From the steep slopes of the Alps, the wines from the Alto Adige region are known for aromatic whites, noble reds, and unctuous dessert wines
The new year is here and we are ready to celebrate! If you’re looking for something new and different this year, you can’t beat wines from the alpine Mediterranean wine-growing region of Alto Adige.
Cheers to the new year
The passionate, persistent wine producers of the Alto Adige wine region nurture small vineyards on steep slopes in the Alps near the Italian-Austrian border. Thanks to its unique location, soils and climate—where sunny Alpine mountain slopes meet warm Mediterranean valleys—the Alto Adige region produces a noteworthy spectrum of more than 20 fruit-forward grape varieties. The region is known for fresh aromatic whites, noble reds, and unctuous dessert wines – almost all of which are authenticated DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) quality.
Wines for your celebratory feast
Given the range of wines produced in the Alto Adige region, you’re sure to find the right pairing for your holiday feast. Planning an Italian ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’ for your Christmas Eve celebration? Pinot Grigio from the region is versatile, full-bodied, well-rounded and fruity—an excellent pairing with any Italian cuisine, including fish. Fruity Sauvignon Blanc from Alto Adige is typified by notes of gooseberry, passion fruit, elderberry and blackcurrant. Ranging from crispy and fresh to voluminous and intense, it pairs with aperitif, fish, vegetable dishes and goat cheeses. Pinot Blanc from Alto Adige is distinguished by fruity freshness, particularly an elegant scent of apple, pear and lemon. With lively acidity and fruity finesse, the wine pairs well with aperitifs, appetisers and seafood.
For meat lovers, Chardonnay from Alto Adige pairs well with white meats and Italian cuisine and has fine acidity and an elegant interplay of exotic aromas with flavours of pineapple, banana, apple, pear, citrus fruit, vanilla and butter. Carving into a roast of prime rib? Try something different with the indigenous Lagrein variety from Alto Adige, renowned for its velvety fullness and soft acidity with spicy tones. Lagrein pairs well with game, beef and aged cheeses. The crème de la crème of Italian Pinot Noir from Alto Adige is soft and elegant, with the intense scent of berries; it pairs well with game, lamb and aged cheeses. Soft, sensuous Merlot from Alto Adige is a full-bodied fruity Bordeaux, unfolding intense aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, plum and spices, and pairing with veal, game, beef and aged cheeses.
Serving a pan-Asian feast? For those who prefer white, make sure you pour a glass of Gewürztraminer, which is renowned for its spices, tropical aromas, luxuriant texture, and pairs well with flavours typically found in dishes across Asia.
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This post is sponsored by Alto Adige Wines