Eppan is South Tyrol’s biggest wine growing municipality.  And here alone about 20 different varieties are grown.  What the diversity brings along is on the one side the fact that the perfect variety doesn’t always grow on the most ideal soil and on the other hand that the communication about the wines becomes confusing.

„Terroir shouldn’t only be a marketing definition, but should be recognisable also in the wine glass”, consortium Südtirol Wein claims.  After a lot of preparatory work, a total of 86 minutely documented locations were designated in South Tyrol and the most suitable grape varieties were determined.  In Eppan there are eleven such special locations. „Whether the location concept will prevail everywhere is yet to be seen.  At any rate a quality pyramid will be compiled”, says Lorandi.

With the recognition by the ministry of agriculture the location - for example Eppan Berg or Missian – can be listed on the label as geographical specification next to the indication „Südtirol DOC”. Yes, it has to be denoted by the specially designed pictogram. „Thereby in future the consumer can immediately recognise such a location wine”, explains Lorandi.

The location concept

Behind the location concept lies the recognition that the grape and wine quality is influenced primarily by the soils and microclimate as well as the sea level, the slope inclination, the sun exposure, the thermal lift, the air circulation and the precipitation.

The 11 locations in Eppan: