The new generation of winegrowers moves to the fore

The cards have been reshuffled here in the wine world of Alto Adige, and a change is in the air... The pioneers of Alto Adige wines who created the first wave of success in the 1980s have handed the pruning shears over to the younger generation. With the vast experience of their forebears to draw on, these young winegrowers are injecting the wine scene with a fresh spirit of innovation and countless new ideas.

The following themes are central to the philosophy of the new generation:

• Environment and climate change
  This particularly hot topic is as important in the world of viticulture as it is elsewhere. The winegrowers of Alto Adige are trying out new forms of cultivation including, to name but one, new defoliation methods. The topics of biodiversity, sustainable soil management and reducing C02 footprint are part and parcel of their daily work.
  
  
• Technological innovations in the cellar
  This includes developments to improve the quality of the hand-harvested, gently-pressed grapes.
  
  
• Togetherness
  In Alto Adige, a sense of togetherness is deeply rooted in the local culture. Constant communication between producers and oenologists stimulates new approaches and new ideas.
  
  
• Wines of specific areas
  Every variety of grape should be cultivated on the terrain that best meets its needs. This is why the new generation focus their attention on wines cultivated in highly-specific areas. The result? Wines with USP’s.
  
  
• High-altitude cultivation
  Winegrowing is reaching new heights. This is, first and foremost, due to global warming. However, winegrowers from Alto Adige also see an immense amount of potential in exploiting the complex terroir that is so unique to Alto Adige. In the future, wines grown at higher altitudes will gain in importance as a focal theme.
  
  
• Higher levels of education
  Winegrowers from Alto Adige expand on their well-grounded knowledge through experience in other countries and first-rate tertiary education at prominent universities. Cellar technician staff also engage in continuous education.

In summary, each and every one of the measures adopted by the new generation of winegrowers in Alto Adige contributes to raising the quality of local wines. Maintaining existing standards is not what they’re about: They want to build on what has gone before, and to produce fresh, stylish wines. And that is what drives them.