South Tyrolean Quality Products

South Tyrolean specialities like smoked ham and wine have a long tradition, and a passion for delicious and healthy food has always been practised here. This is reflected in years of carefully preserved recipes and in the continuous, uncompromising selection of high-quality basic products. The “Quality Südtirol” seal of quality represents agricultural products and foodstuffs that originate in South Tyrol and that have been tested for quality. On the following pages, we will serve up South Tyrolean quality products and specialities, enriched with interesting facts and many tips for you to use.

South Tyrolean Wine

South Tyrolean wines have a good reputation throughout the world and have garnered numerous awards. The climate is especially mild in South Tyrol and the region’s geography is influenced by 300 days of sun per year as well as Mediterranean air currents. South Tyrol is amongst the oldest wine growing regions in the German-speaking countries. High quality white and red wines are produced from about 20 grape varieties. The three most important varieties are Vernatsch, Lagrein and Gewürztraminer. South Tyrol is very small in comparison to the rest of Italy, but is nevertheless rich in its unique variety of wines. 5,400 hectares of land annually produce 350,000 hectolitres of wine.

South Tyrolean Apples

South Tyrol is Europe’s largest interconnected apple-growing region. One in ten apples produced in Europe comes from South Tyrol. More than a dozen varieties are verifiably richer in taste and have a longer shelf life than their peers from other regions due to the optimal growing conditions.

South Tyrolean Smoked Ham

Over centuries, South Tyroleans have mastered the art of making smoked ham, passing the skill on from generation to generation. South Tyrolean smoked ham is a mildly smoked raw ham with an exceptional taste and unmistakable appearance. The defining characteristic of South Tyrolean smoked ham is its preparation. As opposed to smoked ham from the north and airdried ham from the south, South Tyrolean smoked ham is mildly smoked and air-dried at the same time.

South Tyrolean Milk and Dairy Products

An average of twelve cows can be found on a typical South Tyrolean mountain farm. The milk takes just 24 hours to get from here to the supermarkets’ refrigerated displays. South Tyrolean dairy products are produced especially close to nature and production is based on healthy animals and GMO-free production. Milk is delivered from South Tyrol’s mountain farms on a daily basis and the exceptionally high quality is continuously monitored. It is for this reason that South Tyrolean milk has earned the ‘GMO-free’ seal. Annually, over 90 types of cheese are made using this milk.

South Tyrolean Honey

Over 6,000 bee colonies collect honey in South Tyrol. The honey is rich in natural ingredients and free from additives. South Tyrolean honey features especially low amounts of water and is therefore highly concentrated and rich in flavour. Bees in South Tyrol have an enormous number of blossoms at their disposal. Wildflower, Alpine rose, dandelion and forest are the four predominant types of honey.