What is made here
Wine colours
Share of vineyard area, 2024. Pick a colour to filter the rules and grapes below.
Where it is
Alto Adige in Italy
Vineyards follow the Adige (Etsch) and Isarco (Eisack) valleys, from the valley floor at about 200 m to steep terraces near 1,000 m; some plantings now reach about 1,150 m.
- Latitude
- 46.2°–46.8° N
- Vineyard altitude
- 200 m to 1,000 m
- Shelter
- Main Alpine ridge to the north blocks cold northern air; valleys open to Mediterranean air from the south
- Water nearby
- Lake Garda (source of the afternoon Ora wind); Lake Caldaro
Boundary drawn from whole communes, so it is a little larger than the legal zone. Boundary: Eurac Research PDO inventory (CC0). Country outlines: Natural Earth. Dots on the zone map are the vineyard points used for climate.
Showing every colour The colour filter changes the rules and grapes. Climate, vintages and soils describe the vineyards, so they stay the same.
01 · What the law says
The rules
Limits on grapes, yields, ripeness and ageing that every wine labelled Alto Adige must meet.
In the vineyard and cellar: rules for every wine
3,300
Vines per hectare, minimum
No limit
Altitude
No altitude limit in the rules; Art. 9 describes vineyards at 220 to over 1,000 m.
Emergency only
Irrigation
Young vines
No crop in the planting year; second year capped at 50% of the maximum
Vine age
Gran Alp requires vines at least 10 years old
Cellar
Where the wine must be made
Province of Bolzano (winemaking, ageing and sparkling production)
Allowed
Enrichment (chaptalisation)
02 · What is planted
Grapes in the vineyards
Vineyard area by grape, 2024. The colour filter above dims grapes of the other colour.
03 · Climate fingerprint
3 altitude bands, 3 climates
In the main band, the growing season averages 17.1 °C, warm on Gregory Jones's scale, with 1,555 growing degree days (Winkler II). Bolzano: average Winkler GDD rose from about 1,806 (1991-2000) to about 2,046 (2016-2025), and growing-season temperature by about 1.1 °C. Brixen: about 1,361 to 1,521 GDD, +0.8 °C.
Where the vines grow: pick an altitude band
Share of vineyard area
300–500 m: average year 1991–2020, vineyards at about 402 m
Daily low to high, °CRain, mmGrowing season
- Growing-season temperature
- 17.1 °C
- Warm · 17–19 °C (Jones)
- Growing degree days
- 1,555
- Region II: 1,389–1,666 degree days
- Huglin index
- 2,220
- Warm temperate
- September nights
- 10.2 °C
- Very cool nights
- Day–night range at ripening
- 13.1 °C
- Mean daily max minus min
- Growing-season rain
- 582 mm
- Of 814 mm a year
- Harvest rain
- 167 mm
- September–October
- Days over 30 °C
- 31
- 2 over 35 °C
Copernicus ERA5-Land reanalysis at 5 vineyard points (Appiano-Cornaiano, 430 m; Terlano, 350 m; Merano, 400 m; Caldaro, 430 m; Cortaccia (Mazon slopes), 400 m), anchored to the Meran-Gratsch/Merano-Quarazze station's 1991–2020 averages (Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Meteorology) and adjusted for height. How the climate figures are made.
Closest climates in the database
Picked by the data, not by hand: the profiles nearest on season warmth (counted twice), degree days, rain, ripening-month nights and day–night range. Neighbours within 30 km are left out, as they share the same weather. Change the band and the matches change with it.
1. Prigorje-BilogoraVery similarCompared with this band: same season warmth, similar rain, cooler ripening nights.
2. SâmbureştiVery similarCompared with this band: same season warmth, similar rain, cooler ripening nights.
3. Saint-PérayVery similarCompared with this band: same season warmth, similar rain, cooler ripening nights.
Growing-season temperature
Growing degree days
Growing-season rain
Ripening-month nights
04 · Year by year
35 vintages
Each column is one growing season: heat above or below the 1991–2020 average, and rain at harvest. Pick a year for the details.
