After having travelled over 6,000 km all over Italy starting from Bolzano to reach the cities of Milan, Rome, Florence, Bologna but also Naples, Genova and Palermo, the Consorzio Vini Alto Adige Roadshow came to a close yesterday in Verona. Eight of the major cities in the boot-shaped peninsula have been involved in the South Tyrolean Wines Roadshow, a series of wine tastings strongly demanded by the Consorzio to reach those operators in the wine sector whose contact with Alto Adige wineries has been lacking due to Covid-19’s forced cancellation of many events.
Backdropped by the Dolomites and Italian Alps, Italy’s South Tyrol—also known as Alto Adige—is a must-visit for wine lovers. With 5.500 hectares of vineyard area, of which 98% is DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) Alto Adige is indeed renowned for its exceptional wines, including the white varieties of Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Müller Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Sylvaner and the autochtonous reds Schiava and Lagrein, along with the highly acclaimed international varieties of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay. 62% of production is dedicated to white wines and 38% to the red.
“We strongly believe in the quality and versatility of our wines, which can be paired with endless types of typical Italian dishes, from seafood to mountain cuisine. Our wines also enjoy great longevity and to allow our Roadshow guests to learn about their ageing potential, we will offer two old vintages in each seminar. This is the objective of the Roadshow: to involve restaurateurs and operators in the sector to discover the great gastronomic potential of South Tyrolean wines” comments Eduard Bernhart, Executive Director of Consorzio Vini Alto Adige.
The last stop in the city of Verona, which was held yesterday at the Hotel Due Torri, in the heart of the city centre, has seen the participation of about 60 operators divided into two seminars lasting an hour and a half each (14:30 – 16:00 and 17:00 – 18:30) who have tasted 10 of the best South Tyrolean wines to discover firsthand the great potential of South Tyrolean wines.
These are the wines of the tasting, which was brilliantly led by the young South Tyrolean Eros Teboni, Certified Sommelier of the Court of Master Sommeliers:
- Alto Adige Valle Isarco Kerner Praepositus 2018 – Abbazia di Novacella
- Alto Adige Valle Isarco Pinot Grigio 2018 Garlider – Christian Kerschbaumer
- Terlano Pinot Bianco Riserva Abtei Muri 2017 – Muri-Gries Tenuta/Cantina Convento
- Alto Adige Sauvignon Quintessenz 2018 – Cantina Kaltern
- Alto Adige Sauvignon Mantele 2016 – Nals Margreid
- Alto Adige S. Maddalena Classico Antheos 2019 – Tenuta Waldgries
- Alto Adige Pinot Nero Exclusiv Riserva 2016 – Weingut Plonerhof
- Alto Adige Chardonnay Lafóa 2018 –Colterenzio
- Alto Adige Chardonnay Riserva 2017 –Tenuta Vini Bessererhof Mair Otmar
- Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Cancenai 2019 – Hans Rottensteiner
The seminar started with a comprehensive introduction on the terroir of Alto Adige and its different soils, climates and aspect that shapes and influences above all the choice of vineyards’s varieties, the grapes’ acidity and ripening. The soil can define the character of a wine and is one of the key parts of a region’s terroir, but it’s the high elevation of the sloping terraces of vines that soar thousands of feet into the sky, with conditions influenced by the Dolomite Mountains, that makes them stand out.
The first wine in the tasting was the Alto Adige Valle Isarco Kerner Praepositus 2018 from Abbazia di Novacella, a St. Augustine monastery which dates back to 1142 and that symbolizes centuries of wine making culture. The monks’ steep terraced vineyards, as well as their completely carbon-neutral winery production facility, are a state-of-the-art wine production site.
