Nothing but top quality – optimum conditions for apple cultivation

With its 18,000 hectares, South Tyrol is the largest closed apple producing region in Europe, yet with many small farms.

8,000 South Tyrolean family-run farms are dedicated to apple cultivation. The average farm is between 2.5 to 3 hectares. These areas are often split up over different parcels of land that can be far apart. Fruit growing takes up only 2.5 percent of the overall area of South Tyrol. This lets South Tyrolean apples grow and ripen in premium quality!

The apple cultivation area stretches from Salurn in the South along the Etsch valley via the Burggrafenamt highlands as far as Vinschgau Valley. Eisack valley and the area around Brixen are also home to the South Tyrolean apple.

The cultivation area’s geographic location guarantees the premium quality of the apples: The sunny Mediterranean summers and autumns and rain-laden springs are perfect for apple production. The Alps protect the apple producing region against cold fronts coming from the North and the country is open to the sun from the South. The fruit gains its special inner and outer quality from the 300 days and more than 2,000 hours of sun each year. The average annual rainfall of 800 mm provides a basic supply for fruit growing, although fruit producers have to water their trees additionally during the summer months. During the harvest season there are often chilly nights followed by warm daytime temperatures. A perfect micro climate for premium-quality apples.