Santa Maddalena

Hike through the vineyards where Schiava is at its best.

Sitting on a sun drenched terrace, you feel like you could be in Sicily. This is Santa Maddalena where some of the best Schiava is grown.

What to expect from Santa Maddalena

Santa Maddalena, or Sankt Magdalener in German, are the vineyards situated on the hillsides above Bolzano. These grapes have some of the nicest views in all of Alto Adige. Wineries on the sun-baked, south-facing slopes produce robust and age-worthy blends primarily of Schiava with Lagrein or Pinot Noir. If you’re looking for the meatier, more savory side of Schiava, this is where you’ll find it.

For some of the finest wines from Santa Maddalena, look out for “Classico” or “Klassisches” on the label, as these wines come from specific villages in the region. You might even see the name of some of the villages, such as St. Justina, St. Peter, Leitach and Kosten.

For single vineyard wines expressing terroir, and normally robust and age-worthy, look for “Vigna,” followed by the name of the vineyard. For example: Vigna Premstallerhof, Vigna Rondell, or Vigna Rielerhof.

Did you know?

In the 1940s, Santa Maddalena was considered on the same quality level as Barolo and Barbaresco.

Hike up the Oswald Promenade to get to the heart of the vineyards of Santa Maddalena and see amazing views of the south. The south-facing, sun-baked slopes are full of geckos, vines, and even cacti!