Sparkling pleasure from South Tyrol

Whether at Christmas celebrations, New Year's Eve parties or small get-togethers, good company is not the only way to ensure a good mood, but also delicious food and carefully selected drinks for toasting. In addition to the famous French champagnes, well-known South Tyrolean vineyards and wineries offer not only white and red wines, but also excellent sparkling wines.

The history of South Tyrolean sparkling wine

The first South Tyrolean sparkling wine was produced from Riesling grapes by the Überetscher Champagnerkellerei in Eppan in 1902. However, the annexation of South Tyrol to Italy brought sparkling wine production to a standstill. It was only at the beginning of the 1960s, after a long break, that ambitious cellar masters ventured back into the production of this fresh, bubbly drink. Subsequently, in 1990, South Tyrolean producers joined together to form the South Tyrolean Sparkling Wine Producers' Association. Currently, 10 South Tyrolean producers are members.

**Sparkling pleasure from South Tyrol**
The South Tyrolean sparkling wine promises tangy acidity and elegant minerality.
IDM / Florian Andergassen

Grapes with character

Steep, sun-drenched slopes between the Alpine mountains and Mediterranean valley floors, as well as strong temperature fluctuations between day and night, provide the ideal climate for the precious South Tyrolean grapes. The vines grow on high, alpine sites between 500 and over 1,000 metres above sea level and on warm, mineral-rich rocky soils. This terroir offers the best conditions for delicate acidity, multi-faceted flavours and exceptional drinking pleasure. Only grapes of controlled origin (DOC) of the basic wine varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir are used. They are also harvested slightly earlier than grapes for wine production in order to achieve an optimum balance between fruit sweetness and acidity.

**Wine cultivation on Ritten**
The slopes of Ritten high palteau offer perfect conditions for wine cultivation.
Fabian Auer - Internet Consulting

**Vineyards in South Tyrol**
Picturesque vineyards on the sunny slopes in South Tyrol
IDM/Südtirol Wein/Tiberio Sorvillo

Finest perlage

In addition to the first-class grapes, the production method and the long ageing process also play a decisive role in the quality of South Tyrolean sparkling wine.

South Tyrolean sparkling wine producers use the classic method of maturing sparkling wine. This involves a second elaborate bottle fermentation. The bottles are turned several times a week and yeast is removed by freezing the neck of the bottle. Sugar and yeast are gently converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This is why South Tyrolean sparkling wines only contain natural carbon dioxide. The natural maturing time from wine to sparkling wine ranges from 15 months to several years (usually 2 or 3) until the fresh flavours and fine fruit acids of the grapes are transformed into smooth South Tyrolean sparkling wine pearls.

A special bottle

Every year, the members of the South Tyrolean Sparkling Wine Association combine 100 litres of their base sparkling wine into a cuvée to bring a limited edition of 200 double magnum bottles onto the market. The different characters of the wines blend harmoniously to create an exciting symphony of flavours.

The sparkling wine producers

The well-known sparkling wine cellars that have dedicated themselves to fine sparkling wines include 10 producers to date:

Arunda Sektkellerei in Mölten
Kellerei Kettmair in Kaltern
Kellerei Kurtatsch
Kellerei Meran
Praeclarus – Kellerei St. Pauls
Sekt- und Weinkellerei Braunbach in Terlan
Sektkellerei Lorenz Martini in Girlan
Weingut Haderburg in Salurn
Kellerei Kaltern
Weingut Pfitscher in Montan

So if you've never heard of South Tyrolean sparkling wine before, we hope we've piqued your curiosity. Nothing stands in the way of tasting these fine bubbles for Christmas, New Year's Eve or other special occasions. You can find a detailed portrait of all producers with contact details and a link to the respective online shop on the association's website.

Text: Dorothea

We are a colourful mix of nature-loving, adventurous and creative editors. All based in South Tyrol, we share the love of writing and photography, the mountains and culture. Our passion is to constantly discover new stories about the land and its people, about identity and tradition, about South Tyrol's quiet places and thousand faces. With our texts and pictures, we want to show you the beauty of this contrasting region and arise your curiosity. But above all, we want one thing: to inspire you to travel.