Riesling in Alto Adige

Cantina Valle Isarco ★ 4.7

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.

Abbazia di Novacella ★ 4.8

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.

Koefererhof ★ 4.8

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.

Kuenhof ★ 4.8

Peter and Brigitte Pliger bottled their first vintage in 1990 above Brixen at Kuenhof, the Valle Isarco grower-estate. 5 hectares of organic vineyards on Eisacktal slopes produce Sylvaner Kaiton, Riesling Kaiton and the rare Gewuerztraminer from the valley's far north.

Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the family Hof above Brixen; very limited release sizes.

Signature wines: sylvaner-kaiton, riesling-kaiton, gruner-veltliner, gewurztraminer

Tip: The Kaiton Sylvaner consistently lands at the top of Eisacktal Sylvaner tastings; allocations are minimal so buy what you can at the cellar.

Pacherhof ★ 4.7

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.

Falkenstein ★ 4.8

Founded in 1995 in Naturno on the threshold of Val Venosta when Franz and Bernadette Pratzner gave up apple cultivation for wine. 12 hectares between 550 and 900 metres are planted to Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Bianco, Gewuerztraminer and Pinot Noir; the Riesling is widely cited as the best south of Germany.

Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the Naturno estate; the ageing cellars are dug into the rock.

Signature wines: riesling, riesling-alte-reben, riesling-anaduron, sauvignon-blanc, pinot-noir

Tip: Anaduron and Alte Reben Riesling are the limited Riesling library bottlings; buy what is available at the cellar door.

Franz Haas ★ 4.8

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.

Weingut Plonerhof ★ 4.4

Erhart Tutzer and Herta Schaefer converted a fruit farm above Marlengo into a 4-hectare vineyard estate, with slopes up to 40 percent gradient. White cuvees combining Sauvignon, Riesling and Pinot Bianco are the cellar's calling card; the cellar also produces a Meranese sparkling wine.

Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the steep-slope estate above Marling; sparkling wine specialism alongside the still range.

Signature wines: weisscuvee-sauvignon-pinot, schiava, pinot-bianco, riesling

Tip: The estate doubles as a viewpoint over the Adige valley; book the tasting before lunch and stay for the Meranese Schiava with Speck.

Tenuta Castel Juval Unterortl ★ 4.6

Beneath Castel Juval (owned by mountaineer Reinhold Messner), Martin Aurich farms 6 hectares between 600 and 900 metres on Val Venosta granite-gneiss soils. Riesling and Pinot Bianco are the cellar's specialty, with the high-altitude Windbichel Pinot Nero adding range.

Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the estate beneath Castel Juval; high-altitude Val Venosta classics.

Signature wines: riesling-castel-juval, windbichel-pinot-nero, pinot-bianco, muller-thurgau

Tip: Combine the cellar visit with the Reinhold Messner mountaineering museum at Castel Juval, accessible by guided tour in season.

Koefererhof (Weingut Koefererhof, Kerschbaumer Family) ★ 4.8

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.

Kuenhof (Peter and Brigitte Pliger) ★ 4.9

Pliger family farmstead at Brixen, 12th-century origins; organic and biodynamic Sylvaner, Riesling and Gruener Veltliner from the steep Valle Isarco slopes.

Tip: Wines are tightly allocated and reach Italy and Germany via mailing-list and on-trade only. The Kaiton Riesling and the Lahner Sylvaner are the two flagship cuvees.

Strasserhof (Hannes Baumgartner) ★ 4.7

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.

Weingut Ignaz Niedrist ★ 4.7

Cornaiano family estate, 11 hectares across three Oltradige sites. Pinot Nero specialist with single-vineyard Pinot Bianco. Around 50,000 bottles.

Tip: The Berger Gei single-vineyard Pinot Bianco and the Vom Kalk Pinot Nero are the estate's twin headlines. Cellar visits are by appointment and personal.

Bio-Weingut Lieselehof (Werner Morandell) ★ 4.6

Caldaro organic estate, certified-organic since 1993. Werner Morandell is a fungus-resistant variety pioneer. On-site South Tyrolean Vine Museum.

Tip: The Vino del Passo from Solaris is a singular dessert wine, rare in the Italian market because Solaris is a fungus-resistant variety (PIWI) not authorised in most Italian DOC rules. The South Tyrolean Vine Museum runs guided tours of the educational trail.