When most Italian wine consumers think about Italy, they envision the rolling hills of Tuscany or the sun-drenched shores of the Amalfi coast. However, there is much more to Italy and its wines than these landscapes. This month at WSG we turn our attention northward to the land of the Alps and the Dolomites, where a whole other Italy exists. Some of Italy's most distinctive wines come from its far north where alpine viticulture is the norm and snowfall and sunshine shape the vineyard seasons.  Trentino-Alto Adige, Valle d’Aosta and parts of Lombardia form Italy's alpine wine heartland. Here, altitude replaces latitude as the defining climatic factor and centuries of mountain farming have produced wines of tension, precision and remarkable site expression.  Below are 10 things you might not know about Alpine Italy — and why they matter.