Warmer than averageCooler than averageHarvest rain (Sep–Oct)Average harvest rain, 167 mmBand: 300–500 m
2025
- Growing-season temp.
- Growing degree days
- Harvest rain
- Growing-season rain
- September nights
- Hot days and frosts
Seasons are labelled by harvest year (April–October). Year-to-year changes from ERA5-Land; tested against station records in Alto Adige (r = 0.94 for season temperature at Bolzano). Rain varies more locally, so treat single-season rain with some caution. Vintage ratings, harvest dates and frost or hail events have places in the data model but are not loaded yet.
05 · Under the vines
Soils
More than 150 soil types and rock formations are recorded across the region; no source gives area by soil type.
Quartz porphyry
Volcanic rhyolite (quartz porphyry), 60-65% silica
Bolzano, Terlano, the Adige valley from Merano to Bolzano, Girlan
- Texture
- Sandy, stony
- Drainage
- very good
- Lime
- not calcareous
Mineral, taut whites (Terlano)
Limestone and dolomite
Calcareous limestone and dolomite
Bassa Atesina, Caldaro, upper Cortaccia
- Lime
- calcareous
Suits late-ripening Cabernet, Merlot, Lagrein and Chardonnay
Gries alluvium
Warm alluvial sand and gravel
Gries, Bolzano
- Texture
- Sand and gravel
- Drainage
- very good
Home of Lagrein
Glacial moraine
Mixed moraine of porphyry, granite and gneiss
Oltradige (e.g. Mitterberg, Cornaiano) and Valle Isarco (e.g. Novacella)
- Texture
- Stony, sandy
- Drainage
- good
Low-pH soils in places (Mitterberg)
Primary rock
Quartz-phyllite and diorite (Valle Isarco); gneiss, slate, granite and mica schist (Val Venosta)
Valle Isarco and Val Venosta
- Texture
- Dry, sandy
- Drainage
- very good
- Lime
- not calcareous
Racy, aromatic whites: Sylvaner, Kerner, Riesling, Veltliner
The science, honestly: how much soil shapes the wine is debated. Shares of each soil type are rarely published; measured soil data (SoilGrids) is planned for every vineyard point.
06 · Inside the zone
6 subzones
Valle Isarco / Eisacktaler Blend must be at least 65% Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner, Veltliner and/or Riesling. Veltliner only allowed here. Grapes: Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sylvaner, Traminer, Veltliner, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Klausner Laitacher (red blend) Communes: Barbiano, Bressanone, Castelrotto, Chiusa, Fiè, Funes, Laion, Naz-Sciaves, Renon, Velturno, Villandro, Varna
Valle Venosta / Vinschgau Varietal wines only. Pinot Nero capped at 8 t/ha, the lowest red yield in the DOC. Grapes: Chardonnay, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon, Traminer, Pinot Nero, Schiava Communes: Castelbello-Ciardes, Laces, Naturno, Parcines, Silandro
Meranese / Meraner 12.5 t/ha (UGA 10.5); minimum 11.0% alcohol. Grapes: Schiava (at least 85%) Communes: Merano, Caines, Cermes, Gargazzone, Lagundo, Lana, Marlengo, Postal, Rifiano, San Pancrazio, Scena, Tesimo, Tirolo
Terlano / Terlaner White blend at least 50% Pinot Bianco and/or Chardonnay. Classico allowed. Grapes: Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Riesling Italico, Sylvaner, Müller-Thurgau Communes: Terlano (whole), parts of San Genesio, Meltina, Tesimo, Nalles, Andriano, Appiano, Caldaro
Santa Maddalena / St. Magdalener 12.5 t/ha; minimum 11.5% alcohol. Classico allowed. Grapes: Schiava (at least 85%), traditionally with a little Lagrein Communes: frazioni of Bolzano, Cornedo, San Genesio, Renon
Colli di Bolzano / Bozner Leiten 13 t/ha; minimum 11.0% alcohol. Grapes: Schiava (at least 85%) Communes: Laives (whole), parts of Terlano, San Genesio, Bolzano, Renon, Fiè, Cornedo
Character by area
Valle IsarcoCool and rugged; aromatic, crisp whites (Kerner, Sylvaner, Veltliner, Riesling)
Val VenostaThe driest valley; Riesling, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero
MeranoMilder; Schiava, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon
