Did you know the name Veltliner actually comes from the Italian “Veltlin” of Valtellina in Lombardy! But Gruner doesn’t exist in that area, and most people agree it comes from Austria.
This example is from a cooperative that started with 24 members in the 1960s, But now it has over 130 members! It is in one of the best white wine appellations in Italy is Valle Isarco / Eisacktal. A mostly German speaking region in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
It is a skinny appellation following the valley on the road up to the Brenner pass.
The vineyards get really extreme here and at heights up to and over 950m!
so extreme that wine-making almost got abandoned after WW1 the region was heavily damaged and the vineyards were too labor intensive to make!
The area has a lot of small growers. Lots have a small B&B’s with restaurants serve the wine on site while exporting a little bit. It is a big vacation area for skiing, hiking etc.