Peter Rizzo can’t resist dropping a Latin proverb when we broach the subject of terraced, sun-drenched vineyards planted at elevated altitudes. “Bacchus amat colles,” the co-owner of Naples’ Nat Nat wine bar says. The god of wine loves hills. “The Romans weren’t just empire builders; they were cultivators,” he tells me. “They knew the best vineyards weren’t on valley floors but up in the hills.”
For centuries, winemakers have intuitively understood that elevation shapes a wine’s character, but in a few, thin-air regions, vintners push that maxim to greater heights. From the foothills of the Andes and the Alps to the volcanic slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna, farming at high altitude brings extreme challenges and exceptional rewards, yielding richly hued, expressive wines with remarkable balance and food-friendly acidity.
As warming temperatures stress traditional wine regions with earlier ripening, growers look to expand their terroir. High-altitude estates may provide a template for vintners who are increasingly following the Romans’ lead, exploring how elevation’s natural advantages—from cooler temperatures to dramatic diurnal shifts—can craft distinctive wines for the future.
Courtesy Domäne Wachau
wachau region hillside winery
Wines produced at high altitude harness a unique combination of intense sun and cooler temperatures to yield vintages with exceptional finesse, concentrated fruit and food-friendly acidity.
Exactly what constitutes high altitude varies by region. In Napa, mountain AVAs like Mayacamas and Pritchard Hill peak around 2,400 feet above sea level. That same elevation would be considered low in Mendoza, where premier Argentine estates start planting at around 3,000 feet as they compete to see who can go highest in pursuit of the most interesting expression of Malbec. These regions are united by atmospheric traits that force grapes to develop particular characteristics to compensate, resulting in wines with distinct advantages.
As elevations rise, the atmosphere thins and exposes vines to intense UV radiation. To counteract the effect, the grapes thicken their skins, protecting the fruit’s juices and contributing deeper color and more tannins to the resulting wines. At high altitudes, vineyards also endure greater diurnal shifts. Dramatic temperature swings between warm, sunny days and cold nights slow ripening, preserving acidity and lending freshness to the wine. “That struggle coaxes out the nuances and character,” Peter says. “The grapes are smaller and the flavors are more intense. They’re among the most elegant, harmonious wines.”
At Old Vines Supper Club and Old Vines Mercato in Naples, wine director Zach Bingham pours several high-altitude vintages, including a fresh, floral nero d’avola with velvety tannins from Sicilian estate Tasca d’Almerita and the silky, elegant Grand Malbec from Terrazas de los Andes in Argentina. The South American country is the undisputed leader in high-altitude viticulture, with parcels situated thousands of feet above sea level. “The vast majority of vineyards are at significantly higher elevations,” Zach says. “There’s a famous project from Bodega Colomé called Altura Máxima (‘Maximum Altitude’), where they are growing vines at 10,000 feet above sea level.”
Photography by Christina Bankson
Zach Bingham wine director Old Vines Supper Club
Zach Bingham, wine director at Naples’ Old Vines Supper Club and Old Vines Mercato, peppers his wine list with hidden gems from high-elevation regions in places like Siciliy and Argentina.
Among the most celebrated producers is Catena Zapata, which pioneered the exploration of extreme elevations, and Terrazas de los Andes, which has mastered the art of terraced mountain winegrowing, crafting wines that reflect the purity and intensity of Argentina’s high-altitude terroir. To capture the unique qualities of the mountains, Terrazas de los Andes implements regenerative agricultural practices and precision irrigation for water conservation, preserving the region’s biodiversity. The Grand Malbec is culled from 14 plots across vineyards ranging from 3,500 to 4,000 feet, and Zach recently added the winery’s Extremo Malbec to the list, an herbaceous showstopper that reflects the unique Andean flora of the estate’s highest plots at more than 5,000 feet.
“Argentina and Chile are the most well-known countries for high-elevation wines, but Northern Italy, Austria and Southern Germany all produce excellent, high-acid, flavorful wines at elevation,” Harold Balink, the chef-owner and sommelier at Harold’s in Fort Myers, says. “Valtellina, from the Italian Alps, is made from nebbiolo and blows people away.” Situated near the Swiss border, Valtellina is a tiny wine region of staggeringly steep slopes, held together by short stone walls, that rise up to 2,000 feet above sea level. Its most distinct style is Sfursat, nebbiolo made in the appassimento style (the same method used for Amarone della Valpolicella), in which grapes are dried before being pressed and fermented. The process creates wines with heady aromas and intense fruit, while also concentrating the tannins and acidity that are so pronounced at altitude, lending the wines exceptional balance and aging potential.
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Courtesy Catena Zapata
Harold Balink Harolds in Fort Myers
“These small wineries are not super well-known,” Harold Balink, of Harold’s in Fort Myers, says. “A lot of us wine people drink these wines and have them in our restaurants, but there’s not big marketing behind it.”
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Photography by Erik Kellar
winery stack of wine shelves wine cellar
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Courtesy Catena Zapata
Catena Zapata winery grape vines
The concentrated acidity of high-altitude wines makes them ideal for pairing, Harold says. Valtellina marries well with bold flavors, like roast duckling with grilled figs or black truffle risotto, while another of Harold’s favorites, the grüner veltliner from Austrian estate Domäne Wachau, is a workhorse that can carry a meal from the aperitif through heartier dishes with umami-rich ingredients like miso and mushrooms.
At Osteria Tulia in Naples, beverage director Marcello Palazzi has bottles from Valtellina on his list, along with vintages from other high-altitude Italian regions—a white blend from Friuli in Italy’s far northeastern corner, dark-skinned nerello mascalese grown on the slopes of Mount Etna and fumin, an indigenous red grape from the mountainous Valle d’Aosta. All are relatively small production wineries; the terroir is too treacherous and unpredictable for large-scale, industrialized winemaking. “They’re in beautiful, pristine landscapes. It’s about preserving those areas,” Marcello says. “These wineries are focused on the environmental impact.”
Courtesy Nino Negri
Nino Negri winery hillside
Italy has several wine regions at high altitude, like Valtellina, where steep vineyards are propped up by ancient stone walls. Harold pairs the area’s Nino Negri Sfursat nebbiolo with bold flavors, like roast duckling with grilled figs and black truffle risotto.
Despite their exceptional quality, high-altitude wines remain under the radar for casual imbibers. “These small wineries are not super well-known,” Harold says. “A lot of us wine people drink these wines and have them in our restaurants, but there’s not big marketing behind it.” That could be poised to change as the wine world grapples with rising temps. “It harkens back to the grape as an agricultural product,” Peter says. “With global warming, people are going to pay more attention to this as a place to grow vines.”
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Courtesy Terrazas de los Andes
Courtesy Tasca d’Almerita
Courtesy Tasca d’Almerita