In the Valley of Apples, Trentino breaks Italy's wine obsession

The Financial Times recently published a postcard from Val di Non, describing the valley as a delicious aberration in a country obsessed with grapes. The piece highlights how the region's focus on apples, cider-making and strudel production sets it apart from Italy's dominant wine-tourism economy, drawing foreign visitors seeking something beyond the Tuscan and Piedmontese vineyard narratives that dominate international travel coverage.

For Trentino-Alto Adige, the attention reflects a broader shift in how foreign media and travellers perceive the region's economic identity. While South Tyrol and the Trentino valleys have long marketed themselves as Alpine destinations, the international travel press increasingly recognizes the region's bilingual, Austro-Hungarian agricultural heritage as a distinct product. Val di Non's apples—the valley produces roughly 10 percent of Europe's supply—and its cider traditions represent an agritourism model that differs markedly from the wine-estate tourism that dominates central Italy.