Tour: Alto Adige - Wine and Dine in the Dolomites

Let’s face it, some places are just more blessed than others. Trentino-Alto Adige is like no other province in Italy.  As its hyphenated name suggests, (as well as its ‘other’ name – Sudtirol) it’s a place that combines two distinct cultures, part Italian, part Austrian. (This northern-most province of Italy only became part of the country after World War I.) It is the best of both worlds, combining Latin aesthetic flair with Teutonic efficiency. In any of its fairy-tale villages, gothic buildings stand harmoniously shoulder to shoulder with Romanesque structures. The clip of the German language mixes with fluid Italian, like a Mozart opera.

The landscape is dominated by mountains, and not just any – the Dolomites! To many, this jagged range of sedimentary carbonate and limestone peaks is one of the most beautiful mountain areas in the world. The valleys below them are freckled with apple trees and grape vines. They run down from the lower mountain slopes to the shining Passirio and Adige rivers and the shimmering expanse of Lago di Garda – Italy’s largest lake.

The food and wine are similarly a fusion of cultures. Rich stews come with polenta, dumplings and filled pasta are interchangeable in hearty broths. Pasta often comes in the form of spätzle – a fresh egg pasta with medieval German origins. The local ham carries a choppy-sounding German name – speck, and it tastes distinctly more smokey than the proscuitto from further south.

The wines reflect the cooler climates and wide diurnal range associated with mountains. Local grape varieties such as schiava, lagrein and teroldego are distinctive and delicious. International varieties also do exceptionally well here. The pinot bianco (pinot blanc) is considered the best in Italy. The pinot noir rivals some of the finest in the world outside of Burgundy. A village named Tramin is regarded by some as the spiritual home of gewurtztraminer. And last but not least, the sparkling trentodoc wines from Cantine Ferrari has been named ‘Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year’ six times (including in 2023) at the prestigious global Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.

The Capital Branch has organized a tour for up to twenty individuals for five days and evenings of deliriously splendid food, wine and mountains of Alto Adige in July 2024. The preliminary itinerary and estimated costs are detailed below. Please register your interest in the form by clicking the button below. We will confirm details in the coming weeks and request a refundable deposit at that time.

Join us for this memorable experience!

PRICES:

IWFS MEMBERS: £ 1395.00 per person, all-inclusive, but excluding airfare, transport to Bolzano, and hotel accommodations.

NON MEMBERS: £ 1495.00 per person, all-inclusive, but excluding airfare, transport to Bolzano, and hotel accommodations.

CURRENT ITINERARY

Monday 08 July - Arrive at the tour hotel in the centre of Bolzano. Informal 3-course dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Tuesday 09 July - Breakfast at the hotel. Departure by private coach to Paradeis / Tenuta Lageder. Tour of the farm and vineyards. Lunch at the Vineria with wine tasting (3 courses of food directly from the farm with 6 paired wines).

In the afternoon, guided tour of the Tramin winery with tasting of 5 premium wines, featuring gewurtztraminer.

Visit to the J. Hofstätter winery, followed by dinner at the Alte Post restaurant in Tramin with a menu paired with wines from the Hofstätter wine cellar, including its celebrated pinot noir.

Wednesday 10 July - Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by private coach to Trento for a visit to the Ferrari Winery with a guided tasting of trentodoc, followed by a visit to the heart of the vineyards and finally a visit to the 16th-century Villa Margon, the Lunelli Group's headquarters. Lunch at the bistrot of the starred restaurant Locanda Margon with the "Assaggi di Gusto" menu (4 courses plus dessert) paired with Lunelli Group labels. In the afternoon, visit the Villa de Varda winery and the 'Cose di Casa' museum, followed by a tasting of 4 grappas. Dinner in Soprabolzano at the one-Michelin-starred Restaurant 1908 with a 3-coursemenu.

Thursday 11 July - Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by private bus to Castelrotto from where a cable car rises to the Alpe di Siusi plateau. Meet with a mountain guide for an invigorating 2 ½-hour walk. Lunch at the Tschötsch Alm mountain hut, with local products (shared starter, main course and dessert). Free time in the afternoon, followed by return via cable car and bus to the hotel. Dinner in the centre of Bolzano at the Vögele restaurant with 3-course menu.

Friday 12 July - Breakfast at the hotel. Departure by private coach to the Terlan/Terlano Winery with visit and tasting, featuring its highly-lauded pinot bianco. Lunch in Tesimo at one-Michelin-starred restaurant Zum Löwen. In the afternoon, visit the Versoaln vineyard and the largest and oldest vine in the world (estimated to be at least 600 years old). In the evening, a Gala dinner at the Haselburg/Castel Flavon restaurant overlooking Bolzano.

Saturday 13 July - Breakfast at the hotel and end of services.

SUGGESTED HOTEL (to be booked directly by participants):

08 - 13 July (for 5 nights)

Main Tour Hotel: Bolzano - GOLDSTERN TOWNHOUSE 4*

https://www.goldenstern.it/en.html

Breakfast and tourist tax included:

Double room: € 690.00 per person

Single room: € 810.00 per person

Contact Monica Galetti (monica.g@atd-bz.com) to make the booking.

PAYMENT AND REFUND POLICY

20% deposit due at registration

80% balance due on 8 May 2024

Refund: Fully refundable less £50 service fee - 8 May to 8 June 2024 (1 month prior to the event); 85% Refundable - 30 days to 15 days prior; 50% Refundable - 14 days to 6 days prior; Non-refundable - 5 days prior to the event.

The 80% deposit is now due to be paid by 8 May. If you would like to join us and have not paid the initial deposit, a full price ticket option is available!