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!
Tutorial
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!
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!
Alto Adige wine: regions and focus on 2019 vintage
Have you ever been to Alto Adige? It's one of my favourite Italian wine regions. Alto Adige is based at the foothills of the Alps. Austria has influenced this region so much that the majority first language is German. In fact, Alto Adige is also called Südtirol. Alto Adige is amazing, not only in terms of wine but throughout the region. You can enjoy unforgettable experiences, from hiking to winter sports, and from Christmas markets to thermal spas. Not to mention the food specialities such as canederli, strudel, or spätzle. My suggestion is to visit in different seasons in order to have a full overview of the region. But back to talking about wine from Alto Adige. I'll give you all the info that you need to know about the territory. In addition, I recently took part in an online masterclass about weather conditions during the 2019 vintage (the last available on the market) with Eros Teboni. Great, in a nutshell. I'll share all the details with you. Are you ready? Let's start!
Diano d’Alba DOCG and its 76 Söri
Have you ever been to Diano d'Alba? It's a small village - around 3,500 residents - in the Langhe region, 15 minutes by car from Alba. Diano d'Alba is located 509 m above sea level and it has a panoramic viewpoint. You can admire the Alps, the amazing vineyards and the castles such as Grinzane Cavour, Serralunga d'Alba and Barolo. It's right here that there is an important production of Dolcetto wine. In fact, Diano d'Alba is one of the three DOCGs based on Dolcetto, the others are Dogliani and Ovada. The potential viticulture for Diano d'Alba DOCG is 242 ha (based on data relased in 2017). All local people have a particular attachment to this black grape variety.
Dolcetto – it’s not a sweet wine
What comes to mind when you hear Dolcetto? The Italian translation means "little sweet one". Trust me, it's anything except sweet! Dolcetto is a red grape variety from Piedmont. We've already seen Brachetto. Unfortunately it's very underrated. It has to compete with Nebbiolo (especially from Barolo and Barbaresco) and Barbera. It's not easy at all! Piedmont is a very complex region. It's composed of: 17 DOCG (Denominazione d'Origine Controllata e Garantita);42 DOC (Denominazione d'Origine Controllata). Microclimate, soil, and a lot of indigenous grape varieties are key factors of this complexity. But our focus is on Dolcetto and I want to give you more info. Are you ready? Let's start!
How to become an AIS sommelier: instructions for use
Do you know how to become a professional sommelier? What's the meaning of AIS? I'm continuously receiving emails about this matter "How to become a sommelier?”. So, I've decided to publish a few different articles about the main sommelier associations worldwide. It will a be a real journey: discovering the main characteristics of the associations, sharing a few anecdotes and also talking with some experts. We’ll start with AIS and we'll finish with the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine. In this article, I’ll go into more detail about the AIS.
Wine bottle shapes: why are they so different?
Have you ever noticed that wine bottles have different shapes? Why? Every type of wine has its own bottle. We have already looked at the different sizes of wine bottles. Now, our attention is on the shape! In this article, I want to analyze the different wine bottle shapes, starting with their origins and going up to the glass colors. Are you ready? Let's start!
Tannins: what they are and what their functions are
You can find different levels of tannins in wine, especially in red wines. But do you know what they are? It's time for some wine knowledge! We have already analyzed other wine characteristics such as color and sulfites. Now I want to tell you something more about what wine tannins are and how they affect the wine. They can completely change a wine and the right balance of tannins in it is fundamental to its taste and quality. Are you ready? Let's start!