Vintage 2019

Lively, Fresh Wines Filled with Character

After a capricious winegrowing year with some extreme weather conditions, the ideal autumn weather before the beginning of harvesting led to a good harvest with some promising quality.

The Course of the Year in the Vineyard

The winter months of 2018-2019 were unusually warm with temperatures that at times were already spring-like. Furthermore, with the exception of a heavy snowfall in early February, the winter turned out to be very dry. After a likewise warm and dry March, it turned really wet in the months of April and May, with the latter also becoming too cool for the season. In general, the spring of 2019 was distinguished by extreme weather phenomena: the first hailstorms already occurred in April. Several cold spells brought along with them the danger of late frosts. But the full blossoming was delayed in 2019 as a result of the capricious weather, with temperatures that were significantly below average above all else in the month of May. This delay was also reflected in the beginning of maturation, which was ten to fourteen days later in comparison to the average of many years.

Later Beginning to the Harvest

In 2019, the harvest in Alto Adige’s vineyards began around two weeks later than in 2018.

Good Quality with Some Surprising Wines

With the white wines, the 2019 vintage scores with fresh, fruity aromas, with prominent acidities, elegant structure, and good potential – especially with the wines from the higher elevations. It was especially the Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sylvaner which came in well with fresh, pleasant acidities and elegant structure. Gewürztraminer presents itself as elegant with ripe fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc from the top locations proves itself with crisp acidity and a typical aroma structure. 

The 2019 Schiava (Vernatsch) comes through in typical form: fruity, juicy, with structure, elegance, and inviting drinking enjoyment. Pinot Noir, Lagrein, Merlot, and Cabernet posed some challenges in the vineyards for the vintage. For that reason, they will still need time in the wineries to mature into their full expression. As a result of a heavy hailstorm, there were losses of up to seventy percent with the Lagrein in the classic growing areas around Bolzano/Bozen.

© Consorzio Alto Adige Wines