Alto Adige - Südtirol

The area north of the city of Trento in the Italian region of Trentino/Alto Adige, becomes generally known as the Südtirol - all the way up to the Austrian border. It doesn’t stop there either, as the Austrian Sud Tyrol, as it’s known there, continues for some way into that country too.

The concept of Südtirol is a nod – or rather more than that – to the inextricable history of the Austrian influence, once ownership, of this unique and fascinating part of Italy.

In fact, and in a gesture of recognition of very Germanic heritage, this region is ‘semi-autonomous’, virtually self-governing, yet still essentially and legally a part of Italy.

As you scoot up the A22, especially from about Bolzano (Bosen in German) onwards, past the dual-language signage and the alpine architecture, Rome seems a world away and the Sound of Music is much more evocative. Most of the names, streets, places, businesses and surnames are more prominently in German than Italian and the linear orderliness is notable - an observation rather than a judgement, I might add.

Ceded to Italy in 1919, following the World War 1 defeat of the Central Powers (Germany and Austro-Hungary) and then granted semi-autonomous status soon after WW2, the two societies have become one and without anything like the acrimony one might have imagined. Locals might tell you that the sum total of serious protest i.e. to reunite with Austria was a small-ish bomb in Milan Railway Station in about 1971. Otherwise, it just works.  The result is vital and charming and offers a region which should be far, far better known to the intending traveller to Italy. To those wooed already, it becomes pretty much unmissable each time.

The German influence is certainly seen in the hospitality field; in the style and nature of hospitality outlets, where Italian and German-influenced dishes sit comfortably together on menus; and you can get a stein of beer or a bottle of Pinot Grigio. The wines too, very much reflect a Germanic style. A regimen of controlled and correctly-sited viticulture and generally anti-oxidative winemaking in stainless steel, has resulted in wines of generally very high technical standards, with their varietal characters completely to the fore. But the wines are more than merely correct and the complexities, textures and structures blessed upon these already well-made wines, mark them as amongst the most important – and just flat-out delicious - wines of Italy.

The reds might play somewhat second-fiddle, but the native grape varieties of Schiava (Vernatsch in the German) and Lagrein, are really catching on in Australia. Their vivid fruits and food-friendly, savoury palates are a guarantee of popularity.                      

It’s the whites which take more of a centre-stage. If we could identify say Italy’s Top 10 white wines, Südtirol would probably, surely, provide a good half of these.

Up to, around and just beyond the Bolzano region, the lead varieties are the Pinots, Grigio and Bianco, making wines that are the equal of any from other leading regions (Mosel, Rheinhessen/Pfalz or Alsace). There’s also a supporting cast of delicious, textured varietals, like Sauvignon (Blanc), Traminer (the actual town of Tramin is just up north a bit) and Moscato Giallo which present in a way that’s perhaps more complete and table-friendly and maybe not so varietally exaggerated? Very much wines worth another look. Their extra emphasis on texture and structure tends to restrain or frame their varietal for generally gorgeous results.

Further north, around the town of Brixen (Bressanone in the rather less-used Italian up this way) and just an half-hour to the Austrian border, is the DOC of Eisacktaler (Valle Isarco in Italian) which uses those varieties below, but makes more of a speciality of Sylvaner and Kerner, along with Muller Thurgau to confound its critics, and some wonderful Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. Like the wines from ‘down’ Bolzano-way, these are a fascinating and delicious combo of aromas, structures and acids, that evoke images of ice and mineral. Perhaps their most unique feature is their savoury palate; almost tannic extract allied to mouth-filling creaminess, which is quite unique to this region and elevates these wines to quite a serious status, while they remain ideal all-rounders for the table.

The Alto Adige - Südtirol region beckons you to a wealth of discoveries.