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, Riesling, Gruener Veltliner, Gewuerztraminer5 haFounded 1990Pliger family (Peter and Brigitte Pliger)ORGANIC CERTIFIEDValle Isarco
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.
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.