trentino müller-thurgau diego bolognani 2007
ByDiego Bolognani, a self-taught winemaker who is at home with advanced technology, has become one of the most knowledgeable and respected winemakers in Trentino. His passionate approach produces wines that are elegant, with pure varietal aromatics and seamless mouth-feel.
Muller-Thurgau (a crossing of Riesling and Chasselas developed by Dr Hermann Müller) is well respected in Trentino and often, as here, planted to excellent, high-altitude vineyards. In Diego’s hands it produces delicate wine with scents of sweet herbs and flowers, fine, dry fruit and a long crystalline finish.
Regional History
Not admitted to the Italian state until 1919 after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Trentino Alto-Adige retains a semi-autonomous status and many bilingual speakers. Viticulture here reflects this Germanic heritage as well; favoring vibrant, aromatically driven white wines from the calcareous hills on either side of the Adige River. The valley has a moderating effect on daytime temperatures, funneling warm air up from Lake Garda and the Venetian Plain.
Regional Foods
Trentino-Alto Adige is two distinct provinces, culturally and gastronomically: Trentino to the south, named for the city of Trento, has been historically Italian; Alto Adige to the north around Bolzano (Bozen), historically “German”.
Grains form the backbone of traditional food in Trentino: polenta from corn, pasta and bread from rye, smacafam from buckwheat. Smacafam dates from medieval times before the importation of corn and is often baked with sausage and cheese.
Soups are based on the rich array of root vegetables. Recipes for dried cod, frittatas, and braised pork abound.
Alto Adige’s best-known contribution is Speck, salt and smoke cured pork leg. Hauswurst, a sausage served with sauerkraut, pickles and horseradish and Spatzli, egg noodles often paired with beef dishes, such as Sauerbraten and Rindgsgulasch, are found in many restaurants.
Cow’s milk cheeses dominate, and variations of Lagundo, Vezzano and Trentingrana are made in every alpine village.
© 2008 Moore Brothers Wine Company