In Alto Adige, the philosophy of quality was already implemented long ago. And yet in spite of that, inspection is important. Since 1975, the cultivation, production, and marketing of Alto Adige wines has been placed under strict legal protection: the Italian DOC and DOP regulations (controlled or protected name of origin).
All of the wines from a DOC zone are subject to strict quality controls. That already begins in the vineyard, where the maximum yield amounts have been precisely established for each grape variety. In the producer regulations, the minimum values are defined for alcohol, acidity, sugar-free extract, and much more. Adherence to these regulations is regularly inspected through chemical and sensory analyses.
Today, a remarkable 98.8 percent of all of the vineyard area in Alto Adige is under DOC protection. In that regard, Alto Adige wines stand alone at the peak of all of Italy.