Highest vineyard in Alto Adige challenge

The Eisacktal/Valle Isarco is Alto Adige's northernmost and coolest wine valley, producing exceptional aromatic whites at elevation. The terraced vineyards climb steep slopes around the beautiful medieval town of Bressanone.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Walk to Elvas — Vineyards at 814m Altitude Adventure · Free

   Find the vineyards that define Italy's altitude frontier. Start at the Ponte Aquila bridge in Bressanone center, trail markers begin just across the bridge toward the Stufels district. The trail climbs through terraced vines on trail no. 1, through medieval Kranebitt, up to Elvas — a village perched at 814m where vines grow alongside apple trees between the houses. From the Wetterkreuz above Elvas, look down at the whole Bressanone basin and up at the Dolomite peaks — this is the valley that grows Kerner, Sylvaner, and Riesling at altitudes Burgundy wouldn't dare try. Walk the full 11km loop (3.5 hours), pick up a free trail map at Bressanone Tourist Office (Piazza Duomo 9).

   Backup: Walk trail 1 only up to Elvas (1.5 hours one-way), have a glass of Sylvaner at the village Gasthof, then return. You still pass through the highest vineyards.

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2. 2 Taste Kerner at Stiftskeller — Where Monks Changed Sides Wine · Price: low

   Ask for Kerner — then ask the server this: why did the monks who founded this monastery in 1142 make red wine for 800 years, then switch entirely to white? At Stiftskeller wine bar, Abbazia di Novacella, Via Abbazia 1, Varna (3km north of Bressanone), the Augustinian Canons looked at their glacial moraine soil, their ferocious day-to-night temperature swings, their altitude — and realized everything about this valley was screaming for aromatic whites. They replanted. Completely. Kerner is the monastery's signature grape: bred in Germany in 1929, named after Justinus Kerner, a Swabian poet who wrote songs about wine. The monks started experimenting with it in the 1970s when almost no one in Italy took it seriously. Open Mon–Sat 10am–7pm, no reservation needed.

   Backup: If Stiftskeller is closed, the monastery shop is open during the same hours and sells bottles to take away. Call ahead: +39 0472 836189.

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3. 3 Find the Field Marshall's Wine — Europe's Highest Vineyard Wine · Price: moderate

   This is what the 1,000-meter limit looks like in a glass. Tiefenbrunner's Feldmarschall vineyard on Mount Favogna in southern Alto Adige sits at exactly 1,000 meters — the highest Müller-Thurgau vineyard in all of Europe. They planted it in 1971 and named it after Franz Philipp Freiherr von Fenner, the Austrian Field Marshall who founded the Tyrolean Imperial Rifles. James Suckling called it "possibly the best Müller-Thurgau in the world." They make only 18,000 bottles per year, globally. Ask at the Stiftskeller wine shop or at any serious Bressanone enoteca for Tiefenbrunner "Vigna Feldmarschall von Fenner" Müller-Thurgau. The pale straw-yellow with greenish hints tells you exactly how cool and slow the growing season was. Budget €12–18 per glass, or €35–40 for a bottle.

   Backup: If Feldmarschall is unavailable, ask for Cantina Valle Isarco "Mountain Wines" Kerner or Riesling from vineyards above 900m — the altitude story is the same.

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4. 4 Descend Into 882-Year-Old Monastic Vaults History · Price: low · Optional

   The guided cellar tour takes you under the same Baroque monastery the Augustinian Canons have inhabited since 1142 — through stone vaults where barrels of Kerner, Sylvaner, and Grüner Veltliner rest in silence. At Abbazia di Novacella cellar entrance, Via Abbazia 1, Varna, Napoleon's troops arrived in 1803, declared the monastery property of the French state, and expelled the monks. Thirteen years later, the canons returned and started over — replanting, rebuilding, re-fermenting. The 4-wine tasting at the end: Sylvaner, Kerner, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner — taste how 600–900 meters of altitude concentrates flavors that wine from lower valleys simply cannot reach. Reservation required: email info@kloster-neustift.it or call +39 0472 836189. Tours Mon–Fri at 4pm and Saturday at 10am, €15 per person.

   Backup: If fully booked, the Stiftskeller walk-in gives you the same wines in the same atmosphere without the group format. Or take the monastery-only architectural tour (€10, no wine) for history without the tasting.

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Insider tips

• Abbazia di Novacella is a 12th-century monastery still producing wine - an essential visit

• The Kerner grape reaches its pinnacle here - try multiple producers for comparison

• Cantina Valle Isarco cooperative offers excellent quality-to-price ratio