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Is it possible that a small, secluded, and obscure region in the far north of Italy is the greatest white wine region in the world? Yes. It seems unlikely given Italy’s reputation for potent red wines like Barolo, Chianti, and Brunello di Montalcino. But the Alto Adige, nestled in a couple of vertiginously narrow valleys in the ankles of the Alps, is no ordinary Italian wine region.
The first time I remember having a white wine from the Alto Adige it was a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that was casually given to me by an importer. I brought it to a small café I frequented in my neighborhood, not knowing what I had. The wine’s producer was Cantina Terlano, about which I had no knowledge whatsoever. Turns out it was one of the greatest Sauvignon Blancs I’d ever tasted. The wine, from a vineyard called Winkl, had it all: hints of tropical fruits, a high-pitched grassiness, a fullness in the mouth undercut by a pronounced minerality. It tasted like a strange, succulent fruit, some cross between an apple and a peach grown straight out of a boulder.
I began exploring the wines of the region. First I found the Terlano Classico, a similarly mineral-driven wine, this one a blend of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon (they leave off the Blanc). And over the years I discovered white wines from other producers in the Alto Adige; all were winners.
Also known as the Südtirol, the Alto Adige was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until annexed by Italy in 1919. Under Mussolini, the area was “Italianized” by resettling people from other parts of Italy. To this day, there is a schism between German-speaking culture and Italian-, though most residences speak both languages fluently (road signs are in both). Italy shows up in the lifestyle: the food (lots of pasta) and the espresso/café culture. The winemaking culture, though, is heavily Germanic, which may account for the precision and focus of the white wines, given Germany’s and Austria’s international fame for Riesling.
Despite the region being just on the southern side of the Alps (snowcapped mountains are visible throughout the valley), the climate is quite mild, allowing for full ripening of a great many grapes, both red and white. The Alto Adige’s strength lies in this versatility. With its climate and temperatures dependent on how high a vineyard is situated on those steep, rocky valley sides, the region grows a dizzying number of varieties to near perfection.
So that’s why I want to make the case for the Alto Adige. While there’s no single wine in the area as famous as Burgundy’s Montrachet (made from Chardonnay) or as highly regarded as the great Sauvignons and Chenin Blancs of France’s Loire Valley, no region takes so many white wine grapes so far. Alsace has Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer, but so does the Alto Adige. And I would argue that the Alto Adige’s Gewürz is more consistent and more palatable than Alsace’s.
Don’t believe me? Consider for a moment that the grape Gewürztraminer originated in the Alto Adige village of Tramin (Gewürz means “spice”). Then try J. Hofstätter’s Kolbenhof Gewürztraminer, which is concentrated, perfectly balanced between floral and melon notes, mineral, and beautifully dry.
In Alsace, they call Pinot Blanc a light, frivolous grape, while in the Alto Adige they take Pinot Bianco very seriously. Just try Terlano’s, with its piercing stoniness and forceful flavors. Anyone in Alsace would be amazed by the 1979 version of the wine I tasted, which had grown complex and full like a great white Burgundy. Pinot Grigio? Here, it’s not a cheap, dilute wine meant for art openings and plastic cups. Try Alois Lageder’s for something supremely graceful. And there are other lovely, more obscure white grapes like the light, fruity Müller-Thurgau and the brisk, direct Kerner.
The Alto Adige produces good Chardonnay and Riesling as well, though not on the order of Burgundy or Germany’s Mosel. Red wine is also made here in a lighter style, with grapes from Lagrein and Schiava to Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. But it’s those other whites, made with both German precision and Italian gusto, that make the Alto Adige the first place to turn to when you need a great, great white wine.
Greatest wines in the world? Unlikely. Who is the author promoting?
