The best winter sport ever: Wine Ski Safari in Sud-Tirol!

Would I like to join you on a Wine Ski Safari to the Alto-Adige? Absolutely! My heart leaped just reading the email. Yes, of course I want to!

When I was asked about my skiing level, I didn't quite know what to say. I'd skied years ago. In Zoetermeer. Does that count? After a few calls back and forth with the PR agency, a few lessons at the ski slope in Rotterdam-Alexander, it's finally happening: I'm going skiing in the Dolomites. And not just any skiing, no, skiing and wine tasting!

Every year, the Alta Badia ski area organizes a Wine Ski Safari, and this year I participated. Check out the video to see how I did ( link ).

Wine Ski Safari in Alta Badia

Wine tasting at an altitude of 2,000 meters. Up and down the slopes, from ski hut to ski hut where a line of producers await with their finest wines. This is the Wine Ski Safari, or " Dé dl Vin " in Ladin, South Tyrol's third language. Once you're at the top of the slopes, I can't think of a better location for a wine tasting. Sun, wine, snow. This is amazing!

There are around sixty wines to sample in total, from crisp bubbles to beautiful reds from local favorites like Lagrein and Schiava. I'm struck by the fact that Pinot Grigio, so popular on Dutch terraces, is barely listed. No problem. I'm much happier with Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and Kerner—a grape variety of German origin that has found its home in Alto Adige.

Even inexperienced skiers can enjoy themselves here. There are plenty of blue and red slopes where you can whizz down the slopes in style. The advantage is that the Wine Ski Safari is held at the end of the season, so the slopes are much less crowded. March 20, 2022 this epic party on the slopes will be celebrated once again.

Mahatma cellars & hotel La Perla

“I saw her for the first time in 1996 and it was love at first sight."

No, this isn't about a woman, but about a wine cellar. The Mahatma Cellar, located in Hotel La Perla in Corvara, is unlike anything you've ever seen. Why Mahatma? Mahatma means "great soul" in Sanskrit, and once inside, you'll immediately understand what it means: bottles, loads of bottles. Over 28,000, including the largest Sassicaia collection. Here, passion, wine, music, and, well, yes: craziness all converge. Upon entering, we have to put on glasses to "see the world from a different perspective." A beautiful life lesson.

I can only describe the Mahatma cellars as a wine lover's heaven. The cellar is divided into several themed rooms. Owner Michil Costa spared no expense. This becomes clear when we enter the champagne room. Have you ever seen dancing champagne bottles?

Check out the video below and turn on your sound…

Michil Costa is also a big fan of Tenuta San Guido, the Tuscan winery that became famous for Sassicaia and put Bolgheri on the map. As befits a big fan, he always keeps 2,000 bottles in stock.

Here lies the largest private collection of this Super Tuscan. Every vintage (except 1969 and 1973) is represented. My wine heart leaps again. The room darkens, and the wall before us—covered with bottles—is illuminated. A kind of Pac-Man ball appears, slowly moving toward the center. All this is accompanied by dramatic music. When the ball reaches the center, a hatch opens, revealing, yes, the first vintage of Sassicaia.

It doesn't stop there, you know. After the Burgundy tunnel, we come to a small room full of noble sweet wines, including Château d'Yquem 1937. The last room is filled with Grands Crus Classés from the Médoc and also Château Petrus.

It's clear they love Sassicaia here. Even in the hotel restaurant, you'll stumble over bottles. The hotel is home to La Stüa de Michil, which has held a Michelin star since 2002. We enjoyed a winemaker's dinner with Abbazia di Novacella and Kellerei Kaltern.

Abbazia di Novacella has existed for centuries. Founded by monks in 1142, it is one of the oldest wineries in the world. Castello di Brolio , also Italian, was just a year earlier. The vineyards of Abbazia di Novacella are the northernmost in all of Italy. Combined with the altitude and mineral-rich soil, you can imagine the kind of wines that produces. I loved the Sylvaner. It's their only wine that is partially fermented and aged in barrels. Not oak, but acacia – it's slightly softer and less tannic.

Then there's Kellerei Kaltern, a winery operating since the beginning of the last century. They recently launched a new project called XXX, which stands for eXplore – eXperiment – ​​eXclusive. This allows them to push the boundaries with unusual techniques and grape varieties. We tasted the Pinot Grigio (finally a Pinot!). The wine owes its pink color to the two weeks of skin maceration and aging in a ceramic egg. The flavor, however, is quite different. If you were to taste this from a black glass, you'd think it was white wine.

Winter sports in the Dolomites: a wine lover's dream

Whether you can ski or not, if you love wine, you have to go here. This trip has made me want to go skiing again next year. It also taught me more about the wines of the Alto Adige region. The northern location produces fresh, pure wines, both white and red. I'm a fan.

Practical information

Also going on a winter sports holiday in the Dolomites? We stayed in Naturhotel Miraval . This hotel also has a wellness center (though I didn't check it out) and a restaurant (which it does have and was excellent). We flew into Innsbruck, and from there it was about a 2.5-hour drive.

Check these websites for more information:

• Alta Badia (specifically Wine Ski Safari )
• Visit Sued Tyrol

With great thanks to BuroSix for the invitation!