Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/859549
{ SOMMjournal.com } 87 Winemaking dates back thousands of years in the area, but it was the building of the Via Claudia Augusta by the Romans that established the towns and the region in the wine trade. The route through the mountains exposed the Rhaetian people—essentially several tribes within the Alps—and would eventually contribute significantly to Alto Adige's being so culturally different from even its nearest neighbor to the south, Trentino. The Alto Adige DOC Alto Adige is a broad DOC for an area covering just 13,100 acres, producing only one percent of Italy's wine. Remarkably, though, 98 percent of that wine is produced at the DOC level. The high elevation of the Dolomite Mountains provides long sunshine hours, while the well-drained soils high in limestone content encourage higher acidity levels. With varying elevations, soil types and aspects throughout the region, more than 20 grape varieties are cultivated, including a few native to the area itself. White grapes lead the overall production in Alto Adige, with Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner (a crossing of Schiava x Riesling), Riesling, Sylvaner and Moscato Giallo offering examples. The town of Tramin lies in the area and is thought to be the birthplace of Gewürztraminer. The native Schiava grape (as it's known in Italian, Vernatsch in German) leads the production of red wine in Alto Adige, with Lagrein (another native variety), Pinot Noir and even Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc seeing production. Alto Adige DOC has a handful of official sub-DOCs including Santa Maddalena, Valle Isarco, Val Venosta, Meranese, Colli di Bolzano and Terlano. Each official sub-DOC focuses either on a specific grape variety or a specific style of wine. The region is unofficially thought of, however, as having seven distinct winegrowing areas within the Alto Adige DOC. Bolzano and its vicinity lie in the southeast of the Alto Adige region as a whole; a valley basin with alluvial soils and lower elevation, it focuses primarily on reds. Valle Isarco to the The Somm Journal and Alto Adige Wines teamed up for an educational lunch at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. Sous Chef Herbert Yuen of Pizzeria Mozza, the acclaimed restaurant owned by the famous Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Nancy Silverton partnership.