 Alto Adige (Südtirol) is the northern, German-speaking section of the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. The Dolomites surround the valley on three sides where vines grow precipitously up the soaring mountainsides. Apple trees canvas the valley floor with villages. Houses feature decorated balconies and sharply-slanting roofs to fend off the heavy snows. Apples are featured in the cuisine of the region, as well as smoked speck and bread dumplings known as canederli served in a warming broth. Menus in Bolzano, the region’s commercial hub, are often written in both German and Italian, a telling sign that Alto Adige is at the crossroads between Italian and Austrian cultures.
Grapes are grown at dizzying heights under the all-encompassing Alto Adige DOC. White wines are the specialty of the region and tend to be mono-varietal. Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, and Sauvignon are produced with varying levels of richness and texture, but the signature of their Alpine terroir is an overreaching commonality among these wines: minerals, spring water, pine cone, etc. Single-vineyard bottlings are quite common (the suffix “-hof” typically refers to a single vineyard), and occasionally these white wines will receive the mark of new oak. But the influence of Austria is strong, and crispness and freshness are valued above all.
Crispness and freshness are two fitting descriptors for Weissburgunder (aka Pinot Blanc) that is held with great regard in the region. It is poured by tap at taverns and served at the beginning of almost every meal. It is cool refreshment for Bolzano’s hot summers and is the perfect accompaniment to plates of speck and grissini. When allowed to ripen fully, Weissburgunder becomes a much more textural and viscous endeavor with flavors of apples, tangerines, and conifer, yet always maintains the impression of clean, cool mineral water. If you think Pinot Blanc is just a picnic wine, we insist you try Ignaz Niedrist’s Weissburgunder and get back to us.
More red grapes are planted in Alto Adige than white, a shocking revelation for those who think Alto Adige is too mountainous and too far north for red wine production. Most of this is the from the red Schiava grape which results in a red wine with color so pale most will pass it off as a rosé. But these light reds somehow work magically with the local cuisine and one can drink a remarkable amount of the stuff throughout the day and still bring in the herd. Another factor contributing to Alto Adige’s red wine output is the fact that its bowl-shaped valley collects enough heat and humidity to make it consistently one of the hottest cities in Italy during the summer.
This facilitates growing of not only the native grapes Schiava and Lagrein, but also Pinot Noir, Merlot, and even Cabernet Sauvignon. Lagrein is inky black and reminiscent of Syrah issued in two styles—kretzer (rosé) and dunkel (dark)—and thrives in the village of Gries. Cabernet Sauvignon has a cru in Alois Lageder’s Cor vineyard, while Pinot excels in the subzone known as the Mazon.
|
