South Tyrol wine country ready to welcome visitors

Wine routes of rare beauty with wineries ready to welcome tourists by offering tours and guided tours inside their estates to show where their excellent wines are made.

There is a place where time does not fly or stand still, but regulates. It is a kind of metronome that beats out the steady rhythm of quality. This is South Tyrol, a handkerchief of land of about 7,400 square kilometers perfectly tuned to the frequencies of nature, capable of building a world on a human scale. Here time has an absolute value and holds the secret to excellence, well-being and hospitality. A spectacular territory where the nuances that characterize the landscape, culture and flavors are the grave and high notes from which a harmonious melody is born.

For all those who wish to get up close and personal with the culture of South Tyrol many paths can be opened. Of rare beauty and interest are the routes capable of combining the charm of the South Tyrolean landscape with the enological richness that characterizes this corner of Italy. In South Tyrol, in fact, there are paths and trails that lead to the places of origin of the finest wines, and there, besides being able to touch the vineyards, one can indulge in the pleasure of comfortably tasting the wines of the area in places of refreshment or directly at the estates.

South Tyrol," explains Director of the Alto Adige Wine Consortium Eduard Bernhart, "is one of the smallest wine-growing regions in Italy, just 5,700 hectares under vine, but thanks to its special geographical position between north and south and its mild climate, it is also one of the most multifaceted. In fact, more than 20 different grape varieties are grown here on soils of various conformations and at different altitudes. This allows the more than 270 wineries in the area to offer excellent products of unmistakable origin."

Wine tourism in South Tyrol has all the characteristics that are needed to resume with vigor after this forced setback and indeed expand the offer available so far: an immense historical, cultural but also oenological heritage if we consider that viticulture here counts more than 2,500 years and that wine is one of the first products exported from South Tyrol; the environment, taking into account that South Tyrol boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site of inestimable value: the Dolomites; the innumerable trails, bicycle and pedestrian paths that can be traveled throughout the territory in total safety; the local cuisine characterized by a very varied culinary tradition that encompasses within it Austro-Hungarian, Bavarian and Mediterranean influences that has always been an important resource for those who want to deepen and live the South Tyrolean experience in its different facets.

Viticulture in this corner of the earth, however, is a firsthand experience, and it is in this spirit that the wineries are ready to welcome tourists to offer tours and guided tours within their estates, to show where their internationally acclaimed and recognized wines are born. 

You can stay at the Wegerhof residence, from Josef Weger, where two old barns have been renovated into comfortable apartments. Just 10 minutes from Bolzano, the residence is located in the picturesque village of Cornaiano on the wine road. Or from St. Quirinus, with a farmhouse of just four apartments in the small village Pianizza di Sopra, a hamlet of Kaltern.

And for eating there is, also in Caldaro, the restaurant of Elena Walch at Castel Ringberg. 

Next, two possible itineraries not to be missed:

Discovering centuries-old Pinot Blanc vineyards

Location: San Paolo – Appiano

Length: 2 km

Height difference: 43 m

Difficulty: minimum

What to see: San Paolo belongs to one of South Tyrol's most beautiful wine-growing areas: on its slopes and hillsides, grapes ripen under privileged climatic conditions. A path where the splendid scenery of the Sciliar and Catinaccio mountains blends with the centuries-old winemaking tradition of South Tyrol. Here the Pinot Bianco vines were planted as far back as 1899 on an extremely steep slope. They constitute one of the oldest vineyards found in the area.

Hike among the ancient vineyards of Santa Maddalena

Location: Bolzano

Length: 16 km

Height difference: 690 m

Difficulty: minimum

What to see: this round trip leads to the discovery of the ancient vineyards of the Santa Maddalena Classica cultivation grown on the steep slopes of the Renon above the city of Bolzano. Santa Maddalena is a wine waiting to be discovered, made from Schiava varieties with a small addition of Lagrein or, in some cases, Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder). Starting from the city of Bolzano, the route winds along wooded paths, climbs and partly back roads that descend to the village of Santa Giustina. Along the entire route are the splendid panoramic views of the city of Bolzano and the ancient vineyards of Santa Maddalena.