BolzanoHot valley basin on porphyry; St. Magdalener and Lagrein from Gries
TerlanoPorphyry; long-lived mineral whites
OltradigeAppiano and Caldaro; Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero, Gewürztraminer, Kalterersee Schiava
Bassa AtesinaWarmest area, limestone and dolomite; Gewürztraminer at Termeno, Bordeaux varieties and Lagrein below, Pinot Nero above
07 · Where the numbers come from
Sources
- Disciplinare DOC Alto Adige (2019 consolidated text, hosted by the Consorzio) · Consorzio Vini Alto Adige
- Disciplinare DOC Alto Adige (2014 text with 2019 amendment) · bubblyprofessor.com copy
- MASAF decree of 8 October 2024 (UGAs) · Camera di commercio Bolzano
- Provincial decree D AD 12172 (2024 alcohol reductions) · Camera di commercio Bolzano
- Alto Adige DOC · hellotaste.it
- Alto Adige (vino) · Wikipedia (it) · CC BY-SA
- South Tyrol wine · Wikipedia (en) · CC BY-SA
- Kurzbericht Wein 2025 (2024 data) · WIFO, Chamber of Commerce Bolzano
- Rapporto vino 2020 · WIFO, Chamber of Commerce Bolzano
- Press text: Südtirol Wein · Consorzio Vini Alto Adige
- Südtirol Wein folder · Consorzio Vini Alto Adige
- UGA classification brochure · Consorzio Vini Alto Adige
- Alto Adige Wines shares latest developments on UGA classification (23 April 2026) · Consorzio press release via BevNET
- What Alto Adige's new UGA classification means · Kellerei Kurtatsch
- Alto Adige terroir guide · Wine Folly
- Geologia dell'Alto Adige · Italy's Finest Wines
- Alto Adige: where diversity meets quality · Decanter
- Südtirol hebt ab · Blick.ch
- 83200MS Bozen/Bolzano monthly temperature, 1926-2025 · Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Meteorology
- 83200MS Bozen/Bolzano monthly precipitation, 1921-2024 · Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Meteorology
- 39100MS Brixen-Vahrn/Bressanone-Varna monthly temperature, 1956-2025 · Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Meteorology
- 39100MS Brixen-Vahrn/Bressanone-Varna monthly precipitation, 1920-2024 · Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Meteorology
- Viticultural indices calculated for Wine Epic · Wine Epic
- geojson-italy (ISTAT boundaries) · openpolis · CC BY 4.0
- 23200MS Meran-Gratsch/Merano-Quarazze monthly temperature, 1983-2025 · Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Meteorology
- 23200MS Meran-Gratsch/Merano-Quarazze monthly precipitation, 1920-2024 · Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Meteorology
- A geospatial inventory of regulatory information for wine protected designations of origin in Europe (Candiago et al., Scientific Data 2022) · Eurac Research, via figshare · CC0
- ERA5-Land hourly time series (reanalysis-era5-land-timeseries) · Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Climate Data Store · CC BY 4.0 (Copernicus licence)
- Disciplinare di produzione: Alto Adige · Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste (MASAF) · Official act
- Climate profiles calculated by Vinous: method
Still to check (8)
- Check every per-variety figure against the in-force text (GU n.244, 17 Oct 2024)
- Sources disagree on minimum natural alcohol for Pinot Grigio (10.5 vs 11.0), Lagrein Rosato (10.0 vs 10.5) and spumante
- Recent total production in hl; rosé, sweet and sparkling shares
- Full list of the 86 UGAs with boundaries
- Whether Gran Alp and Gold are in the 2024 text
- Daily station data (also published from 1981) for frost days, days over 30 °C and phenology
- ERA5-Land normals disagree with station normals (see docs/climate-validation.md); severely in Alto Adige valleys (GDD 26–40% low); use station normals for absolute values.
- Spumante: 13 t/ha is the yield the specification gives each spumante variety (Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero, Chardonnay); 15 months is its minimum bottle refinement (traditional method), 20 months its earliest release.