La Dolce Vita Wine Tours

The Italian Alps

Hiking the wine roads and alpine trails of Alto Adige

Tour Overview:

• Experience the Austrian-flavored culture of southern Tyrol
• Hike the slopes of the Alps and Adige river valley
• Enjoy private, sit-down tastings at Tieffenbruner, Cantina Terlano, J. Hofstätter, and Ferrari
• Visit Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites
• Ride a funicular to the Mendola Pass

It's The Sound of Music meets Sideways! This hiking tour takes place in the lower slopes of the Italian Alps, one of Italy's premiere wine regions. Here vineyards line the Adige River, where cool-climate grapes thrive: aromatic gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigio, as well as luscious reds like pinot noir and lagrein. Daily tastings at the wineries, hotel, and wine dinners spotlight the best producers of the Alto Adige, from top-notch cooperatives in Terlano and Tramin to private, family-run estates such as Tieffenbrunner and Hofstätter.

The morning and early afternoon hours will instead be devoted to hiking. Our routes alternate between wine trails (weinstrasse) in the Adige valley, which cut through vineyards, apple orchards, and woods, and routes up in the mountains, where we reach our trailhead on a funicular or cable car, gaining 3,000’ of elevation in just a few minutes. None of these hikes require special skills or climbing gear—just a good attitude and a desire for breathtaking vistas!

Having been annexed by Italy only in 1918, Alto Adige is infused with an Austrian feel—in its alpine architecture, cuisine, and language. If you’re looking to explore a different side of Italy that’s rich with history and cultural fusion—and offers stupendous wine—this tour’s for you!