La Dolce Vita Wine Tours

The Alps
A walking & wine tour in the Italian Alps

It's The Sound of Music meets Sideways! This hiking tour takes place in the lower slopes of the Italian Alps. Fortunately for thirsty hikers, this is one of Italy's premiere wine regions. Vineyards lining the Adige River valley grow aromatic grapes like gewurztraminer and sauvignon blanc, and luscious reds like pinot noir and lagrein. This part of Italy, called Alto Adige, is infused with an Austrian feel -- in its alpine architecture, cuisine, and Germanic language. Explore its spectacular scenery with morning hikes (3-4 hours/day) on breathtaking mountain ridges, through vineyards, orchards, and quaint towns, and cap each day with a wine tasting.

Highlights:
• Wine estates: Tieffenbruner, Cantina Terlano, J. Hofstatter & more
• Walking: 3-4 hours (7-10 miles) on mountain trails and country lanes
(LEVEL: Intermediate)
• Visit the towns of Caldaro, Merano & Tramin
• Hike the mountains pass of Mendola, ride the funiculars, and crest alpine ridges

2009 dates: August 30 - September 5
Cost: $3,195 [7 days/6 nights]; single room supplement $350.
Save $150! Book by January 31 for an Early Bird Discount.

Meet: Trento
Depart: Bolzano

Day 1 - Lake Caldaro loop
This tour explores two sub-zones of Alto Adige: Lake Caldaro and Merano. Both were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918, when the area was ceded to Italy. After a pick-up at the Trento train station (where you might arrive from Verona, only an hour away), we'll begin our loop hike. You'll walk amidst vineyards and apple orchards on the valley floor to the alpine lake of Caldaro. Here we'll have our welcome lunch at a farmhouse restaurant affiliated with the Manicor winery, dining on a mix of Italian and Austrian fare, such as speck (smoked ham), crisp pickles, and dense brown bread. Afterward, we complete the loop back to town, walking through a crazy quilt of vineyards. Our first wine tasting is either the Cooperative of Caldaro or the Cooperative of San Michele Appiano, two of the many wine cooperatives typical of this region. Dinner is at the hotel, a beautiful 17th century Austrian-style palazzo. L, D

Day 2 - The Mendola Pass
Today's loop hike begins with a funicular (cable-car) ride up to the Mendola Pass (4,500'). One hundred years ago, the Passo della Mendola was one of the most popular vacation spots for the Austro-Hungarian nobility, and Emperor Franz Joseph inaugurated this funicular to provide a more elegant means of ascending to the alpine pass. Our hike begins at the top of the funicular and follows the mountain ridge to an alpine cafe for lunch. (Forst beer, anyone?) Then the path dips down the far side of the mountain to the village of Rufre, and we return by funicular. Our afternoon tasting is at J. Hofstatter, a family-run winery that's a consistent prize-winner with a delicious line-up of wines. Dinner is at an enoteca near Bolzano. B, D

Day 3 - Along the ridge from Caldaro to Tramin
Charming alpine villages and a steady view of the Adige valley are featured on today's point-to-point hike. Passing through woods and along the marked wine roads (weinstrasse) , we'll end up in Tramin (Termeno in Italian), a picturesque village where the grape gewurztraminer was possibly born. Here we'll visit the esteemed Tieffenbrunner, a family-run winery that consistently picks up Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso and makes one of the best pinot grigios around. Dinner is at a restaurant with a lovely terrace overlooking Lake Caldaro. B, D

Day 4 - Apple orchards & ancient canals
Today's point-to-point hike follows an old irrigation canal built in the 1700s by the local monks. Beginning in the town of Lana, the gently rolling path goes through vineyards and apple orchards, passing aqueducts, water wheels, and educational signage until our final destination at Toll and the Adige River dam. We'll then shuttle to Merano and check into our hotel, situated in the center of town. There will be free time in the late afternoon to explore Merano, with its scenic river walk and shop-lined porticos. Dinner is outside of town. B, D

Day 5 - Alpine trails in Merano
Today and tomorrow we go up in the Alps for some panoramic scenery. Today's hike is around the ski resort called Merano 2000. From our trailhead at the base of a funicular, we ascend along the paths of Mt. Naifjoch to reach the mountain resort of Gsteier, where we have a bite, then continue to the intermediate funicular station. If time permits, we can ride the funicular to the top of the mountain (6,000' elevation). Before dinner, we'll have an informal wine tasting on the hotel patio, sampling an array of wines from Trentino, the southern half of the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Dinner on your own in Merano. B

Day 6 - Dolomite vistas
Yesterday we explored the eastern mountains of Merano; today we go west. Again our day starts with a van shuttle to the nearby funicular in Lana. Our cable-car will take us 6,000 feet up Mt. Saint Vigilio to our trailhead. Today's loop hike is through thick pine forests, past grazing cows, and over spectacular mountain tops. After lunch at a rustic mountain resort, we descend by funicular. The afternoon takes us to a wine tasting at Cantina Terlano, located near the eponymous town. Founded in 1893, this is one of Alto Adige's oldest cooperatives and one of its best. It offers three lines of wines, with stellar bottlings of gewurtraminer, pinot bianco, lagrein, merlot, and pinot nero. Dinner is at an elegant restaurant in Merano. B, D

Day 7 - Buon viaggio!
A shuttle to the Bolzano train station and assistance with your travel plans. B

For more tour photos, click here
For GoogleMap, click here