Fancy a glass of Pinot? Whether Pinot Noir or Pinot Nero, we South Tyroleans are proud of our Blauburgunder, so much so that we might say we have adopted it. But how do we actually compare to the global wine world?

To see how well we stack up against the renowned competition, the Sparerhof’s sommelier accepted Daniel Verdorfer invitation to put South Tyrol's wines to the test and travelled to Pavia, the ancient capital of the Lombards.

With its windy climate, the hilly landscape of Oltrepo Pavese is Italy's Pinot capital. This is where the Odero family of the Frecciarossa winery has been growing Pinot Nero for 100 years, making them a pioneer in Italy. The winery is therefore the perfect place to study and savor the grape variety and all its facets.

The benchmark remains Burgundy of course, and while Meo Camuzet and Company were unfortunately not present, we were able to get a good impression of their entry-level and mid-range wines. Duband, Vincent Bouzereau, MIA have a beautiful approach, well-balanced acidity, cooler flavours ranging from bitter orange to rhubarb, while the wines from the New World, California and Australia, seemed broader and more kitschy; reminiscent of bubblegum.

Regarding sparkling wine: Bruno Paillard is still a top champagne (no surprises there). While in Pavia, the Oltrepò pavese metodo classico made from 100% Pinot nero from Frecciarossa must be mentioned. With a broader but well- balanced approach, the wine is persistent with a clear flavor profile.

And the South Tyroleans? We tasted with Vinery Rohregger and Vinery Tiefenbrunner, two South Tyrolean producers with different approaches.

The two producers work out the flavors of Pinot Noir according to their requirements of complexity and accessibility. While Rohregger creates complexity through a slight reduction, Tiefenbrunner's idea remains an acid-based and primarily and secondarily fruity Pinot Noir, well elaborated and ready to drink.

So what's the conclusion? How do we compare internationally? The fact that South Tyrolean Pinot Noir is a force to be reckoned with has now been recognised everywhere. While two winegrowers cannot speak for an entire region, an exciting picture presents itself: a multitude of differing ideas and visions of winemakers meet in a small and diffused region (where every winemaker appears to be every others neighbor...), so that every vintners product differs uniquely from the next.

While it is not very useful to compare the diversity of South Tyrolean styles on the basis of three or four wines with the international wine world, I believe that there is no place in the world where the differences are greater than in South Tyrol. And if you are still unconvinced, you are welcome to compare them yourself. The Sparerhof wine list showcases these differences and has recently been supplemented with some new additions.