The German-speaking Italian region of South Tyrol has the best of both worlds when it comes to food, as well as Alpine delicacies and fine wines all its ownLiving in Italy, I have always been surprised by the dazzling variety of landscapes, dialects and regional cuisine when travelling around regions as diverse as Sicily and Tuscany, Calabria and Piedmont. But nothing quite prepares you for a trip to the autonomous region of Alto Adige, or South Tyrol, where even most Italians feel they're entering a completely different country.Stretching across stunning Alpine landscapes through north-east Italy to the border with Austria, the South Tyrol is only an hour and a half's drive up the autostrada from Verona. The scenery is immediately distinctive, with towering mountain peaks lined with pine trees, forests and wooden gabled farmhouses. In shops you'll hear locals greeting each other with a cheerful "Gr�ss Gott" rather than "ciao", as German is the lingua franca here.And rather than booking into a standard albergo, there is a welcoming Tyrolean tradition of farm stays, which has been developed into a brilliant B&B organisation called Red Rooster, promoting sustainable agriculture. A double costs around ?50, including a breakfast of locally grown products, impeccable rooms, and often a pool and free Wi-Fi. Eating out is just as reasonably priced, though be prepared to forgo the usual Italian pasta and tiramisu for Alpine specialities like canederli (dumplings) and tasty strudel. And while locals certainly like their foaming mug of ale in a traditional Biergarten, there are some splendid wines made here, served in romantic Weinstuben, often hidden away in the middle of the vineyards.Driving around for a long weekend is ideal to get a first taste of this unique region, initially to discover the fairytale towns of Bolzano, Merano and Bressanone, though some people then come back for longer mountain hiking and biking trips. Autumn is a great time to go when seasonal fare comes into its own.Motoring up the autostrada towards Bolzano, the route speeds along the floor of a steep glacial valley, planted with thousands of fruit trees, while both sides are covered by a geometric maze of crisscrossing vineyards. We leave behind the lorries heading for the Brenner Pass, and follow a tempting sign for the Strada del Vino that snakes its way up into the hills to Termeno, which gives its name to the fruity gew�rztraminer grape that is now cultivated all over the world. This is one of the Tyrol's most charming villages, and there are more cantinas offering wine tastings along the high street than butchers and bakers.The most well-known viticoltore is the Hofst�tter family, and they present their outstanding wines in a chic designer bar. Apart from the classic gew�rz, they make a superb blauburgunder which is the equal of the far more famous ? and expensive ? pinot noir from Burgundy. We also stop off to try the wines of Elena Walch, one of the most renowned winemakers in Italy. Her winery is a converted manor house, and in the cellar visitors prepare for a marathon session as she produces more than 20 different vintages, from oak-aged sauvignon and sylvaner to the local m�ller thurgau, a light, crisp white, and lagrein, a flinty red made from another regional grape.Fortunately, we are booked to spend the night just a few kilometres away at the Kraidlhof, a farmhouse surrounded by apple orchards and vineyards. While the building looks nothing out of the ordinary, owner Oswald Mayr is also a landscape gardener and he has created a stunning swimming pool disguised as a small lake, which he excavated himself, and planted exotic plants and flowers to resemble a zen Japanese garden. Once a week Oswald sets up the barbecue and guests can join the family for a feast of steaks, homegrown vegetables and his own wine.For dinner, we just walk across the road to Santlhof, a rustic, wood-beamed osteria housed in an ancient cellar and run by Oswald's delightfully eccentric brother, George. Sitting on a shady terrace, we look out over the vineyards where George and his cosmopolitan band of grapepickers ? Brazilian, Moroccan, Moldovan, Bulgarian ? are harvesting the ripe grapes, while in the kitchen his 80-year-old aunt is busy making gnocchi dumplings, and copper pots bubble away with goulash and soup. A glass of his wine costs ?1, a huge plate of pork ribs and roast potatoes ?8.Next morning we head for the baroque spa town of Merano, set against a panorama of mountains. For centuries it was the favoured hideaway for Austrian emperors, Mittel Europa aristocrats and Italian nobility. Today, the town's spa has been transformed into a state-of-the-art wellness centre with a dozen different pools and mud baths, aroma therapy and therapeutic massage using traditional treatments with chestnuts and apples.We settle for the more simple pleasure of a walk along the river Passirio, through the centre of Merano, lined by pastel-coloured art nouveau palaces, grand mansions and a towering medieval cathedral decorated