L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano Alto Adige Whites: Simple P relude: Tonight, my wife caught me with my hands all over Fiona. That's what we call our refrigerator. Fiona Frigidaire, actually. Caught in the act, there was no turning back: we made it a threesome. At first, it was all hands, fum- bling, lots of clumsy grabbing. But, nature eventually took its course and, given the situation, we found our way to what we wan- ted: thin sliced speck, a wedge of cave-aged cheese, Normandy but- ter, and a tin of smoked oysters from the cabinet. White wine from Alto Adige spilled from its bottle into big Bor- deaux glasses and, for a moment, connected both bottle and glass with a pretty trail of straw yellow. On so many occasions just like that one, the crisp, clean, afforda- ble white wines of Alto Adige / Südtirol DOC transformed my everyday life with their simple ele- gance, making the mundane spe- cial, if not memorable. The indication of Südtirol in the DOC name reflects the Ger- man language influence in this bi- lingual area of Italy (formerly part of Austria). The Alto Adige/Süd- tirol DOC is a broad one that en- compasses six subzones and no less than eleven principal white grape varieties. The zone's high altitudes and cool alpine nights en- courage remarkably fresh and aro- matic wines. What's more, Alto Adige/Südtirol DOC requires a minimum 85% of the grape va- riety named on the label, though many producers use 100%, provi- ding wine lovers a great opportu- nity to experience varietal wines. With so many interesting prin- cipal wine grape varieties, it's no wonder that white wine production in Alto Adige commands a lead compared to red, approximately 60% - 40%, respectively. For the same reason, exploring Alto Adige white wines can be a bit daunting, especially inasmuch as producers in the region, with so many varie- ties to work with, often make many different wines. So, where does one start, really? What follows is a brief in- troduction to some of the main grape varieties from which white wine is made in Alto Adige, so that you might get a sense of where you'd like to begin explo- ring the region's superb white wi- nes. The Big Four Chardonnay – The main thing to know here is that Chardonnay from Alto Adige is not an analogy for California Chardonnay. You'll find wines made from Alto Adige Chardonnay to be decidedly more crisp and lean. Bottlings run the gamut from fresh and fruity (vini- fied in stainless steel) to more complex (oak-aged versions). Gewurztraminer – Ripe, with exotic notes like lychee, Gewurz- traminer makes aromatic wines that feel plush on the palate and usually sport a higher level of al- cohol. Pinot Blanc – one of Alto Adi- ge's most important white grapes, Pinot Blanc makes wines scented of apple, pear and citrus, often with a nutty taste on the finish. Pinot Grigio – one of the re- gion's most cultivated varieties, wines made in the zone from Pi- not Grigio typically recall aromas of apple, pear, flowers, and range in style from taut and lean to round and rich on the palate. Magnificent Others Kerner – A Trollinger / Rie- sling hybrid, Alto Adige Kerner has something of a sleek character with notes of citrus and tropical fruit. Moscato Giallo – vinified as both dry and dessert wines, you'll find notes of citrus and brown spice. Müller-Thurgau – a hybrid that makes wines with scents of citrus, musk, brown spice and flo- ral notes, and a lively presence on the palate. Sauvignon Blanc – makes wi- nes with a notable intensity, fruity, floral and crisp. Sylvaner – wines with lively acidity, notes of apples, stone fruit and savory herb. Collectively, Alto Adige's white wines have an amazing ver- satility with food. They exalt the simple foods of the everyday ta- ble: Gewurztraminer with spicy dishes; Pinto Grigio or Sylvaner side by side with bacon or cured meats; Pinot Blanc, pasta n' cream; Chardonnay and shrimp, chicken, rice; young cheeses with all. Recommended producers in- clude Abbazia di Novacella, Ca- stelfeder, Colterenzio, Lageder, Franz Haas, H. Lun, Kobler, Ko- fererhof, Terlan, Walch, Zemmer. Coda: Anyway, finishing the speck, cheese, bread with butter, and oy- sters, I look around the room, sud- denly aware of us in it, a snapshot effect: leather sandals on the floor, her ankle socks, candle bur- ning on a low marble and wood table; stacks of books, the Beatles playing in the background. We laugh about always being a bit short of money and about the $163.00 dollar speeding ticket she'd gotten today. I pour a bit more for both of us. And feel lucky. Laptop: SHUTDOWN. Lights out. [Fiona softly humming.] Tasting Note Kofererhof Kerner Straw yellow color refracted with green highlights. Panoramic palate, notes of lime, orange creamsicle, honey and mint. Sub- tle hints of ginger. Some muscle, offers generous structure. Love the harmony and focus, balanced acidity. Long, flavorful finish. WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES JOEL MACK THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018 White wines from Alto Adige are fresh and crisps Chardonnay, Gewurztramier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio and the main varieties of white grapes in Alto Adige

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