Wines of the Alps Sun, Dec 10, 23 | wine Our Favorite Alpine Producers Perhaps you are headed to the French or Italian Alps for a ski trip? I am not, but that won’t prevent me from enjoying the winter with an outstanding selection of wines from the Alpine hills. In September 2022 I traveled to Alto Adige, to visit our longtime supplier, Alois Lageder. I don’t think I really understood the massive influence of the Alps on a wide range of our selection until that drive from Milan to Bolzano. Since then, I have been exploring our selection of wines that come from Alpine regions. The exploration is all about higher elevation, cool-climate wines, and the bulk of our selection are white wines. These wines have a briskness, which gives the mouthfeel a racy quality, acidity is a prominent part of these wines.- Michael QuinlanTable & Vine Ambassador Alois Lageder Winery Founded in 1823, the Lageder family is the benchmark producer of Alto Adige and one of my consistent go-to’s for great wine. We had quite a visit here, tasting the full range of their wines, and learning quite a bit about the effects of our warming planet on a region known for being cold. The Lageder’s fully embraced biodynamic viticulture decades ago and are committed to trying to take great care of their place on Earth and leaving it better for future generations. The wines are made with a level of detail and balance that only comes from hard work. Foradori Winery Tracing roots back to 1901, Elisabetta Foradori is a great winemaker and renown biodynamic farmer, she was thrust into running the estate upon the early passing of her father. Over time it became clear to her that the passion was to dedicate herself to the estate, its vines and the animals she raises. Her children are more or less running the estate now, a bright future from a tremendous foundation. These wines portray and savory quality and energetic balance that I just love. Nervi Winery The Nervi winery, in Gattinara, was bought by Roberto Conterno in 2018 with the intention of producing wines that would be a perfect addition to his traditional Piedmont wines. They are off and running with some spectacular wines in the first few years. The wines here are gorgeous examples with racy red fruit and a gorgeous floral element. Just fabulous! Noah Winery One of the tiniest wineries we offer, these folks farm just 11 acres of vines in two terrific areas of Alto Piemonte. Working with the traditional varieties to display everything you could want to understand about Alto Piemonte! Mineral, racy mouthfeel, red fruit, the ability to age, but a joy to drink. Energy in Vinous formation! La Kiuva Winery This great cooperative winery in the Valle d’Aosta has 50 members, working in some of the highest elevation vineyards in the world. The vineyard work here can only be done by hand; tractors couldn’t work on these steep slopes. This is classic Alpine red wine, red fruit, spice, and a touch of bite in the finish. A great wine for food, especially anything with some richness! By Table & Vine
