Merano and vicinity, also known as the Burgraviate, is not only a world-renowned health spa area, it has also made an excellent name for itself as a winegrowing area.
The extremely mild, balanced climate and the light to moderately heavy sandy soils form the perfect conditions for winegrowing. The DOC designation “Alto Adige Meranese” (“Südtirol Meraner”) is valid for all Schiava wines that grow in the vicinity of the city. In recent times, though, Pinot Noir and Merlot have also shown that they are absolutely right at home in the land around Merano. Thanks to the soil conditions, wines from Merano are always possessed of a fine acidity, which has a positive effect not only on their drinkability, but also on the ability of the wines to continue to age.
| Vineyard area: |
305 ha. / 754 acres (6% of province total) |
| Vineyard elevations: |
300-800 m. (1,000-2,600 ft.) above sea level |
| Soils: |
porous weathered soils, high gravel content on the slopes, sandy at the valley floor. |
| Production: |
37% white wine, 63% red wine |
| Most important varieties: |
Schiava, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc |