Tenuta Manincor candle-lit cellar tasting room ★ 4.7
14 by the glassCaldaro lakeside
Manincor's modern cellar is built 12 metres below ground beneath the historic Caldaro villa, with skylights piercing the vineyard above and candle-style fixtures down the cellar corridor. Demeter-certified biodynamic wines from the Pinot Bianco-focused Caldaro estate. Visits late afternoon and into early evening by appointment.
The list: Biodynamic Demeter-certified Manincor cellar pours Reserve della Contessa Pinot Bianco, Mason Pinot Nero, Lieben Aich Sauvignon; underground cellar 12 m below the lake-shore villa
Tip: Book the late-afternoon vineyard-walk-plus-cellar-tasting; the cellar descent at dusk is the most atmospheric visit. The Mason Pinot Nero from the Mason cru is the estate's age-worthy red.
Cantina Tramin evening tasting room ★ 4.6
18 by the glassTramin village
Cantina Tramin's modern cellar - the geometric copper-clad building visible from the SS12 - runs evening cellar tastings on appointment. The tasting room above the vineyards has dimmed lighting and views over the Tramin Gewurztraminer Trail; the cooperative's Gewurztraminer ladder from Pepi to Nussbaumer is the headline.
The list: Cooperative cellar with full Cantina Tramin range; Gewurztraminer focus including Pepi, Nussbaumer and Terminum; Stoan white blend; Roen and Loam Pinot Nero
Tip: Combine the cellar visit with the Gewurztraminer Trail walk above the village. Book ahead - the cellar is the most-visited in Alto Adige.
Abbazia di Novacella historic cellar ★ 4.8
12 by the glassVahrn/Varna, near Bressanone
The Abbazia di Novacella cellar runs continuously since 1142 and the Stiftskeller restaurant beside it serves Tyrolean cooking against the Eisacktaler white range. The Romanesque cloister, baroque library and the cellar form a single complex; cellar tastings are paced through the late afternoon and early evening.
The list: Stiftskellerei Neustift historic cellar pours the Eisacktaler whites: Sylvaner, Kerner, Mueller-Thurgau, Riesling, Gewurztraminer; Praepositus reserve tier
Tip: Combine an abbey tour with the cellar visit. The Praepositus Kerner is the standout reserve bottling; the entry Sylvaner is the daily-drinker.
Casa del Vino Alois Lageder candle-lit cellar ★ 4.7
18 by the glassMagre village
Alois Lageder's Casa del Vino at Magre is the family's tasting-and-restaurant precinct, with a candle-lit cellar tasting room and the Paradeis restaurant beside it. Demeter-certified biodynamic wines from the Tenutae Lageder estate, the Comets negociant tier and the Riff range under one roof.
The list: Demeter-certified Tenutae Lageder biodynamic range; Lowengang Chardonnay, Krafuss Pinot Noir, Comets blends; long-aged library bottlings
Tip: Lunch and dinner at Paradeis pair the kitchen with the cellar; reserve a cellar flight either before or after the meal.
City.Vinothek Cantina Merano ★ 4.5
24 by the glassMerano arcades
City.Vinothek Cantina Merano is a 2022 town-centre wine bar of the Cantina Merano cooperative in a restored historic Merano arcades building. Modern wine lounge alongside the cellar-shop, with the Brut Riserva 36 sparkling and the Festival Pinot Bianco as the headline pours.
The list: Cantina Merano's town wine bar and shop; full Merano cooperative range plus the Brut Riserva 36 traditional-method sparkling; rotating by-the-glass selection
Tip: The Brut Riserva 36 (36 months on the lees) is the cooperative's flagship sparkling, ideal as an apero before dinner on the Merano arcades.
Meraner Weinhaus enoteca lounge ★ 4.6
40 by the glassMerano (Quarazze)
Meraner Weinhaus is the region's largest independent enoteca, with around 3,000 labels, a 40-wine Enomatic tasting selection and a curated South Tyrolean range. The wine-bar lounge runs through the evening, and the cellar-shop is the principal regional reference for export sourcing.
The list: Around 3,000 wines (South Tyrolean, Italian and international) and the option to taste a selection of 40 wines by Enomatic; sparkling and spirits
Tip: Use the Enomatic to taste across price tiers - 5 ml, 25 ml or 75 ml pours from each of the 40 active bottles. The South Tyrolean range is exhaustive.