Alto adige wine clip summary january 2014

Date: 1/1/2015 Print Audience: 944,191 Online Audience: 4,200,151 Page Count: 1/3

Food & Wine

Date: 1/1/2015 Print Audience: 944,191 Online Audience: 4,200,151 Page Count: 2/3

Food & Wine

Date: 1/1/2015 Print Audience: 944,191 Online Audience: 4,200,151 Page Count: 3/3

Food & Wine

Date: 1/6/2015 Print Audience: 439,731 Online Audience: 20,500,550 Page Count: 1/2 Chicago Tribune

Like many people, I had long thought that the various varieties of pinot grapes (and their wines), such as pinot grigio or pinot blanc, were mutations of a parent grape, pinot noir. They are not; all pinots, including pinot noir, are clonal offspring of a vine called simply "pinot," as Jancis Robinson points out in her extraordinary tome, "Wine Grapes.“ There are more than 1,000 registered clones of pinot, according to Robinson. Why so many pinots? Clonal diversity is always explained by time; pinot has been with us for more than 2,000 years. The "black, white, gray" declension of pinot into, respectively, pinot noir, pinot blanc, pinot gris (to use just the French; the names appear of course in other languages) is helpful, but it is possible to find all three colors on a single vine. Striped grapes have been observed!

Funny, pinot blanc isn't actually white when ripe (it's a golden green); pinot gris isn't gray at all (but decidedly pink); and pinot noir isn't black but rather resolutely blue-black.

Date: 1/6/2015 Print Audience: 439,731 Online Audience: 20,500,550 Page Count: 2/2 Chicago Tribune

Why use "black" at all? Because winemakers all over the world call dark grapes "black" and lighter grapes "white." Grapes that are neither very dark nor quite light-colored, be they orangish, coppery or pink, such as pinot gris or sauvignon gris, get called "gray.“ Even given pinot's clonal diversity, individual pinots nonetheless mutate. For example, pinot blanc is a mutation of pinot gris; pinot gris itself a mutation of pinot noir. Pinot meunier, famed in Champagne, apparently is a free-standing clone, which may explain why the French often call it simply "meunier.“ t gets its cool name from the French word for "miller," the person who grinds grain, because of the way the underside of its leaves looks dusted with flour when the grapes are ripe. (When you cook sole a la meuniere, you cook it as would the miller's wife, dredged in flour before sauteing it in butter.)

I decided to compound all these oddities by finding for you some even odder pinots to recommend as well-made and delicious wines. We know pinot blanc, for example, as a still wine, but there are fine examples of sparkling pinot blanc too. Pinot meunier rarely shows up outside of Champagne, and even more rarely as a nonsparkling, or still, red wine. But California has some winemakers doing well by it in that fashion.

Pinot grigio (the Italian for "pinot gris") has been bastardized so badly by Italian winemakers that it's odd to find actually good examples of it from there; they happily happen. And pinot noir exists without the "noir," when made as a white wine. All the winemakers had to do was quickly remove the grape skins on crushing them. Some wonderful white pinot noir is being made. And as for fine European pinot noir, it need not come from only the Cote d'Or of Burgundy nor always cost in the three digits. Southern Burgundy makes some delicious red pinot, as do, oddly enough, other places in Europe.

So, some pinot blanc first; good Italian pinot grigio second; then some white pinot noir; and finally a couple of delish pinot noirs and fine red pinot meunier.

Recommended 2013 Cantina Tramin Pinot Grigio Unterebner, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: For the same price as some PGs from a blend of vineyards, you can have this single-vineyard version that's way more delicious; different fermentation techniques and less stirring give it real character. $30 2012 Elena Walch Pinot Grigio Castel Ringberg, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy: Again, another single vineyard PG and from one of northern Italy's great winemakers; ripe pear and apple flavors, creamy texture and true pinot gris spice. $26

Date: 1/15/2015 Print Audience: 400,345 Online Audience: 354,487 Page Count: 1/3

Wine Spectator

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Wine Spectator

Date: 1/15/2015 Print Audience: 400,345 Online Audience: 354,487 Page Count: 3/3

Wine Spectator

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 1/9

The Daily Meal

Italy’s northernmost wine growing region is Alto Adige, also known as South Tyrol. Located in the northeastern corner of Italy, this region was part of the Austrian-Hungarian empire until the close of World War I. It is a fascinating region to visit, with an eclectic mix of cultures and cuisines – a intriguing and lovely area we explore on our cycling tours, hiking tours, and ski adventures. The mountainous terrain and the proximity of the Mediterranean combine to create one of Italy’s most diverse regional cuisines. These same influences make possible the extraordinary diversity of wines produced in this region.

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 2/9

The Daily Meal

On a recent visit to the region, I stopped by one of the more well-known wine producers in this region. Nals Margreid is a cooperative of about 140 small growers located in Alto Adige. The cooperative was formed in 1985 by the merging of The Cellars Nalles, established in 1932, and Magre-Niclara, established in 1954. A wine cooperative is a collection of growers who join together to share technology and centralize functions such as production, vinification expertise, and marketing. Cooperatives are typical in this region, where vineyards tend to be small and located at higher altitudes in mountainous terrain. Today, the growers of the cooperative cultivate a wide range of local varieties in over 150 hectares (about 370 acres) of vineyards.

