Trink Magazine | St. Magdalener represents perhaps the most powerful and structured of the many Vernatsch expressions in Alto Adige and constitutes an important part of the region’s identity. By Simon Staffler
As a certified sommelier, Simon Staffler sniffs his way through the wine world - predominantly that of Italy – tasting, texting and teaching for Falstaff Magazine as well as many others. As a passionate cook he can never leave a good plate standing, and is willing to travel miles for a special wine or ingredient. A self-declared jack-of-all-trades, he fronted the band VINOROSSO for 10 years, has been known to add his two cents as a talk host on a local radio station, and has launched a beer brand with friends. Simon Staffler has been working for Wineline International since 2017. He lives in Merano downtown, Südtirol.
My first, late spring 2018 visit with Marlies and Martin Abraham in their cellar on the edge of Eppan-Appiano proved an inspirational personal discovery. A young couple leaves behind former professions to follow a vinicultural dream of activism in the vineyard and minimalism in the cellar, becoming the first to vinify and bottle wine from the vineyards they have inherited: In itself, that story is nowadays (thankfully) far from unusual. But in Südtirol-Alto Adige, it’s an audacious exception. Moreover, I was amazed by how distinctly delicious were Abrahams’ interpretations of each among the four grape varieties they chose to champion, especially considering…...
Kalterersee is Alto Adige-Südtirol’s oldest DOC zone, and the most fragrant and floral expression of Vernatsch in the region.
Riesling is Poland's second most popular grape. Its lure is proving irresistible not only in Zielona Góra and Lower Silesia but also the cooler Lublin region in eastern Poland.
The view from the Gasthaus patio across the South Tyrolean valley is framed by lush vegetation and floral splendor. Three weeks ahead of schedule, nature has already reached peak blossom and seems literally bursting with fertility. Wherever you look, all that can grow, does. Bees buzz, butterflies flutter, and the inn is teeming long before even the first wave of spring tourists. The regional charcuterie board arrives with a bottle of Gewürztraminer, amplifying the unrelenting sensory euphoria of flowers, landscape, sunshine, and speck. Skeptics are the ones missing out because Gewürztraminer over the Alps has never been better. Back in Germany, where Gewürztraminer’s reputation…...
Earth and sky. Airborne and grounded. The power and pleasure of reimagined wine and cheese from Cantina Tramin and Eggemoa Dairy.
TRINK Magazine | Japanese Tonkatsu proves an ideal pairingwith 2018 Alto Adige's Kettmeir Pinot Bianco.
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