

Practicing organic 100% Kerner The Praepositus bottlings are reserved for a selection of top fruit across vineyards • From gravelly morainic soil vineyards in Bressanone and Varna at 2150-2300 feet above sea level (650-700mt) 6000 plants per hectare, yields of 50 HL per hectare Stainless steel fermentation and aging

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA PRAEPOSITUS MOSCATO ROSA 2022 [375ml]

Practicing organic Moscato Rosa from permeable moraine deposits on a porphyritic bedrock within the Cornaiano (Appiano) zone Fermentation on the skins in stainless steel tanks for 5 days, followed by pressing and continuation of the fermentation in stainless steel tanks until the desired gradation is achieved Ageing in stainless steel for 9 months followed by 14 months minimum in bottle Residual Sugar: 95 g/l

KÖFERERHOF PINOT GRIGIO VALLE ISARCO 2024

Practicing organic 100% Pinot Grigio Gravelly limestone soils 650m above sea level Fermentation in temperature-controlled steel vats Maturation for 6 months in steel tanks, with a small part in 30 Hl. oak casks 1300 cases produced annually

KÖFERERHOF KERNER IGT 2023

Practicing organic 100% Kerner Southwest orientation 720m elevation Fermented and aged in stainless steel Bottled in June of the year following the harvest 3000 cases produced annually.

KÖFERERHOF SYLVANER VALLE ISARCO 2023

Practicing organic 100% Sylvaner from 1.3ha of vineyards 650m above sea level Maceration with the skins for 8-10 hours Fermentation in stainless steel vessels Matures 80% in steel and 20% in large oak casks, remaining for 6 months on the lees before release 1200 cases produced annually

KÖFERERHOF SAUVIGNON VALLE ISARCO ‘ART’ 2023

Practicing organic 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Novacella in the Isarco River Valley 2023 is the Inaugural Vintage Planted at 650 meters elevation with south-east facing exposure Soils: loam, sand, and gravel of morainic origin  Fruit is destemmed and crushed in clusters followed by clarification of the sediment before fermentation at a controlled temperature Matured on the lees for 10 months between 70% stainless steel tanks and 30% large oak casks The label – painted by the Kerschbaumers’ son Liam and developed together as a family – visually reflects the wine’s aromatic identity Approximately 330 cases produced annually

KÖFERERHOF SYLVANER ‘R’ VALLE ISARCO 2022

Practicing organic Produced from the oldest vines in the vineyard (planted in 1985), which is an anomaly for the region The grapes are harvested two weeks later than their regular Sylvaner bottling 50% of the must ferments in large acacia casks and 50% in steel on the lees until the March following harvest 220 cases produced annually

KÖFERERHOF RIESLING ‘R’ VALLE ISARCO 2023

Practicing organic 100% Riesling from Valle Isarco 20 year old vines planted at 700 meters elevation with south facing exposure Guyot training Soils:  loam, sand, and gravel of morainic origin Fruit is harvested in two tranches – first half is at normal maturation and the second half is 2-3 weeks later.  These two harvests are vinified separately and blended before bottling.  Brief, 8 hour maceration on the skins before vinification in stainless steel tanks Matured on the lees for 6 months in stainless steel tanks Residual Sugar:  approximately 5.8 grams per liter

SAN PIETRO PINOT GRIGIO ALTO ADIGE 2024

Sustainable  100% Pinot Grigio sourced from a number of small vineyards (for a total of 17 hectares) in the Bassa Atesina area Fermentation in steel vats with temperature control Maturation in steel for 7 months

The best way to understand Alto Adige is to taste it. Connect with your local Skurnik sales representative to discover how these wines can elevate your list, enrich your shelves, and enhance your cellar.