The vineyards of Nals Margreid are distributed over 13 wine growing areas in South Tyrol (or Sudtirol), from Nals, a small town in the north between Merano and Bolzano, to Margreid in the south. These areas vary great in their micro climate and soils, as well as elevations that range from 650 feet to 3000 feet. Don’t let the northern location fool you – this region enjoys an average of 300 sunny days each year. Warm currents from the Mediterranean arrive from the south, colder air from the north is blocked by the main ridge of the Alps.

The result is a significant change in temperature between day and night, allowing the grapes to develop a great balance between fruity ripeness and crisp acidity.

The growers of Nals Margreid use organic methods wherever possible. The overarching principle that drives all aspects of production is the importance of preserving the characteristics of the soil, micro climates, and grape varietals in the wine; the notion the French refer to as “terroir”. Winemaker Harald Schraffl oversees the production of all the Nals Margreid wines, seamless blending of the fruits of a wide variety of vineyards and varietals. The winery produces several blends, varietals, as well as a handful of single vineyard wines.

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 3/9

The Daily Meal

I have had a few Nals Margreid wines here in the US.Masciarelli Wine distributes Nals Margreid at stores here in the Boston area. A few I’ve sampled here in the US include:

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 4/9

The Daily Meal

Sirmian Pinot Bianco 2010 An award winning wine from Nals Margreid, this Pinot Bianco consistently earns 3 glasses from Gambero Rosso. A Pinot Bianco with enormous structure and depth, with aromas from apples to citrus and peach. Creamy, with a salty minerality and fresh acidity, it is an excellent apertif with, and pairs well with light pasta and risottos and fish.

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 5/9

The Daily Meal

Galea Schiava 2011 A very interesting, and relatively unknown varietal from Alto Adige, Schiava is a black skinned grape that carries many names; in Alto-Adige with its dual languages of German and Italian, it is Vernatsch in German, while Italians use Schiava, which means ‘slave’. This same varietal grown in limited quantities in Germany, where it is known as Trollinger.

These wines have been primarily produced for export to German-speaking countries to the north, but just recently Nals Margreid has begin exporting to the US. The Galea Schiava is produced from 100% Schiava grapes which have been cultivated in the exceptional Galea Vineyard. Some of the vines here are more than a hundred years old, and the strict selection process ensures the grapes used in production will result in a top quality wine.

This wine is bright ruby red, lighter in color, with a wonderful fruity nose. It is a very drinkable, lighter wine, with lots of berries flavors that mix with a nice earthy spiciness and a sound acidity. The finish is persistent, with a slight pleasant bitter note. The best pairing for a lighter wine like this with a sharp acidity is an antipasti featuring the traditional mountain cheeses and cured meats of Alto Adige. It would also go well with pizza, or a pasta with meat ragu.

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 6/9

The Daily Meal

Lagrein 2010 Lagrein is a red grape native to the Lagarina valley in Trentino-Alto Adige. A very distinctive, native red with strong herbal notes, it is used in red and rosĂŠ wines. Lagrein grapes produce wines that exhibit a high acidity, and even the free run juice is tannic. In order to produce varietal Lagrein wines, winemakers either age in oak barrels, or for younger fresher wines, process the juice to remove some tannins before fermentation.

The Nals Margreid Lagrein is an intense garnet red, with strong aromas of berry and cocoa.

Pleasant and fresh on the palate, with flavors of dark berry and cherry, and notes of tobacco and mushrooms. Full flavored and dry, with a nice acidity makes it a great wine to pair with game, braises and stews.

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 7/9

The Daily Meal

During my visit to their cantina, I was able to taste a few more of their wines unavailable here in the US.

Magrè Chardonnay A nice crisp Chardonnay, with flavors of tropiclal fruit and ripe pineapples. Well balanced, salty, with a fresh acidity. A nice wine to enjoy with first courses and seafood.

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 8/9

The Daily Meal

Gries Lagrein Riserva Margreid’s Gries Lagrein Riserva comes from the historic vineyards of Gries, near Bolzano.

This wine ages for 20 months in small barriques, mellowing tannins and producing a fruity and aromatic bouquet of ripe berries, cherry and chocolate. Full-bodies and wellstructured, velvety and elegant, crisp and fresh.

A wine to enjoy with grilled lamb, pork, beef and game.

Date: 1/23/2015 Online Audience: 595,751 Page Count: 9/9

The Daily Meal

Anticus Riserva Merlot • Cabernet Baron Salvadori This blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a lovely, elegant red with ripe aromas of ripe forest berries, currants and violets. Nicely balanced, sophisticated, refined tannins and a persistent finish, it would pair wonderfully with hearty fare, like braised or roasted meats.

Date: 1/30/2015 Online Audience: 47,669,118 Page Count: 1/1

The Huffington Post

It's freezing outside, snow is falling, the wind is whipping, and the sun is non-existent. Yes, it's winter. These chilly gray days call for wines that are a little more filling, a little more complex to compliment mother nature, but also the richer, heartier foods of the season.

Warm up and get cozy with my best picks for winter wines.

St. Michael Eppan Pinot Bianco Medium-rich wine that has fruit and orchard notes of tangy green apple. Nice with pizzas and arugula salad with grapefruit sections and shaved fennel. This versatile Italian wine is great for that Friday night pizza party. $13