The dramatic Alto Adige wine region of Northern Italy.

So you say you’re not a big Pinot Grigio fan? Alto Adige might change your mind.

Perched in Italy’s jagged Dolomites, Alto Adige is a sliver of land lying along the upper Adige River valley in the Alps. Bordering Austria to the north/northeast and Switzerland to the west, it’s half Italian and half Germanic in spirit. One of the world’s more spectacular winegrowing regions, it’s highlighted with neat ribbons of vines marching up the glacial valleys in stripes of green precision.

Its mere 5,850 hectares of vineyards are tended by nearly 4,800 family wineries, meaning that many winegrowers in the region cultivate very small parcels of land, and often a whole village is connected to a single cooperative. This cooperative system, developed over 150 years ago, allows small-scale growers to pool their harvests and resources, ensuring that even the tiniest vineyards have a voice and presence in the wine market.

THE ALTO ADIGE DIFFERENCE

Supercharged by blistering days, cool nights, and soils that vary from limestone grit to the punch of porphyry (a reddish-purple volcanic rock), these vineyards hug 1,000-metre peaks, with glacier winds keeping grapes taut and flavours pure. No flabby fruit or watery wines here; these are designed for poutine nights or patio oysters, cutting through and complementing richness like a ski edge on fresh powder.

The result? White wines with precision and alpine snap.

And while global warming is jacking up alcohol levels elsewhere, Alto Adige‘s elevation keeps these wines eternally fresh. Small wonder importers are pushing mountain wines hard into Canada—perfect for our seafood-loving, value-hunting crowd.

Here’s a look at two recent Alto Adige arrivals on LCBO shelves.

Peter Zemmer 2024 Pinot Grigio — Alto Adige, Italy ($19.95)
This is a Pinot Grigio for those who typically dislike—but also those who love—Pinot Grigio. Sourced both from valley floors and moraine slopes, its grapes are gently pressed, steel-fermented, then lees-aged for several months to add polish. The vibrant aromatics escaped like bats from a cave as soon as I unscrewed the cap—Granny Smith apple, pear and lightly herbal. A radiant, green-tinged straw-yellow in the glass, it’s medium-light in body and steely smooth on the palate, but with a minerally, mountain-fresh acidity and a dusting of spice on the finish adding character. The alcohol (13%) is barely noticeable. Great value. 90

Tiefenbrunner 2024 Pinot Grigio — Alto Adige, Italy ($21.95 on sale for $19.95)
Here’s another unique pinot grigio, with more of an Alsatian pinot gris-style elegance that could appeal to dry Chardonnay fans. From 62 acres of calcareous-gravel ranging from 492 to 656 feet in elevation, these grapes are steel-fermented, then lees-aged four months in concrete. Straw-yellow with lemon flashes in the glass, look for subtle citrus, white flowers, melon, pear and grass on the nose. It’s all grounded by minerality that finishes clean as a whistle, but with a creamy texture that had me thinking it must have been oak-aged at some point. It flows and finishes with the softness and weight of a dropped handkerchief. Pair it up with aperitifs, scampi, poached fish and pasta primavera. 89