On alpine slopes and in the valleys of Alto Adige approximately 5.300 hectares vines are cultivated. Due to the relatively cool climate with a long growing season there are mineral and elegant wines . The traditional (autochthonous) red grape varieties are the Vernatsch and the Lagrein. Pinot Nero (= Spätburgunder) and Cabernet Sauvignon have been cultivated for a century. The most important red wine variety, the Vernatsch, is still 40% of the red wine production.
For years, the Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso has regularly awarded the most highscores in comparison to the cultivated area to Alto Adige. This fact demonstrates the high standard of winemaking and the quality of the terroir in Italy's northernmost wine-growing region.