The South Tyrolean Wine Road

The wine industry in South Tyrol has a long and great tradition, with its origins dating back to pre-Roman times. The history of wine growing in South Tyrol is also the subject of the wine museum in Kaltern, where numerous exhibits (tools, presses, pictures, glasses...) vividly illustrate the work and customs of the winegrowers and the entire wine culture over the centuries. The South Tyrolean Wine Road is located in a landscape of very special and charming beauty. It begins in Nals and leads through Überetsch, Bolzano, and the lower region to Salurn on the border with Trentino. Here, in the mild, Mediterranean-influenced climate, the grapes for numerous famous wines ripen.

Around 1800 hours of sunshine per year provide the best conditions for the grapevine to thrive, and in some cases, it still delivers wonderful and high-quality yields at altitudes of up to 1000 meters above sea level. Pinot bianco and grigio, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Riesling, Blauburgunder, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most important varieties, but the three typical and original South Tyrolean grape varieties are particularly noteworthy: The Gewürztraminer from the wine village of Tramin, a dry, spicy-aromatic, and full-bodied white wine; the Vernatsch, from which the Kalterersee is obtained, a light, mild, and slightly fruity red wine; and finally the Lagrein, a dark red, dry, full-bodied, and – depending on the aging – very powerful, intense wine with delicate violet aromas.

You can taste the wines in the many wineries and wine shops along the Wine Road and during the cellar tours, which take place every day in at least one of the wine villages. Various cultural and culinary events, such as wine seminars, tastings, or guided hikes through the vineyards, provide additional insight into the world of wine. Highlights every year are the Wine Road Weeks and the Night of the Cellars in May and June; and of course, the Wine Road is also an experience in autumn, during the time of the grape harvest and Törggelen!