You've likely drunk Gewürztraminer wine previously. It's one of the most aromatic grape varieties worldwide. How is your knowledge of Gewürztraminer from Alto Adige? Have you ever tasted it? Gewürztraminer offers several interesting wines from Alto Adige. It's the third most grown grape variety, following Pinot Grigio and Schiava. Its cultivation zone covers 10.9% of the entire wine production area, or 605 ha to be exact. The final style of the wines produced varies according to the winegrowing region and takes into account the altitude, microclimate, and soil. Now I want to share with you the reasons why Gewürztraminer from Alto Adige is so loved. Initially, we will analyse its main characteristics as a grape. After that, we will talk about its typical profile in Alto Adige, with a focus on the different areas, including some food pairings. Finally, we will taste three Gewürztraminer wines. Are you ready? Let's start!
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How to recognise a blind Pinot Noir from Alto Adige
What's the most representative grape variety from Alto Adige? It's a very hard choice. We have already seen that Alto Adige is very fragmented. There are different microclimate conditions, allowing for the cultivation of many grape varieties. Pinot Noir is one of the most famous. It's the second most grown black variety in Alto Adige. The first is Schiava (Vernatsch). Pinot Noir from Alto Adige can result in fine and elegant wines. You know very well how the altitude influences the style of the wines made with this black grape variety. Now, we are going more in-depth about the characteristics of Pinot Noir from Alto Adige. Thus you can also recognise it during a blind tasting. Are you ready? Let's start!
St. Magdalener Culinarium: tasting wines from Bolzano Bozen
Have you ever tasted St. Magdalena wine? It's one of the two flagship wines from Bolzano Bozen. The wine growing area of Bolzano Bozen covers 12% of the vineyards in the Alto Adige/Südtirol region. The wine production is 63% red and 37% white. The main grape varieties are Schiava (Vernatsch), Lagrein, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Blanc. St. Magdalena is one of the most important red wines from Alto Adige/Südtirol. So much that there is a specific event held every two years for this wine. It's the St. Magdalener Culinarium. This year it took place on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September. Two days to taste all the different shades of this great red wine. Now, I'd like to tell you all about the main characteristics of St. Magdalena wine and how cool St. Magdalener Culinarium was. So you can take part in next year's event. Are you ready? Let's start!
Alto Adige wine: when altitude makes a difference
How does altitude influence the wine? Alto Adige is the ideal wine region to analyse this point. We've already explored its main characteristics and its seven wine growing regions (Bassa Atesina, Oltradige, Bolzano, Adige Valley, Merano, Isarco Valley, and Val Venosta). Alto Adige offers a huge range of altitude where the vineyards are cultivated. They stretch from 200 m to 1,000 m above sea level. You can find the same grape variety grown at a lower altitude as well as at a higher altitude. The characteristics of Alto Adige wine from lower altitude will be different from that at higher altitude. Now, I'll share with you all the essential information about the influence of altitude on wine. In addition, we'll compare three grape varieties (Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Riesling) from Alto Adige wines at different altitudes. Are you ready? Let's start!
Degustibuss: the Italian academy to learn about wine
Would you like to learn more about wine in Italy, but you don't know where to start? Degustibuss is your answer. Nowadays there are a lot of courses to help you understand wine (sometimes free courses). You should be careful though because when you chose a wine course, it is like laying the foundations of your house. Get it wrong, and over time cracks will appear. You don't learn about all the individual wines with a wine course, but a method of approach. The best way to learn about wine is to travel and taste, after learning the correct method from professionals. Cristina Mercuri is the co-founder of Degustibuss - the Italian Wine Academy. It was founded in 2018. Now, I want to give you more information about the academy and why it should be your starting point in Italy. In addition, I've put some questions to Cristina. Are you ready? Let's start!