Jordan,
I don't disagree with ANYTHING you've said of a general nature. (I cannot comment on wines made "[f]rom Cantina Terlano, one of my favorite producers, there were astonishing wines from the 50s and 70s," as I have not tasted them.) That said, I continue to think the posts expressing different opinions from your own DO focus on your use of the word "greatest," rather than on the overall...+READ
Jordan,
I don't disagree with ANYTHING you've said of a general nature. (I cannot comment on wines made "[f]rom Cantina Terlano, one of my favorite producers, there were astonishing wines from the 50s and 70s," as I have not tasted them.) That said, I continue to think the posts expressing different opinions from your own DO focus on your use of the word "greatest," rather than on the overall quality of the wines being produced in the Alto Adige.
Perhaps we need to define "greatest" in a different way. Were I to list, for example, the top - what, 25? -- white wines I have ever tasted, I don't think a single one would come from the Alto Adige. OTOH, I agree with you completely when you write that "the chances of finding something delicious, satisfying and well made from the region are higher for the A[lto] A[dige] than from many, many regions . . . "
Thank you, as always, for posting a column which provokes such thought and discussion.
Cheers,
Jason-COLLAPSE
Thanks to all for weighing on the discussion.
Naturally, my column is not long enough to allow me to expound as much as I'd like. Certainly, I would put individual wines from France, Germany, and Austria over the Alto Adige. But my interest was which region is doing more with a greater number of white grapes and, from that perspective, the Alto Adige is right up there. Alsace is the closest...+READ
Thanks to all for weighing on the discussion.
Naturally, my column is not long enough to allow me to expound as much as I'd like. Certainly, I would put individual wines from France, Germany, and Austria over the Alto Adige. But my interest was which region is doing more with a greater number of white grapes and, from that perspective, the Alto Adige is right up there. Alsace is the closest competitor, but it falls down on questions of consistency.
Certainly I'm not talking about Santa Margherita, but about the smaller, quality oriented producers. When visiting the region a few months ago, I had wines that made me a believer. From Cantina Terlano, one of my favorite producers, there were astonishing wines from the 50s and 70s--Pinot Blancs and blends--that had developed complexity while retaining minerality in the style of a great, mature white Burgundy. The Sauvignons there, like the Gewurztraminer, do a lovely job of finding the sweet center of that grape's potential with regard to balancing acidity and strident herbal flavors with a juicy fluidity and mineral texture.
Of course there are a lot of mediocre wines from the AA, but that's true of every region. Yet the chances of finding something delicious, satisfying and well made from the region are higher for the AA than from many, many regions, including in my opinion, Alsace.-COLLAPSE
i actually believe that the crux of this argument is that this is jordan's view and opinion. it is also mine and to dismiss it and then say "that's my opinion" because one is a wine importer or sommilier or chef is ridiculous. this is what is exactly wrong with the wine business today, arrogant so called wine experts pontificating about fermented grape juice. and just so we're clear, i include...+READ
i actually believe that the crux of this argument is that this is jordan's view and opinion. it is also mine and to dismiss it and then say "that's my opinion" because one is a wine importer or sommilier or chef is ridiculous. this is what is exactly wrong with the wine business today, arrogant so called wine experts pontificating about fermented grape juice. and just so we're clear, i include myself in that description. what makes the business we are in and the world of wine so great is that we each get to explore, discover and appreciate what we want, when we want and how we want. there are crap wines being produced and sold from every region of the world, alto adige and france included.
one can most certainly acknowledge santa margherita for exposing the market to pinot grigio, just as we can thank sutter home for saving a fair amount of great zin vineyards in napa. but we must also admonish them for what they have been doing for the past 10+ years in alto adige. trying to force out the small, independent producers by pushing the limits of the doc is crap. they are not in this for the love of wine or the passion of the region or for the romance of what get's me out the door and on the plane every day. yes, we are all making a dollar or two in this business, no one does it for charity. but for god's sake, santa margherita now has a chianti. garbage is garbage, no matter how pretty the label is or how many dollars you spend with the wine spectator.
if you were to ask martin foradori from hofstatter in tramin, one of the regions oldest family run estates, he would tell you the greatest white wines being produced are not from alto adige or the cote d' or or chablis or loire. he would point to germany or austria as his "greatest" white wine producing regions. i would not, but again, these are opinions and personal tastes. these kind of discussions and arguments are exactly what turns people off to wine and get's them to drink an apple tini with their meal. we all need to get off our high horses and put some good juice into our glasses, no matter where it comes from.-COLLAPSE
1) >>> Obviously Jason must be French... < No, Jason was born in the USA, of Russian-Lithuanian-Polish ancestry.
