Alto Adige

Question 1

Viticulture

Answer 1

Mild Alpine climate
Protected from cold north winds by the mountains
Vines are grown at 300 - 700m
Warm air currents, 300 days of sunshine / yr and large diurnal ranges create good ripening and acid retention conditions.
Sufficient rainfall throughout the year with a low amount in winter. Rain can be a concern at harvest

Large variety of soils: volcanic porphyry, quartz, micah rock and Dolomitic limestone.

Training is traditional pergola or Guyot.

Leaf picking to encourage exposed berries to ripen is the norm but now must be careful so no sunburn or drying out.

Number of growing zones:
Bassa Atesina: in the south with warmer climate, all main varieties grown except Schiava. Muller Thurgau is grown at high altitude
Oltradige: including Lake Caldaro area for Schiava, with Merlot and Cab Sauv in the valleys and Pinot and white at higher altitudes.

Question 2

Grapes

Answer 2

Schiava: 15%
Pinot Grigio: 12%
Gewurztraminer: 11%
Chardonnay: 10%
Pinot Bianco: 10%
Lagrein: 8%
Pinot Noir: 8%
Sauv Blanc: 7%

Schiava: AKA Vernatsch. Four separate varieties identifiedd but typ grown and vinified together. Pergola to cope with vigor and produce high yields. Pale ruby with violet and strawberry; med to light body, low tannin. In Santa Magdalena DOC, can be blended with up to 15% Lagrein for a deeper colored and fuller bodied wine.

Question 3

Winemaking

Answer 3

White: preserve fruit. fermented at low to moderate temps (12 - 15) with selected yeasts and aged in stainless. mid price may be kept on fine lees 4- 6 mo for more body and prem up to a year.

Some top wines are aged in French barriques.

Question 4

Laws & Regulations

Answer 4

98% of wines are DOC
11 white and 7 red varieties allowed in the DOC

Bianco: min 75% Chard, Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio. Two of these must be present but together cannot be more than 70%. No Rosso cat
Single Variety: 85% of that var
Dual variety blends: both varieties must be more than 15% of the blend.

Can also label with one of six sub zones. Largest is Alto Adige Valle Isarco (mostly whites). Lago di Caldaro DOC is devoted to Schiava

Max yields are 90 hl/ha for white

Question 5

Business

Answer 5

Holdings are small at 1ha
Coops 70% of production and make some high quality: Cantina Kaltern and Cantina di Tramin.

Alois Lageder and Elena Walch have sig holdings at 50ha each

75% sold in Italy and a lot to tourists
Germany and US for export

Also called Sudtirol