The year began with a dry mild winter, and the first heavy rains did not fall until March. Somewhat early but uniform budding of the vines set in at the beginning of April. May was warm and mostly very sunny, and the young shoots developed particularly well, with the first signs of flowering visible on the earliest sites by the middle of the month. A cold spell at the beginning of June and several days of rain significantly slowed shoot development and also delayed flowering on the late sites. The following months of July and August brought a good balance of precipitation and pleasant temperatures, with nighttime temperatures always remaining on the cool side.

On the early sites harvesting began in good weather on August 26. Towards the end of the month, however, the harvest was interrupted by heavy rainfall, and unstable weather at the beginning of September was a major challenge for many winegrowers. In some cases, it was necessary to bring in the harvest in two phases so as to ensure that only the fully ripe grapes were picked and the required grape maturity and quality could be achieved.

Overall, the 2020 vintage was challenging and called for strong nerves, but consistent yield control and patience during the harvesting finally led to a good result in terms of the quality of the wine.

Cool storage at constant temperatures, high level of humidity and as little light as possible
Cellar temperature: 10 - 15 °C

Alto Adige is one of Italy's smallest wine-growing areas. Located as it is at the interface between the Alpine north and the Mediterranean south, it is also one of its most diverse. Countless generations have shaped Alto Adige as a land of wine, where vines grow on various types of soil and in a range of climate zones at between 200 and 1,000 meters above sea-level. It is the home of authentic wines with a character of their own, with a focus on white wines: About 60 percent of the sites are planted with white varieties and only 40 percent with red.

The high peaks of the main Alpine chain protect South Tyrol from the Atlantic winds and cold northerlies, while the region benefits from the Mediterranean climate from the south. That explains the pronounced differences between day- and night-time temperatures, which are the key to full maturity and elegant wines.

To the south, a number of mountain massifs like the Adamello also have a protective function. As a result, annual precipitation is only about one-third of the average for the southern Alpine foothills, and the number of hours of sunshine is higher. The climatic conditions are not unlike those to be found in wine-growing areas like the Swiss Canton Valais.

When the sun rises behind the mountains east of Terlano on one of the year’s 300 sunny days, it is already high in the sky as the wine-growing area has a westerly to southwesterly exposure. The lower atmospheric density permits more direct solar irradiation with less diffuse sunlight. That increases the difference between the slopes on the sunny and shady sides of the valley.

Microclimate in Terlano
Continental climate (Cfa Köppen-Geiger)

Annual sunshine hours: ø 2135
Maximum temperatures: 38,2 °C
Average temperatures: 12,9 °C
Minimum temperatures: -10,7°C
Annual precipitation: ø 558 mm
Average global radiation: 150,1 W/m²
Winds:
- North foehn: cool and dry down-slope wind
- Ora: valley wind system from the south, bringing in air from the Po Valley