Cantina Tramin (Alto Adige, Italy)

Cantina Tramin, in the village of Tramin, is the home of Gewürztraminer – and one of Italy's great white-wine producers.

When looking for new wineries in Alto Adige, Hannes tasted wines from many different producers, but Cantina Tramin stood out for the quality and purity of its whites. The wines combine intense varietal character with remarkable freshness, minerality and a firm alpine acidity. Hannes visited the winery personally in 2019, which confirmed our impression that this is one of the producers we wanted to have in the WPS portfolio.

Alto Adige, or Südtirol, lies at the northern end of Italy, bordering Austria, where Alpine climate, high-altitude vineyards and Mediterranean sunshine meet. Cantina Tramin's vineyards are spread around the village and into the surrounding hills, with soils ranging from limestone and gravel to volcanic porphyry. The large differences between warm days and cool nights allow the grapes to ripen slowly while retaining excellent acidity – a key reason why the wines are both aromatic and remarkably fresh.

Cantina Tramin is one of Alto Adige's oldest wine cooperatives, founded in 1898, and today brings together several hundred small family growers. Many of these growers cultivate only a few hectares, often vineyards that have been in their families for generations. This structure gives Cantina Tramin an unusually intimate connection to its vineyards despite the size of the cooperative.

The winery's philosophy is to preserve the natural aromas and character of the grapes, using technology carefully rather than allowing it to dominate the winemaking. The result is a range of wines that are remarkably pure and expressive, from Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and, of course, Gewürztraminer.

Tramin and Gewürztraminer

The village of Tramin gave its name to Traminer, one of Europe's oldest grape varieties and the ancestor of many modern varieties. The particularly aromatic form, Gewürztraminer, has become the region's signature grape.

Tramin's cool nights and long growing season are particularly well suited to the variety. The grapes can develop their characteristic floral, exotic and spicy aromas while retaining the acidity necessary to give the wines freshness and elegance. The result is a style of Gewürztraminer that is aromatic and generous, but never simply heavy or sweet.

The estate's flagship Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer has for many years been regarded as one of Italy's benchmark examples of the variety. And the accolades continue: recent vintages have received 95 points from Falstaff, 96 points from DoctorWine and 93 points from James Suckling, while the late-harvest Terminum has reached an extraordinary 100 points from Le Guide dell'Espresso.

The quality is by no means limited to Gewürztraminer. Cantina Tramin's Stoan, a sophisticated blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer, received 97 points from Decanter for the 2024 vintage, while the estate's Troy Chardonnay has also achieved scores as high as 97–98+ points from leading international and Italian critics.

For us, Cantina Tramin is a perfect illustration of what makes Alto Adige white wines so special: intense aromas and plenty of flavour, but always balanced by alpine freshness, minerality and acidity. These are wines that are immediately enjoyable, but also have the structure and purity to develop beautifully with age.