Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/859549
{ SOMMjournal.com } 89 Alois Lageder 2015 Porer Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige Onion-skin in color ; pear skin and apricot pit, but it's more about the beautiful texture with a phenolic finish. —A. G. DALLA TERRA Castelfeder 2015 Von Lehm Gewürztraminer, Alto Adige Highly aromatic, with lychee and rose petal leading; the acidity here is persistent and impres - sive for a varietal that can lack a pointed finish. —A. G. LYRA WINE IMPORTS Erste + Neue 2015 Leuchtenburg Kalterersee Classico Superiore, Alto Adige Super funky and grapey in the best way—a perfect match with the salty mushroom pizza. —A. G. OLIVER MCCRUM Tiefenbrunner 2015 Turmhof Pinot Nero, Alto Adige Cinnamon, powdered red tea on the nose; tart rhubarbs and raspberries with spiced McIntosh skin, and earthy undertone and powdery tannins. —M. M. WINEBOW Colterenzio 2015 Lagrein, Alto Adige Juicy, earthy core; red fruits range from fresh cherry to stewed crabapple; fleshy mid- palate and the gritty tannins tangle with the great acidity. —M. M. GRAPE EXPECTATIONS We tasted the Cantina Terlano 2015 Pinot Bianco and the Weingut Niklas 2015 Kerner alongside the antipasti of white beans alla Toscana with olive oil and saba on crostini. ening the richness, especially with the funghi and fontina creation. The naturally high acid in the Erste + Neue 2015 Leuchtenburg Kalterersee Classico Superiore worked fantastically with the sweetness and saltiness of the pizzas, while the fuller-body Schiava created a segue from lighter fare to the more substantial. After an already amazing amount of food and wine, we enjoyed our main course of rib - eye al forno with aceto balsamico, fried potatoes and roasted yams with butter and parmi- giano alongside Tiefenbrunner 2015 Turmhof Pinot Nero and Colterenzio 2015 Lagrein— two very different wines, working with the dish in very different ways. As expected, the Colterenzio 2015 Lagrein met its match in the perfectly seasoned ribeye, and the inherent earthiness in the wine really enhanced the flavor of the meat. The yam may have been the biggest yam ever prepared, and the Tiefenbrunner 2015 Turmhof Pinot Nero was simply stunning with its sweetness and with the salty complement of the Parmigiano. As our dessert of butterscotch budino with rosemary–pine nut cookies and banana gelato pie with hot fudge and candied hazelnuts arrived, the satiated group began to re-taste some of the wines served earlier, each person seeming to prefer a different one—proof of the wide appeal of the many styles and varieties in Alto Adige. Our discussion moved on to the ability of the wines to pair with flavors we were not necessarily expecting them to be able to highlight. With the persistent acidity, no mat - ter the grape, each wine was able to modulate depending upon the specific dish. For a sommelier, these wines are extremely fun to introduce to guests; few wines are as forthcoming as those from Alto Adige in how they adapt with food, and guests love to experience the obvious transformation. We finished with a discussion of how the Alto Adige wines would fit into individual beverage programs and wine lists. The consensus was that these wines have two main benefits: The wines offer great value for the quality they deliver and for their unique - ness; and many of the wines would find a place on a restaurant list at a lower price point than any other wine in a similar category, offering something interesting for guests to try at a comfortable cost.