Appreciated in Europe and in the world, Alto Adige Doc wines are known for their great quality and high versatility, capable of combining the typicality of the territory with great personality while managing to represent the ideal partner both with Italian cuisine and with the international one
With 2021 continues the last year of the European campaign "Europe, where quality is at home" of the four most famous denominations of Alto Adige. Alto Adige DOC wines, Stelvio DOP cheese, Alto Adige PGI apple and Speck Alto Adige PGI are the protagonists. The goal is to enhance the European brands that guarantee the origin and quality of agri-food products.
Indeed, the European Union quality labels provide consumers with a tool to find their way around food products and identify their origin, quality and safety.
Among the protagonists of the campaign are the Wines of Alto Adige Doc . Alto Adige is in fact one of the smallest wine-growing regions in Italy, just 5,550 hectares of vineyards, but thanks to its particular geographical position between North and South and its mild climate it is also one of the richest in facets. The designation of origin of South Tyrolean wines has existed since 1971. Today more than 98% of the entire vineyard area of South Tyrol is classified DOC . All the wines of the DOC area are subjected to rigorous quality controls - for example with a limitation of the maximum yield, minimum values of alcohol and acidity and much more. The wines of Alto Adige are characterized by their extreme versatility, so much so that they are considered precious allies of the table. Combinability and pleasantness are the other distinctive features. This allows the more than 200 wineries in the area to offer excellent products, with an unmistakable origin known throughout the world for their quality.
A wine considered today a symbol of South Tyrolean viticulture is certainly Gewürztraminer : an important past, a future to be discovered and a present that sees it among the wines most appreciated by Italians. Recognizable for its clear and intense aromatic imprint, Gewürztraminer comes from a story that, molding itself on the ancient taste, wanted it to be round, soft, powerful in the aromatic expression and in the structure of the sip, enhancing the sugary richness that this variety is found always inherited.
Its success is probably due to the ease of recognition of some scents, or to its extremely enjoyable character or, again, to its very high gastronomic aptitude . In fact, there are numerous combinations to which this enthralling wine lends itself; shellfish, shellfish and oriental cuisine to name a few. Precisely by virtue of the ever-increasing diffusion of this type of cuisine and flavors, Gewürztraminer has a future full of potential in the area of combinations. The work that South Tyrolean producers carry out on the Gewürztraminer and which distinguishes it in a unique way concerns acidity, freshness, elegance and its longevity.
Accompanied by the message "Authentic flavors guaranteed by the origin" , from 2018 to 2021 the campaign aims to raise awareness, through the 4 products of Alto Adige, the experts operating in the sectors of trade and gastronomy as well as consumers, on guarantees provided by European quality labels and on the added value they represent for consumers and producers. The campaign promoters are the Consorzio Mela Alto Adige PGI, the Consorzio Formaggio Stelvio DOP, the Consorzio Tutela Speck Alto Adige PGI and the Consorzio Vini Alto Adige DOC. The program, co-financed by the European Union, includes initiatives on the Italian domestic market and in the export markets represented by Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The heart of the campaign has been and will be for this last year the information and tasting activities of the four products. In fact, during the three years, more than 540 days are scheduled dedicated to the tasting of the four products, as well as seminars and information activities in order to allow final consumers to try the unique taste that distinguishes the products controlled at origin and get to know in first person the benefits of European brands synonymous with quality, safety, traceability, original origin of the product and typicality.
The "Europe, where quality is at home" campaign
Together with the Consorzio Mela Alto Adige, the Consorzio Formaggio Stelvio, as well as the Consorzio Vini Alto Adige, the Speck Alto Adige Consortium launched in 2018 the campaign "Europe, where quality is at home" with the aim of communicating the guarantee of origin and quality of South Tyrolean products. The program, co-financed by the European Union, offers information activities in four countries: in Italy and in export markets such as Germany, Holland and Sweden. The four South Tyrolean quality products are presented as outstanding examples of European food quality.
The quality products of South Tyrol: cheese, speck, apples and wine
The Stelvio or Stilfser PDO cheese has been recognized by the EU as the only South Tyrolean cheese with a protected designation of origin since 2007. This speaks volumes about the traditional quality and the historical reference to the area of origin: the production of "Stilfser" dates back to to 1914. It is a typical cheese of the region and is aged for at least 60 days. The processing of fresh cow's milk takes place within 48 hours in South Tyrolean mountain farms, most of which are located at over 1,000 meters above sea level. The Stelvio under the Mila brand is currently produced in the Brunico factory and in the Burgusio alpine dairy
The Mela Alto Adige PGI has been recognized by the EU with a protected geographical indication since 2005. With 300 days of sunshine a year, abundant rains in spring, a generally mild summer and autumn, the region offers ideal conditions for growing apples up to 1,000 meters above sea level. This unique climate, combined with controlled, natural and ecological cultivation, gives the South Tyrolean apple its typical juicy and crunchy quality. Currently, 13 varieties carry the PGI label: Braeburn, Elstar, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Idared, Morgenduft, Jonagold, Pinova, Red Delicious, Topaz, Winesap.
Speck Alto Adige PGI obtained the protected geographical indication in 1996. The careful selection of pork, as well as clear guidelines and controls during production make Speck Alto Adige PGI unmistakable. The producers' motto "little salt, little smoke and lots of fresh air" is part of the artisan tradition handed down from generation to generation. Typical of South Tyrolean speck is its spicy and slightly smoky taste - only the best speck receives the historic seal of the brand.
The designation of origin of South Tyrolean wines has existed since 1971. Today more than 98% of the entire vineyard area of South Tyrol is classified DOC. All the wines of the DOC area are subjected to rigorous quality controls - for example with a limitation of the maximum yield, minimum values of alcohol and acidity and much more. Thanks to its geographical position and mild Alpine continental climate, South Tyrol is an extremely varied wine region with 5. hectares of vineyards. Here 20 different vines grow, of which about 64% are white and 36% are red.