2) >>> the Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Gewurtztraminer that I've had from the AA was 'spot on'. < I don't think anyone s arguing that point. The Alto Adige produces very fine wines.
3) >>> I can't speak on weather its the greatest white producing region in the world < Yes, but THAT is the crux of the discussion: WHETHER or not the Alto-Adige is producing "perhaps the greatest whites in the world." No one is disputing that many fine producers exist in the Alto Adige, and that their wines can be excellent. The issue surround most of this thread focuses on the use of the word "greatest," and most of the respondents to Jordan McKay's very well-written piece are debating/disputing the use of that word.
4) >>> . . . and the Outrageous mark-ups on French regions . . . < Truth be told, the markups on French wines are the same as they are on Italian wines, or German wines, or Spanish wines, etc., etc., etc. Certainly as a wine importer, all the wines I imported were marked up the same -- one country did not receive higher ("outrageous") markups over any other.
That said, I find much better bargains in the wines of France than I do from the United States. Then again,...+READ
1) >>> Obviously Jason must be French... < No, Jason was born in the USA, of Russian-Lithuanian-Polish ancestry.
2) >>> the Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Gewurtztraminer that I've had from the AA was 'spot on'. < I don't think anyone s arguing that point. The Alto Adige produces very fine wines.
3) >>> I can't speak on weather its the greatest white producing region in the world < Yes, but THAT is the crux of the discussion: WHETHER or not the Alto-Adige is producing "perhaps the greatest whites in the world." No one is disputing that many fine producers exist in the Alto Adige, and that their wines can be excellent. The issue surround most of this thread focuses on the use of the word "greatest," and most of the respondents to Jordan McKay's very well-written piece are debating/disputing the use of that word.
4) >>> . . . and the Outrageous mark-ups on French regions . . . < Truth be told, the markups on French wines are the same as they are on Italian wines, or German wines, or Spanish wines, etc., etc., etc. Certainly as a wine importer, all the wines I imported were marked up the same -- one country did not receive higher ("outrageous") markups over any other.
That said, I find much better bargains in the wines of France than I do from the United States. Then again, that's true for much of Europe -- certainly Spain, Portugal, and (to a certain extent) Italy provide much better values (to my palate) than do the wines from the US, Australia, Chile, etc.
YMMV.
Cheers,
Jason-COLLAPSE
Obviously Jason must be French...
As with the Cuisine of France(butter based sauces) being slowly declined in favour of the fresh, flavorful, simple cuisine of Italy, So too has consumers discovered the Fresh, unpretentious nuances to Itlay's whites.
Im, no expert. But the Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Gewurtztraminer that I've had from the AA was 'spot on'.
I can't speak on weather its the...+READ
Obviously Jason must be French...
As with the Cuisine of France(butter based sauces) being slowly declined in favour of the fresh, flavorful, simple cuisine of Italy, So too has consumers discovered the Fresh, unpretentious nuances to Itlay's whites.
Im, no expert. But the Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Gewurtztraminer that I've had from the AA was 'spot on'.
I can't speak on weather its the greatest white producing region in the world, but I can say that with new palates introduced to wines everyday and the Outrageous mark-ups on French regions, Its likely that more individuals will no doubt discover the AA and its unpretentious drinkability.-COLLAPSE
FWIW, I give a lot of credit BOTH to Santa Margherita AND small producers like Alois Lageder or Tiefenbrunner.
