DOC Alto Adige Valle IsarcoSylvaner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau, Gewuerztraminer, Riesling, Gruener Veltliner, Pinot Grigio140 haFounded 1961Cooperative of approximately 130 grower families across 11 communesValle Isarco
Founded in 1961 in Chiusa, a Valle Isarco cooperative for white wine. 130 grower families across 11 communes farm 140 hectares between 300 and 900 metres on glacial-gravel soils; Sylvaner and Kerner are the historic specialities, with Aristos and Praepositus the selection lines.
Tasting: Cellar tastings on reservation in Chiusa, with focus on the Aristos and Praepositus selection ranges.
Signature wines: aristos-sylvaner, aristos-kerner, aristos-gewurztraminer, praepositus-sylvaner, praepositus-kerner
Tip: The Aristos Sylvaner is the easiest cellar-door introduction to the grape's mineral profile; book the Sylvaner-themed tasting that adds Pacherhof and Strasserhof comparisons.
DOC Alto Adige Valle IsarcoSylvaner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau, Gruener Veltliner, Riesling, Gewuerztraminer, Pinot Grigio76 haFounded 1142Augustinian Monastery of NovacellaValle Isarco
Augustinian monastery winery founded in 1142 and continuously producing wine for the abbey since then. The canons farm 76 hectares around Vahrn-Neustift for white Valle Isarco wines and supplement with red-wine vineyards near Bolzano. Praepositus is the abbey's selection range.
Tasting: Reservation tastings at the abbey, paired with a guided visit of the Romanesque cloister and library.
Signature wines: praepositus-sylvaner, praepositus-kerner, praepositus-gruner-veltliner, praepositus-gewurztraminer, alto-adige-valle-isarco-sylvaner
Tip: Combine the cellar tasting with a tour of the monastery library and the courtyard well; the abbey is a working religious community as well as a winery.
DOC Alto Adige Valle IsarcoSylvaner, Gruener Veltliner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau, Gewuerztraminer, Riesling6 haFounded 976Kerschbaumer family (Guenther Kerschbaumer)Valle Isarco
Records date the Koefererhof back to 976. Today Guenther and Gaby Kerschbaumer farm 6 hectares between 700 and 800 metres above Brixen on sandy moraine, producing Sylvaner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau and Gruener Veltliner that consistently appear on best-of-Italy white-wine lists.
Tasting: Reservation tastings at the historic Hof above Brixen; small-scale white-wine focus.
Signature wines: sylvaner, kerner, gruner-veltliner, mueller-thurgau
Tip: The estate's tiny scale means tastings book out months ahead; reach out by email before planning travel.
DOC Alto Adige Valle IsarcoSylvaner, Kerner, Gruener Veltliner, Mueller-Thurgau, Gewuerztraminer7 haFounded 1981Baumgartner family (Hannes Baumgartner)Valle Isarco
Hannes Baumgartner farms 7 hectares on the slopes around Novacella, with cellar walls dating back to the 11th century. The estate produces principally white wines from Eisacktal classics: Sylvaner, Kerner, Gruener Veltliner and Mueller-Thurgau.
Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the Hof in Unterrain near Novacella; white-wine focus.
Signature wines: sylvaner, kerner, gruner-veltliner, muller-thurgau
Tip: Strasserhof's Kerner shows the Valle Isarco's signature steel-fruited style; ask about the cooperative cellar tour they sometimes run with Novacella.
DOC Alto Adige Valle IsarcoSylvaner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau, Gruener Veltliner, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Gewuerztraminer8 haFounded 1142Huber family (Andreas Huber)Valle Isarco
A 1000-year-old Hof on the south-facing slopes above Brixen near Novacella, family-run for 800 years. Winemaker Andreas Huber farms 8 hectares between 620 and 700 metres for eight white varieties; Sylvaner Alte Reben is the flagship. The estate also runs a hotel within the historic walls.
Tasting: Reservation tastings and an attached hotel at Pacherhof in Neustift; combined wine + hospitality stay is the signature.
Signature wines: sylvaner-alte-reben, kerner, muller-thurgau, veltliner, riesling
Tip: Combine a multi-day stay at the Pacherhof hotel with cellar tastings; the historic 11th-century vaulted cellar is open to overnight guests.
DOC Alto Adige Valle IsarcoGruener Veltliner, Sylvaner, Mueller-Thurgau, Kerner, Gewuerztraminer, Pinot Noir4 haFounded 2002Kerschbaumer family (Christian Kerschbaumer)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDValle Isarco
Christian Kerschbaumer farms 4 organic hectares in Feldthurns above the Eisacktal, producing five whites and the only Pinot Noir made in the South Tyrolean Eisacktal valley. UK critic Stuart Pigott has highlighted the Veltliner in his Eisacktal coverage.
Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the Hof in Feldthurns above Chiusa.
Signature wines: gruner-veltliner, gruner-veltliner-leichtigkeit, sylvaner, blauburgunder
Tip: Small allocations and a panoramic view of the Eisacktal; book several weeks ahead and ask for the Veltliner-and-Sylvaner comparison.
DOC Alto AdigePinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewuerztraminer, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner60 haFounded 1880Haas family (Maria Luisa Manna and son Franziskus Haas, after Franz Haas Sr d. 2022)Bassa Atesina
Founded in 1880 in Montagna; Pinot Nero is the focus, with the Schweizer single-vineyard cuvée from Mazzon-area vineyards and Pondedrei from higher elevations. Manna is the signature white blend of Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Kerner and Sauvignon Blanc. Run by Maria Luisa Manna and son Franziskus after Franz Haas Sr's death in February 2022.
Tasting: Reservation tours and tastings at the Montagna cellar, including the Manna and Schweizer cuvees.
Signature wines: schweizer-pinot-nero, manna, pinot-nero-pondedrei, moscato-rosa, lagrein
Tip: The Schweizer Pinot Nero from the Mazzon zone is the cellar's headline red; ask for the side-by-side with Pondedrei.
DOC Alto Adige Santa Maddalena, DOC Alto Adige LagreinLagrein, Schiava, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner8 haFounded 1629Mayr family (Josephus, Barbara, Katharina and Josef Mayr)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDBolzano
The Mayr family has cultivated grapes at this 17th-century Hof since 1629, at 285 metres on the porphyry rocks where the Eggentaler joins the Eisack east of Bolzano. Lamarein Lagrein Riserva is the flagship.
Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the 17th-century Hof in Cardano; the Lamarein Lagrein Riserva is the flight headliner.
Signature wines: lamarein-lagrein-riserva, santa-maddalena, sauvignon-blanc, kerner
Tip: One of Alto Adige's most respected traditional Lagrein producers; reservations book ahead and the family hosts the tastings in person.
DOC Alto Adige Santa Maddalena, DOC Alto Adige LagreinSchiava, Lagrein, Kerner, Pinot Bianco6 haFounded 1980Gojer family (Florian and Evi Gojer)Bolzano
Franz Gojer's family estate above Bolzano in Santa Maddalena, now run by son Florian. The Santa Maddalena Classico is the cellar's headline; Kerner Karneid and Lagrein Riserva round the range.
Tasting: Tastings + apartments by appointment at the Glogglhof estate above Bolzano in Santa Maddalena.
Signature wines: santa-maddalena-classico, lagrein-riserva, kerner-karneid, pinot-bianco
Tip: Combine the cellar visit with a stay in the on-site apartments and a walk along the Magdalena Promenade above Bolzano.
Alto Adige Valle Isarco DOCSylvaner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Gruener VeltlinerGuenther Kerschbaumer and Gaby TauberBiodynamic PracticingEisacktal / Valle Isarco DOC, near Neustift Abbey
Small Eisacktal estate worked by Guenther Kerschbaumer and Gaby Tauber, 5 hectares at 700-800 m above Neustift Abbey, mineral-driven Sylvaner and Kerner.
Tip: Visits by appointment - the cellar is small. The Sylvaner Praepositus selection is bottled for 8-12 year ageing; a vertical at the cellar door is a rare treat.
Alto Adige Valle Isarco DOCSylvaner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau, Riesling, Gruener Veltliner, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon, ZweigeltFounded 1100Hannes BaumgartnerEisacktal / Valle Isarco DOC, Vahrn-Neustift
Vahrn-Neustift estate at 650-750 m altitude, first mentioned 1100 AD. Hannes Baumgartner's 5-hectare project, around 45,000 bottles, multi-export.
Tip: Cellar visits are intimate - Hannes typically pours himself. The Sylvaner Vinea Vera and the Riesling are the must-tries.
Alto Adige Valle Isarco DOCKernerEUR 14-20 retailstill-white
Abbazia di Novacella's classic Kerner from the Eisacktal monastery cellars - high-altitude (550-900 m), aromatic, lime-and-elderflower lift with a stony saline finish. The under-EUR 20 entry to the 880-year-old Augustinian monastery winery, founded 1142. The Praepositus tier above sits at EUR 25-35.
Tip: Kerner is the Eisacktal's modern signature variety, a Trollinger x Riesling cross developed in Wurttemberg in 1929 and brought to the Eisacktal in the 1970s. Abbazia di Novacella's classic Kerner is the abbey-cellar's entry Kerner.