Trentino–Alto Adige: Mountain Wines from the Heart of the Italian Alps

This month, Lakeland Wine Club travels north to Trentino–Alto Adige, one of Italy’s most spectacular wine regions, where vineyards climb Alpine slopes and Italian and Austrian cultures meet.

Surrounded by the Dolomites and shaped by dramatic changes in elevation, this region produces wines known for freshness, aromatic precision and unmistakable mountain character.

For our October tasting, we selected three grapes that show three very different sides of this fascinating region:

Müller-Thurgau • Schiava • Lagrein

The Wines of the Mountains

Trentino–Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost wine region, bordering Austria and Switzerland.

Altitude plays an important role here. Vineyards can climb hundreds of meters above the valley floor, with cool nights helping grapes retain acidity and aromatic freshness.

Our tasting begins with a crisp mountain white before moving through two very different styles of red—from the delicate elegance of Schiava to the darker, more structured personality of Lagrein.

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Müller-Thurgau — Freshness from High Elevation

Müller-Thurgau feels at home in the mountains.

The variety is particularly successful in cool, airy vineyards, including high-elevation sites of Alto Adige and Trentino's Valle di Cembra, where steep slopes and significant temperature changes between day and night help preserve freshness and aroma.

In the glass, expect a bright and aromatic white wine with notes that can include:

Citrus • white flowers • herbs • delicate tropical fruit • mineral notes

The palate is typically fresh and lively, making Müller-Thurgau a beautiful opening wine for a tasting.

Serve: approximately 50–54°F.

Pair with: fresh cheeses, seafood, freshwater fish, delicate appetizers and light vegetable dishes.

Schiava — The Elegant Alpine Red

Next comes a completely different expression of the mountains.

Known as Schiava in Italian and Vernatsch in German-speaking Alto Adige, this historic red variety produces wines that are light in color, relatively low in tannin and wonderfully easy to drink.

Look for aromas of:

Strawberry • raspberry • cherry • violet • almond

Rather than power, Schiava is about finesse, freshness and drinkability. It can even be served slightly chilled, making it an unusually versatile red wine at the table.

In Trentino, Schiava traditionally comes from hillside vineyards and produces a light ruby-colored wine with floral, fruity and almond notes.

Serve: approximately 57–61°F.

Pair with: antipasti, prosciutto and speck, mild cheeses, white meats and traditional Alpine dishes.

Lagrein — The Darker Side of Alto Adige

We finish with Lagrein, one of Alto Adige's signature indigenous red grapes.

If Schiava represents elegance and delicacy, Lagrein shows the region's deeper and more powerful side.

Its historic roots are closely associated with Bolzano, and the wines can offer a rich combination of dark fruit, spice and floral character.

Expect notes of:

Blackberry • dark cherry • violet • spice • licorice

Lagrein generally has more body and tannin than Schiava while maintaining the freshness that makes Alpine reds so distinctive.

When matured in oak, the wine can become fuller, deeper and more complex.

Serve: approximately 61–64°F.

Pair with: beef, roasted meats, game, mushrooms and aged cheeses.

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Three Grapes, One Alpine Journey

What makes this tasting especially interesting is the progression.

We begin high in the mountains with the aromatic freshness of Müller-Thurgau.

Then we move to the bright, delicate red-fruit character of Schiava.

Finally, we finish with the darker fruit, structure and intensity of Lagrein.

Three grapes. Three personalities. One extraordinary corner of Italy.

October at Lakeland Wine Club

This month's selection is an invitation to discover a side of Italian wine that is sometimes overshadowed by Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto.

Trentino–Alto Adige shows us something different: mountain viticulture, cool-climate freshness and wines deeply connected to their Alpine landscape.

Raise a glass with us and discover northern Italy—one wine at a time.

Grazie!

Daniele

Lakeland Wine Club

Discover Italy through wine.