Alto Adige
by Joanie Bonfiglio
Alto Adige, the tiny region bordering Austria, only became part of modern-day Italy in 1919—it is a living example of just how recently the country united under one flag. Upon arrival in Bolzano, the capital of the region, you might wonder if you’ve crossed a border. Surrounded by adorable gingerbread houses and steep, imposing mountains, you’ll hear a mix of languages floating through the streets and cafés: Italian, the local German dialect (Südtirolerisch), and even the ancient Ladin language. The wines are equally specific to this terroir, ringing with Alpine tension and standing proud as another celebration of Alto Adige’s unique cultural heritage.
2022 Alto Adige Sauvignon “Voglar”
Italy | Alto Adige
No simple summer sipper, Felix Bampi’s Voglar is a complex work of art that will defy everything you think you know about Italian wine. By continuing the estate’s tradition of extended élevage—in this case, the wine spends eight months in acacia barrels and then two more years in the bottle before release—Felix challenges the notion that Sauvignon Blanc can’t age. The 2022 vintage is fruit-forward yet remarkably precise. It beams with wet stones, ripe apricot, elderflower, and an Alpine whisper of pine resin. Creamy yet intensely chiseled, it has a structural depth that cuts beautifully through local canederli, a savory bread dumpling tossed in brown butter. Best of all, there is no need to wait; Felix has already aged this wine to perfection.
2022 Lagrein Riserva “Di Ora in Ora”
Italy | Alto Adige
There is a wild, untamed streak in Carlotto’s young Lagrein. I love this grape for its bold, glass-staining purple hue, but also for its ability to retain a vibrant, crunchy acidity—especially in the hands of master vignaioli like Ferruccio Carlotto and his daughter, Michela. This bottling arrives as an electric, fruit-forward expression shot through with wild rosemary and wet earth. It’s beautifully built for all manner of hearty cuisine: rustic sausage and broccoli rabe pasta or simply grilled steaks would be perfect companions.
2024 Südtirol Eisacktaler Riesling
Italy | Alto Adige
Manni Nössing’s 2024 Riesling is like liquid light in the glass. Grounded in the sheer grit of its maker, this bottle pulses with the energy of vines clinging to steep, gravity-defying terraces. Manni is a self-taught rebel—raised on his family’s farm, he broke with tradition in 1999 to bottle his own wines rather than selling to local cooperatives. When he recently served us this vintage alongside simple grilled branzino and his home-grown, perfectly seasoned potatoes, it stole the show. The wine’s pure, chiseled architecture shone throughout lunch, driving a finish of clean, dynamic, high-altitude energy.