Regional info.

Italy's Alto Adige region consists of mountainous countryside just over the border from Austria, in the northeast of the country. It's a region right in the middle of the dramatic scenery of the Dolomite peaks where 94% of the land is over 1000 m in elevation.

Alois Lageder, is considered by many to be the leading producer here. His family have been active in the local wine scene for 150 years, and currently own 17 ha of vines. They also source a substantial portion of their grapes from a network of more than 150 local growers. This is almost a necessity in a region where vineyard holdings are highly fragmented.

Lageder emphasizes the importance of respect for the soil, and aims to keep spraying to a minimum. He exclusively uses biodynamic method for his own vineyards . The wines are made in a sparkling new winery that was opened in 1996. Three quality tiers exist. First, there is the ‘classic' series of varietal wines, then the ‘single vineyard' selections, and at the pinnacle the ‘single estate' wines.

All Alois Lageder wines share a cool-climate elegance, with subtle, bright fruit flavours. They're quite modern in style. If you had to think of just one word to describe them, it would be ‘fresh'.

Vogelmaier vineyard on the northwest side of Lake Caldaro at an altitude of 300-350m. Sandy, gravely and partly loamy soils; warm microclimate. Age of the vines: 20-30 years.

More information