The white Kerner variety has origins in Germany but has been grown in Alto Adige since the 1970’s. “Our area is one of the coolest in South Tyrol –explains Werner Waldboth, Head of Sales and Marketing at Abbazia di Novacella – and we are at the northernmost limit for viticulture here. That’s why we can grow successfully German and Austrian varieties such as Kerner, Sylvaner or Grüner Veltliner.” The Kerner grape, a crossing between Schiava and Riesling, produces highly aromatic wines filled with orange, peach, and apple with a medium-bodied palate. The Praepositus (the superior line of the winery) 2018, has a brilliant pale gold color and intense aromas of apple, aromatic herbs and tropical fruits. Full minerally and almost salty on the palate, it is very eloquent in its deep, mouthfilling finish. Perfect for antipasti, and shellfish based dishes.
Interestingly enough the following wine was coming from another important cloister in Alto Adige the one of Muri Gries Winery named after the town in Switzerland from where in 1845 the Benedictines moved from to take over the Augustinian monastery in Gries, inheriting an ancient tradition of wine-growing, and a flourishing viticulture which they nurtured with the natural harmony and conscious application of their mastership. Today it’s possible to taste a range of excellent wines from their Abtei Muri line, which has been produced from selected grapes from their best vineyards since 1989.
The Pinot Bianco Riserva Abtei Muri 2017 grapes grow in the sun-trapped monastery vineyards in Appiano. The wine has a beautiful straw yellow color and features fruity tones of ripe apple, an exotic touch of citrus with lime notes, with a hint of nuttiness that makes it almost creamy, while keeping a lively minerality and harmoniousness.
As the tasting goes on, I find myself awed by other two remarkable wines. The first comes from a tiny but key area with sprawling vineyards of fully ripened indigenous Lagrein and Schiava.
“Santa Maddalena is one of a kind treasure – points out Judith Rottensteiner of the Rottensteiner family – a small hill rising from the heat of the Bolzano plateau towards the cooler climate of the higher altitudes, and where the indigenous grape Schiava has found a home where she can express herself to the fullest”.
Indeed, while tasting S. Maddalena Classico Antheos 2019 from Tenuta Waldgries a family winery rightly located in the municipality of St. Justina in the heart of Santa Maddalena and guided by Christian Plattner, the attractive, juicy and fresh structure of Schiava (93%), joined by the dark notes of black plums and red cherries of Lagrein (7%) emerges powerfully, while the nose catches rose aromas and some sweet spicy notes.
The highlight of the tasting came in the end, like in Italian we like to say, Dulcis in fundo with the Gewürztraminer Cancenai 2019 by Hans Rottensteiner the Bolzano based family winery founded in 1956 by Hans Rottensteiner. The name of the winery itself comes from “Rot”, which means “red” in German and “Stein”, as the red native stone “porphyry” which characterises the Bolzano soils. The grape varieties are hence warmed by the natural heat that the soil extrudes while being bathed with constant, cooling breezes from Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. The winds shift the hot daytime temperatures to chilly temperatures at night with a diurnal swing of upwards of 30 degrees: on the hilly slopes, as altitudes climb, aromatic grapes such as Gewürztraminer become more resistant to cool temperatures, ripen later, and are filled with bright acidity and minerality.
“The German name Gewürztraminer literally means “Spice Traminer” -explains Judith Rottensteiner – and is characterised by its wonderful aromatic, rich and complex palate: that’s why we make our Traminer in a way that keeps its sweet spice and exuberant character”. The Gewürztraminer Cancenai 2019 is a festival of tropical and delightful flavours: its intense yellow colour is tinged with gold highlights and filled with aromas of honeysuckle, rose, tropical fruit, and spice. It’s floral and juicy but still dry, and on the palate is a powerful explosion of exotic fruits (lychees, passion fruit, pineapple, mangos, ginger and nutmeg. A full-bodied yet delicate wine which reveals a complex personality and dense structure, harmoniously sustained by its lively freshness. The perfect way to end this amazing tasting with a bang and a true real sip of the beauty, enchantment and unrivalled sense of place of this South Tyrolean wine.