First of all, Santa Margherita drew a great deal of attention to the Alto-Adige, and it was attention that was well-deserved. Just as Gallo is responsible for introducing a great number of Americans to wine in general, so, too, is Santa Margherita responsible for introducing a...+READ
FWIW, I give a lot of credit BOTH to Santa Margherita AND small producers like Alois Lageder or Tiefenbrunner.
First of all, Santa Margherita drew a great deal of attention to the Alto-Adige, and it was attention that was well-deserved. Just as Gallo is responsible for introducing a great number of Americans to wine in general, so, too, is Santa Margherita responsible for introducing a considerable number of wine drinkers to the wines of the Alto-Adige. And, for that matter, Neil Empson is responsible for making Americans realize (for example) that Chardonnay was actually grown in Italy!
From that introduction, small producers were made accessible to consumers -- people who never would have considered a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc from anywhere other than California or France now knew that these were made in Italy; people who never heard of Pinot Grigio became fans and were open to trying others. (Thank God, too, Santa Margherita was so bloody expensive! It made it possible for smaller, and BETTER, wines to be sold for less money, creating a market for these small, quality producers in the first place!) As a result, many small, quality producers came into the US and the wines of the Alto-Adige carved out a serious and permanent presence in the marketplace.
Is the Alto-Adige a "great" white wine region? I honestly don't know. I wouldn't call it that, however. I would call it a "very important" region, one that is very worthwhile exploring (one that would be "your" loss if ignored). But "great" . . . mmmmm, no.
But, that's me. YMMV
Cheers,
Jason-COLLAPSE
i think that the issue with alto adige is this, we need to distinguish between the big coop producers and the small, family run, estate driven wineries such as Lageder or Hofstatter. if you want to compare the wines of santa margherita to sancerre, forget about it. but if you want to compare hofstatter or lageder to quality producers in alsace or the pfalz or the wachau or bordeaux, then that's a...+READ
i think that the issue with alto adige is this, we need to distinguish between the big coop producers and the small, family run, estate driven wineries such as Lageder or Hofstatter. if you want to compare the wines of santa margherita to sancerre, forget about it. but if you want to compare hofstatter or lageder to quality producers in alsace or the pfalz or the wachau or bordeaux, then that's a game worth playing.
jordan is correct in saying that no other region produces the breadth of different, high quality white wines as alto adige. where else can you find chardonnay that rivals many premier cru offerings, or reisling that is on par with the neighbors to the north or pinot grigio worth drinking and holding on to. they also produce the greatest gewürztraminer on the planet, fat and unctuous like the best from alsace but also with screaming acidity and oak that's in balance. in no other wine region anywhere can you drink so many different, high quality white wines.
i will in no way claim that alto adige sauvignon is better than sancerre or pouilly. i will in no way claim that alto adige chardonnay is better than grand cru burgundy. but to not at least acknowledge it as one of the great white wine producing regions is a mistake. plus, to not discuss and give credit to alto adige's historical and burgeoning quality level versus price value, would be another, huge mistake.-COLLAPSE
Uh, Jordan . . . no.
While there certainly ARE several excellent wines produced in the Alto-Adige, there is simply NO WAY that I would even consider this wonderful region to be home of the world's greatest white wines. Maybe it is your sub-title -- and maybe you chose it deliberately to be provocative -- but I have no doubt (even though palates can and do vary with the individual) that the...+READ
Uh, Jordan . . . no.
While there certainly ARE several excellent wines produced in the Alto-Adige, there is simply NO WAY that I would even consider this wonderful region to be home of the world's greatest white wines. Maybe it is your sub-title -- and maybe you chose it deliberately to be provocative -- but I have no doubt (even though palates can and do vary with the individual) that the Alto-Adige falls far short of "Perhaps the greatest whites in the world."
Indeed, you even come dangerously close to admitting that yourself when you say, "While there’s no single wine in the area as famous as Burgundy’s Montrachet (made from Chardonnay) or as highly regarded as the great Sauvignons and Chenin Blancs of France’s Loire Valley, no region takes so many white wine grapes so far."
