The region is a single administrative unit containing two very distinct wine provinces. Alto Adige, or Südtirol, is German-speaking, and its labels frequently appear in both languages — Vernatsch for Schiava, Weissburgunder for Pinot Bianco. Trentino to the south is Italian-speaking and works at greater volume.
Altitude is the common thread. Vineyards climb well above 500 metres, and the resulting diurnal swings preserve acidity and aromatics, which is why the area is disproportionately good at white wine: Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio with actual definition, Sauvignon, and a Gewürztraminer from Tramin — the village that gave the grape its name — with a precision the variety rarely manages further north.
The reds are local and worth the detour. Schiava is pale, light and faintly almond-scented; Lagrein is dark, firm and bitter-edged in a way that pairs unusually well with cured meat. In Trentino, Teroldego from the Campo Rotaliano gravel plain is the serious red, and Marzemino the historic one.
Trentodoc is the region's traditional-method sparkling appellation, based on Chardonnay and Pinot Nero grown at altitude, and among the first in Italy to be conceived specifically for mountain fruit.
