Hello everyone! Flipping through various tourist destinations for a next holiday I discovered a place surrounded by truly magnificent nature. South Tyrol’s “Wine Road”, one of the most renowned destinations for food and wine tourism, it  is a picturesque and welcoming area thanks to its vineyards, swimming lakes, historic residences and the mountains that frame the scenery.

Where is it?

The “Wine Route” in South Tyrol is a road that runs parallel to the Adige valley, in the Oltradige, starting from Nalles trough the city of Bolzano continuing southwards until you reach Cortina on the Wine Route, near Salorno . It is about 70 kilometers long and winds through 15 towns in South Tyrol.

History

Founded in 1964, the “Wine Road” is one of the oldest wine routes in Italy. With 4250 hectares of vineyards, it represents 84 percent of the vineyards in South Tyrol. It was the Greeks, in 500 BC, who brought to our latitudes all the knowledge about wine, while the Romans contributed not much significantly to the spread of vine.

Cultivation

Sun and heat are essential for the vine, precisely because in its vegetative period it needs an average temperature of at least 15 ° C. The 1800 hours of insolation per year are therefore the best conditions for the growth of vines in South Tyrol up to altitudes of about 1000 meters above sea level.

The wines

Viticulture dominates the landscape, and includes the sides of the valley, the surrounding hills and mountains. About 65% of the cultivated varieties of the cellars are for red wines, while the remaining 35% for white wines. Almost the entire vineyard can boast of the recognition of the DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) mark.

If you are interested to try some of these wines here are the links of some wineries:

In addition to viticulture in the economies of the communities, tourism plays an important role. On foot, by motorbike, by bike, alone or in a group: a trip between the wine-growing countries and along the Wine Route will surely be pleasant.

Have a good day, Ilde