The Bolzano Wine Tasting Festival of 1911 marked the debut of Südtirol’s first sparkling wine. Nowadays, Alto Adige's sparkling wine producers release around 200,000 bottles per year.
The conditions for producing superior bubbly in Alto Adige amidst the Alps are ideal. Especially at higher elevations, the grapes can develop sufficient acidity. Thus after their second fermentation in the bottle, the wines can also still display that exuberant freshness which is expected of fine sparkling wines.
As the base wines for sparkling wines, the three classic Burgundy varieties of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir are used. Alto Adige sparkling wine is produced only according to the classic méthode champenoise bottle fermentation process. By law, after the second fermentation the wine must lie on the yeast in the bottle for at least 15 months. But as a rule, this bottle aging actually usually lasts two to three years.