Alto Adige Wines Invites Sommeliers to Discover Italian Wines at Their Peak

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 7, 2013) - Alto Adige, one of Italy's smallest wine-producing regions, is also one of the country's most diverse. Education is vital to help spread awareness and understanding of these multi-faceted wines. Following the success of the 2012 Master Class series hosted by Master Sommelier, Laura Maniec, Alto Adige Wines has re-launched an educational initiative and expanded its partnership with the Guild of Sommeliers.

In May and June of 2013, Geoff Kruth, Master Sommelier, and the Guild of Sommeliers' Chief Operating Officer, will host the series of Alto Adige master classes in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and Miami.

Each three-hour Alto Adige class (open to Guild of Sommelier members and other wine professionals) will take an in-depth look at the region and include a tasting of 12 wines. This year, master class participants will also have the opportunity to apply for an Alto Adige scholarship enrichment program. Five scholarship recipients (one from each class) will travel to Alto Adige during harvest, taste the wines and learn first-hand from producers and wine growers.

Located in Italy's northeast corner, the Alto Adige region is also known as Südtirol (South Tyrol) stemming from its bicultural Italo-Austrian heritage. Winery names and wine labels can be found in Italian and/or German. A combination of Mediterranean and Alpine landscapes provides an exceptional growing environment for over 20 indigenous and international varieties such as Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Schiava, Pinot Nero and Lagrein.

Geoff Kruth commented, "The Guild is very excited about our upcoming five-city seminar series and competition on the wines of Alto Adige. Our members are always thrilled to expand their knowledge about the world's wine regions and even more excited about the possibility to travel to the region."

"The Alto Adige region is committed to supporting wine professionals in the U.S., our third largest export market. Education is crucial and we want to offer professionals the tools to share their knowledge with consumers. In the end, education leads to greater enjoyment for everyone," commented, Anton Zublasing, President, Consortium Alto Adige Wines.

For more information on Alto Adige wines visit www.altoadigewinesusa.com or www.facebook.com/AAwines. For details on master classes visit www.guildsomm.com. 

ALTO ADIGE / SÜDTIROL WINE MARKETING BOARD
The Alto Adige Wine Board was formed in 1975 by a group of winemaking companies to promote and strengthen the image of the wines from Alto Adige. The promotional campaigns are implemented by the Export Organization South Tyrol (EOS) of the Chamber of Commerce Bolzano on behalf of the Consortium of Alto Adige Wines. The Alto Adige Wine Board is active in Italy, Germany, Austria, England, Benelux, Switzerland and in the United States.

ALTO ADIGE WINES PROVINUS US MARKETING CAMPAIGN
The objectives of the PROVINUS campaign, co-financed by the Italian State and the European Union, are to increase overall awareness of the DOC wines from Alto Adige, demonstrate their versatility with a wide range of foods, and showcase the diverse palette of wines that emanate from such a unique winegrowing region.