So, what you're REALLY saying is that the Alto-Adige comes closest to a "One Size Fits All," at least in so far as white wines are concerned. And that I might not disagree with, even though these are two very different things.
There is no doubt that some people prefer the (general) lightness of an Alto-Adige Pinot Grigio, for example, over the (general) fullness of an Alsatian Pinot Gris. That's fine, but I have no doubt that the more weighty versions that originate in Alsace are (generally) richer, fuller, and more complex than the lighter, fresher, more delicate -- and, to my taste, less complex -- wines that originate in the Alto-Adige. So, too, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and no doubt Pinot Blanc as well. And while this does not automatically mean that one regions is better than the other, I think there would be a consensus -- both among the trade, and among consumers -- that leans in an opposite direction from you.
* * * * *
Andrew, two thoughts --
1) I've honestly found it much easier, over the past 25-30 years, to sell wines from the Alto-Adige than it is dry white Bordeaux, even though -- in some cases, but certainly not all -- the price points were similar. Then again, white Burgundy has always been more popular than dry white Bordeaux in the markets in which I've worked. That said, beginning when Chardonnays from the Alto-Adige could be sold at "full retail" for $3.99, I used to sell palates of these wines to pour by-the-glass in various restaurants in NOrthern and Central California.
2) The wines from the Alto-Adige MAY be more consistent than the white wines of Burgundy or Bordeaux in your experience, but this has not been my own experience. YYMV, and obviously does. ;^)-COLLAPSE
I've found that when you are speaking of imported wines from fairly unknown areas, they always tend to be better than average. I think this is do to the fact that the wine is hard enough to sell as is, if it's not good no one will buy it.
This is not the case with Burgundy and Bordeaux. I've never had a bad Alto-Adige wine (though my experience is limited), but I've had many bad bottles of white...+READ
I've found that when you are speaking of imported wines from fairly unknown areas, they always tend to be better than average. I think this is do to the fact that the wine is hard enough to sell as is, if it's not good no one will buy it.
This is not the case with Burgundy and Bordeaux. I've never had a bad Alto-Adige wine (though my experience is limited), but I've had many bad bottles of white Burgundy and Bordeaux.-COLLAPSE
I've found that when you are speaking of imported wines from fairly unknown areas, they always tend to be better than average. I think this is do to the fact that the wine is hard enough to sell as is, if it's not good no one will buy it.
This is not the case with Burgundy and Bordeaux. I've never had a bad Alto-Adige wine (though my experience is limited), but I've had many bad bottles of white...+READ
I've found that when you are speaking of imported wines from fairly unknown areas, they always tend to be better than average. I think this is do to the fact that the wine is hard enough to sell as is, if it's not good no one will buy it.
This is not the case with Burgundy and Bordeaux. I've never had a bad Alto-Adige wine (though my experience is limited), but I've had many bad bottles of white Burgundy and Bordeaux.-COLLAPSE
I've been to Alto Adige many times and have tasted hundreds of wines from there -- but the "greatest whites in the world"????? No way.
The Alto-Adige producers make a few of the greatest
whites in the world, but by no means is this area more talented or renowned for their white wines than the Loire, or Burgundy or even Bordeaux.
No doubt you tasted some fine whites from Alto Adige, but...+READ
I've been to Alto Adige many times and have tasted hundreds of wines from there -- but the "greatest whites in the world"????? No way.
The Alto-Adige producers make a few of the greatest
whites in the world, but by no means is this area more talented or renowned for their white wines than the Loire, or Burgundy or even Bordeaux.
No doubt you tasted some fine whites from Alto Adige, but taste a few more and you'll discover than many, if not most of the whites from AA, are not world-class. Many of them are very thin, have little flavor development, and are disappointing by nearly every measure against the world's great white wines.
But several producers are world-class, to be sure. They are the exception, however.-COLLAPSE