Alto Adige

Regional DOC (Alto Adige or dell´Alto Adige) for a wide range of more than a hundred red, rosé and white wines in the Alto Adige wine-growing region in Italy. The DOC has a total vineyard area of 3.700 hectares, and includes six geographic sub-zones, which are frequently described as separate DOC´s. They are Colli di Bolzano, Valle Isarco, Meranese di Collina, Santa Maddalena, Terlano and Valle Venosta – see under the individual entries. Varietal-labelled wines must contain a minimum of 95% of the variety stated, the remainder may be made up of other permitted varieties of the same colour. The varietal wines are Pinot Nero, Pinot Nero Rosato or Pinot Nero Rosé, Cabernet (CF and/or CS), Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer (Traminer Aromatico), Goldmuskateller or Goldenmuskateller (Moscato Giallo), Grauvernatsch (Schiava Grigia), Lagrein Dunkel (Lagrein or Lagrein Scuro), Lagrein Kretzer (Lagrein Rosato), Malvasier (Malvasia), Merlot, Merlot Kretzer (Merlot Rosato or Merlot Rosé), Riesling (Riesling Renano), Riesling x Sylvaner (Müller-Thurgau), Rosenmuskateller (Moscato Rosa), Ruländer or Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Grigio), Sauvignon, Silvaner (Sylvaner), Vernatsch or Großvernatsch or Edelvernatsch (Schiava or Schiava Gentile or Schiava Grossa), Pinot Bianco and Welschriesling (Riesling Italico). Lagrein wines from the communal area of Bolzano are permitted to additionally state the designation Grieser Lagrein or Lagrein di Gries on the label (see also under Kretzer).

There are also three blended wines that state two varieties each on the label, with the higher percentage variety being named first. These are Cabernet-Lagrein, Cabernet-Merlot and Merlot-Lagrein. The Bianco is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio (75-100%, and at least two of the varieties must be included), as well as optionally from Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon, Riesling, Silvaner and Gewürztraminer (up to 25%). The bottle-fermented (metodo classico) white Spumante is made in Brut and Extrabrut styles from any mix of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero. Spumante Rosé is made from Pinot Bianco and/or Chardonnay (minimum of 80%) and Pinot Nero (up to 20%). Practically all these wine types are made in a dry (secco) style, some are additionally also made in a semi-sweet (amabile) and sweet (dolce) style. Some of the wines are also available as Spumante, Vendemmia Tardiva (partly dried grapes, minimum alcohol content of 14% vol, maximum yield 50 hl/ha) and Passito, as well as in Superiore (with higher alcohol levels) and Riserva (matured for longer) versions. All wines are permitted to state a reference to a vineyard, usually with the term Vigna (vineyard) plus the appended name of the vineyard site.