with frescoes. It would be easy to grab a plate of the speciality crispy pork knuckle and sauerkraut at one of the bars and restaurants, in the the maze of narrow alleyways, but we're determined to meet the "King of Snails", legendary local chef Karl Platino at his restaurant, Onkel Taa, just outside Merano.Karl has created a museum dedicated to the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph and empress Sissy, with collections of corkscrews, cowbells, antique lace and porcelain, and if he decides to take you upstairs there are 700 antique doors exhibited, each one with a display of ancient artisan tools that runs to 9,000 pieces. And don't forget the snails, thousands of them, cultivated in a Balinese-style garden and then transformed into intriguing dishes that see them grilled with goat's cheese, or cooked with cep mushrooms or fragrant white truffles.Another must is Pfefferlechner, a rambling osteria tucked in the nearby sleepy hamlet of Lana. The courtyard has been converted into a shady garden covered by trellises of vineyards; inside is a maze of medieval dining rooms, one with windows that look directly into an adjoining stable filled with horses, cows and goats. The portions here are huge, and the ?10 main courses of pork chops, smoked sausages and grilled chicken are often enough for two.That night we book into another of the Red Rooster farmhouses back down the valley, the Haus Winkler, run by a genial apple farmer. The family totally spoilt their guests and are especially proud of their breakfast, prepared ? not surprisingly ? with the best apples you've ever eaten, delicious organic apple juice and a plate of "famous ham and eggs".After this, we drive to what is undoubtedly the most beguiling of the Italian Tyrol's towns, Bressanone, which from a distance resembles an ornate, marzipan doll's house, with the twin onion domes of its lavish baroque cathedral rising high up above the roofs. We arrive just in time for the Saturday morning farmers' market. Mountain farmers sell their fruit and vegetables, wonderful cured hams and sausages, honey and delicious cheeses, but the big attraction is a group of old ladies, gathered around a long wooden table in a rough assembly line, making fresh pasta, then filling it with spinach and sour cabbage for deep-fried ravioli, or stuffed with jam and fried as Krapfen ? accompanied by a chilled glass of m�ller thurgau wine.There are classic beer gardens, funky bars and cool jazz clubs in Bressanone, but we decide to try and track down one of the traditional Weinstuben that are dotted around the mountains that encircle Bressanone.Guggerhof is on a dusty dirt road that winds its way through steep terraced vineyards, finally coming out right at the door of the tavern. You seem miles from anywhere, but there are always cars parked outside as the Guggerhof's kitchen stays open all day, from lunch till dinner, serving rustic cuisine like plates of speck, an Alpine version of parma ham, a strange local cheese called Grau K�se served with onions, oil and vinegar, and the biggest cheese gnocchi I have ever seen ? three of them filling a plate. All the guests are huddled round big communal tables in a snug, wood-panelled salon.Instead of trekking out to another farm, we spend the night just outside Merano at an old-fashioned Gasthof, run by the Haller family who, apart from the small hotel, also have a lively bar filled with local villagers and a wonderful gourmet restaurant, and find time to produce their own wine from the vineyards that surround the house. When I open the window of our room, the vines were so close I could almost have picked a bunch of grapes.You can walk from Gasthof Haller to one of the region's must-see sights, the Abbazia di Novacella, a 1,000-year-old Augustinian abbey that is equally famous for the breathtaking interiors of its 17th-century church as for the award-winning wines they make. And it seems that more visitors come to the abbey's own buzzing wine bar than join the organised tours that lead you through the maze-like galleries and library where the monks live and work.Look up to the hills from Novacella, and you can just about spot the huge swimming pool of the luxurious Pacherhof, an idyllic spot we have chosen to splash out on for the last night of the trip. This farm has been in the hands of the same family since the abbey itself was founded, and today Monica Huber runs the hotel while her brother Andrea makes their wines. Although staying here will cost around ?120 for a double room, this also includes a four-course meal in their traditional dining room. To totally spoil ourselves, we have a hot stone massage in the spa, followed by a relaxing soak in a steaming tub bath. After that, the day ends with a chilled glass of their excellent gr�ner veltliner wine, sitting out by the vineyards watching the sun set over the Alpine peaks.ItalyAlpsFood and drinkShort breaksJohn Bruntonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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