In the village of St. Nikolaus on the western slope of a valley running north into the Dolomites, the Solva family has been making wine since 1969. Today Dieter Solva oversees both the cellar and a 7-hectare estate, with his sons Michael and Maximilian managing the vineyards. The domaine takes its name from the village and from three generations of accumulated knowledge about this particular piece of Alto Adige mountain terrain.
The Region
Alto Adige, known in German as Sudtirol, occupies the northernmost tip of Italy, bordered by Austria to the north and east. The vineyards here sit at some of the highest elevations in Italy, and the combination of intense alpine sunlight, low rainfall, and cool nights produces grapes with exceptional aromatic clarity and natural acidity. Kaltern, or Caldaro, sits along the South Tyrolean Wine Road at the southern end of this landscape, where the valley widens and the climate warms slightly, allowing Vernatsch and Lagrein to ripen alongside the whites.
Vineyards & Farming
The estate spans 7 hectares across 17 individual parcels with calcareous soils. Varieties include Kerner, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Vernatsch (Schiava), Lagrein, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Dieter's father Josef was a viticultural consultant who introduced Kerner to the region in the 1970s, and Niklas is credited with holding the oldest Kerner vines in Alto Adige. Dieter trained at the prestigious enology school in San Michele, as his father did before him.
Winemaking
White wines are fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperatures with no malolactic conversion and no oak contact, preserving the high-altitude aromatics that define the house style. Lagrein ages in neutral wood. The cellar underwent a modern renovation and now hosts a dedicated barrel room alongside updated fermentation equipment. Annual production is approximately 50,000 bottles.
The Wines
The range spans 13 distinct labels. The Kerner shows nervy citrus and Alpine herb characters unique to the variety. The Pinot Blanc is clean and focused. The Vernatsch (Schiava) is light-bodied and easy, a regional signature. The Lagrein anchors the reds with dark fruit and firm mountain tannins, and a Lagrein Riserva Klaser represents the estate's most ambitious and age-worthy expression.
