Located in the Dolomite Mountains of northeastern Italy, Alto Adige was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of World War I. Also known as Südtirol, the region is bilingual to this day, and Austria’s influence is still strongly felt in the local wines. However, Alto Adige does have some varietals it can call its own, and this Trio is an introduction to three of its most charming and representative wines.

Kerner was created in Germany in 1929 when August Herold crossed Riesling with Schiava, a light red varietal also known as Trollinger and Vernatsch. Kerner has since found a home in Alto Adige’s northeastern Valle Isarco subzone, an area where fresh, aromatic white varietals thrive. Best compared to dry Riesling, Köfererhof’s Kerner offers an alluring nose of flowers and ripe stone fruit. The wine’s soft and round texture is balanced by tense acidity, and tart citrus notes lead into a vein of minerality that carries the wine to a long, resounding finish.

St. Magdalener is a small appellation in the hills just outside Bolzano that specializes in Schiava Grossa, a red varietal that makes mid-weight wines with bright fruit and spicy, savory undertones. It is common to blend a small percentage of Lagrein (more on that soon) to increase Schiava’s structure, and Franz Gojer adds roughly 5% to his blend. Both varietals are vinified in stainless steel and the result is a vibrant red combining red berry flavors with notes of wild herbs and tea leaves in a wine that begs to be enjoyed on warm summer evenings.

With a history traced back to 1097, Lagrein is truly Alto Adige’s most important red varietal. Similar to a hypothetical cross between Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, it makes dark, powerful red wines with an underlying iron-like minerality. Due to the valley’s relatively warm microclimate, the best Lagrein ripens around Bolzano, and Ansitz Waldgries’s vineyards are in the heart of this zone. The Lagrein spends 20 days on its skins before ageing in large old oak casks from 35-45 hectoliters in size. This allows the purity of the grape’s black and blue fruit to shine, while Lagrein’s tannin and minerality make it a perfect companion to summer barbecue season.