Bolzano: click to enlarge

In July, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy’s Alto Adige region on a press trip with Cornerstone Communications. Just looking at that first sentence makes me laugh a little, because although it is technically in Italy, there were many times that our little group had to literally remind ourselves that we were in Italy rather than Austria or Germany, or even Switzerland.

Soaring Alpine peaks are constantly in view. There’s a certain Heidi-ness to many of the villages. Almost all the locals speak both German and Italian, any many speak German “first.” Those that speak English mostly do so with a German accent — though many of them also speak with the emotion and gesticulation of a true Italian, which is a funny worlds-colliding kind of moment.

Speck & other goodies!

We were thoroughly inundated with local gourmet specialties, most importantly and pervasively speck (pronounced schpek), a local smoked ham somewhat similar to prosciutto but drier, not quite so slippery, and with a juniper/peppery rind. Thinly sliced and served in heaping platters, I particularly loved it when paired with something like matchsticks of celeriac or a horseradish-spiked cream.

There was also schüttelbrot, a fennel-flecked rye flatbread, somewhat like a stale pita, with a space travel-worthy shelf life. Despite all my efforts, it grew on me. Factor in knödel (savory dumplings), sauerkraut and fruit strudels… Sound like Italy yet?

The food makes total sense, though, when paired with the wines of the region, not to mention proximity to Austria. Crisp, dry whites from Pinot Bianco and Gewürztraminer. A light and fruity red called Schiava (aka Vernatsch) won all of us over, but you probably won’t find much State-side. Pinot Nero is what they’re focusing on, along with an indigenous grape called Lagrein. There were also respectable amounts of Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as some white and red blends.

Alto Adige Pinot Bianco is crisp and fresh — two words we all used countless times. It took me a few days of tasting to get my head around it, because at first it seemed like a fairly neutral wine. Not particularly aromatic or strongly flavored, but then the subtle apple and lemon fruit began to beckon as a welcome refresher on some of the hotter days and in between the other, stronger flavors of the area.

The other reason that Alto Pinot Bianco flummoxed me at the beginning was the price, which according to my very unofficial calculations, averaged about $20. Why would a consumer choose this higher-priced crisp white over the multitudes of lower priced Italian Pinot Grigios? Ultimately, I think, the answer lies in the quality.

Terraced hillside vineyard

The truth is, Alto Adige wine in general is not inexpensive. That’s mostly because the vineyards are almost exclusively planted on fairly steep hillsides (the valley floors boast the majority of Europe’s apple orchards) that are difficult, i.e., expensive, to work. Vineyard altitudes range from 600 to nearly 3000 feet, and in addition to some really breathtaking vistas, you get clean, cool climate, concentrated grapes. This is one reason that Alto Adige wine is generally very good quality; one of the other reasons is the high degree of modern wineries and winemaking equipment that is found across the region.

We were there during the Gewürztraminer Symposium, which was a unique opportunity to taste through I-don’t-even-know-how-many Gewürz from around the world. Alto Adige Gewürztraminer is structured, full-bodied and bone dry, not at all like the exotic, blousy versions from Alsace that Gewürz is most known for. I loved it, but I think it’s not for everyone, though I suppose that’s true of all Gewürztraminer.

Alto Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) can be lovely stuff, offering delicate, elegant, aromatic fruit with an appealing mineral undertone. The region’s other red, Lagrein, is certainly Pinot Nero’s opposite — burly and often rustic with gamey notes. When it’s very good, Lagrein is a sort of cool climate Cotes du Rhone. When it’s not so good, it’s pretty funky.

Hotel Laurin room

We were based at Hotel Laurin in Bolzano, the largest (I think) of the local towns. With its lovely gardens, including a smashing al fresco bar, high-ceilinged rooms, and outstanding breakfasts, I would recommend it to anyone.

Setting out in our van everyday, we hopped from town to town, and winery to winery, meeting some very nice people and tasting some very good wines along the way. I’ll have more to write about several of them, including Hofstatter, Manincor, Tiefenbrunner and more, coming up in Part 2!

(Thanks Chandni — you are, in fact, delightful.)