The South Tyrolean Wine

South Tyrol is the wonderfully successful and rarely found symbiosis of a fantastically beautiful landscape, ancient wine-growing tradition, and excellent, even excellent wines. This is reflected not only in the worldwide popularity of South Tyrolean wines, but also in a wealth of awards at national and international level.

The history of winegrowing in South Tyrol dates back to pre-Roman times. The Raetians probably cultivated wine here already 3000 years ago and developed, among other things, the wine barrel for storage and transport. In the Middle Ages, South Tyrolean wine spread throughout Europe, with several monasteries from Germany, France, and Italy acquiring vineyards in South Tyrol for their own use and for trade. Viticulture was particularly promoted under the Habsburgs. Around 1900, the cellar cooperatives were established, which still exist today as a distribution and marketing structure. Since the 1980s, the trend has clearly been moving away from mass production and towards quality wine, which has given viticulture in South Tyrol an additional boost.

Part of the success of South Tyrolean wines is certainly the variety of grape varieties. In addition to internationally known varieties such as Riesling, Sauvignon, or Pinot, there are also the old, autochthonous grape varieties Vernatsch, Gewürztraminer, and Lagrein. Location and climate contribute to the special character of these wines, and experience and care in vinification are the icing on the cake. South Tyrolean wines are becoming increasingly popular and regularly receive the highest awards at various wine fairs and events and from international specialist magazines such as "Gambero rosso", "Vini d'Italia" or "Gault Millau". This applies to both the winegrowing areas of the South Tyrolean Wine Road and the northernmost winegrowing region in Italy, the Eisack Valley.

The wine country of South Tyrol can be discovered in various ways. You can visit the producers and wineries by car in a "classic" way, taste and shop. But the wine villages can also be reached wonderfully by bike. For example, Wine & Bike offers three special cycling routes along the South Tyrolean Wine Road, which not only reveal cultural highlights but also the growing areas of the autochthonous varieties. In addition, there are numerous wine trails and educational paths that offer interesting insights into viticulture. The history of winemaking is vividly portrayed, for example, in the South Tyrolean Wine Museum in Eppan.