The biggest international wine festival in Italy takes place in Merano, and a weekend in the Vinschgau region with the best Riesling wines in the world, as well as a comprehensive presentation of indigenous wines in Bolzano are a must for wine lovers in Alto Adige each year in October and November.

Riesling days in Naturns (Vinschgau)

Stuart Pigott has travelled the world on the topic of Riesling. "But", he said, speaking at a Riesling tasting he was presenting in Naturns "an event such as this, that has been presented this weekend in Alto Adige, which itself has only 33,4 hectares of Riesling vineyards, or 0,65% of the total vineyard area, I have never experienced in any of the famous Riesling-growing regions. There is nothing else like it, not in the Rheingau, not on the Mosel and also not in Alsace or the Wachau" More than a 100 Riesling wines, including the best in the world from the growing regions named above (F.X. Pichler, Heymann-Löwenstein, Peter-Jakob Kühn, Zind Humbrecht and many more) as well as exotic representatives from countries such as Luxembourg and even from the Netherlands were available for tasting. And the whole things is organised by a few wine enthusiasts in Alto Adige, most of whom provide their services for free.

A highlight of the Riesling days: vertical tasting of the Emmerich Knoll Riesling wines from Austria

Apart from the presentation of top international Riesling wines, there is a comprehensive programme of other items, including the competition for the „Best Italian Riesling“. Here a panel of 22 tasters (trade journalists, sommeliers, wine producers) determine the best Riesling in Italy. The head of the Wein-Plus tasting team, Marcus Hofschuster, was there too. „I certainly do not know of any jury tasting that takes place under more serious, rigorous conditions!“ he said, clearly impressed. True, even the best wines presented here could not yet be compared with the top wines from the established Riesling growing regions, but he felt that the average quality wines were better than he had expected. Hofschuster was hardly surprised that 3 of the best 5 Riesling wines on the tasting came from the Vinschgau region: “If I have a look at the vineyard sites, I can see there is tremendous potential here. I can hardly wait for the first Riesling to be launched on the market that does full credit to the excellent potential available.“ If the producers keep their eye on the ball, that day cannot be far off, in his opinion.

The biggest autumn wine event in Alto Adige is the

Merano Wine Festival

This event was started 15 years ago by three wine enthusiasts, and by now it is the second most important wine event in Italy, after Vinitaly. However, the WineFestival is not a trade fair, in which any producer can participate if he pays the stand fee. A trade commission of oenologists, restaurateurs, wine merchants, hoteliers, journalists, sommeliers, wine lovers and gourmets determines which producers are permitted to participate, and largely also decides which wines are to be presented. This year, 540 producers were found to be of a suitable standard to be allowed to participate in the Festival. Naturally, the biggest contingent was that from Italy itself, with 306 producers. Also represented in Merano were 44 members of the Grands Crus de Bordeaux, 13 Champagne houses, 33 producers from Austria, mainly from the Neusiedlersee area, 6 Tokaj producers as well as producers from Istria, Spain, Chile, New Zealand, Argentina, Portugal, Slovenia, Germany and South Africa. For lovers of sweet wines, 33 Italian producers presented their products in the „Dulcis in fundo“ section, while the fans of more powerful spirits congregated at the “Aquavite & Cigars” section. The “bio & dynamica“ event has been integrated in the WineFestival for the past two years, and just to round things off, the Culinaria show provides the opportunity to taste artisanal regional Italian food from all parts of the country. With so much to choose from, one must naturally select the things one wants to see and do, a difficult decision. Here are my impressions of four days in Merano.

The choice for the first day was easy, as the

bio & dynamica

took place one day before the main event. My impressions here were overwhelmingly positive, both with regard to the selection of producers exhibiting here, as well as with regard to the quality of the wines on show. The ambience added to the overall impression. Alto Adige in autumn, with its gold-coloured chestnut and larch trees as well as the vineyards which are starting to turn their colour, is a pleasure in itself. If one can then also taste top-quality wines, many of them produced along strict organic guidelines in the stylish ambience of a 750-year-old castello, one can consider oneself very fortunate indeed.

As far as the quality of the wines is concerned, I really do not want to pick out any one specific wine. Certainly not any of the Italian wines, which were practically all good What I did note particularly was the elegance that Sangiovese wines (Brunello, Chianti, Carmignano) can display when they are made by terroir-conscious producers. Of the Non-Itlaian producers present, I was particularly impressed by the Fleury champagnes as well as by the Grüne Veltliner wines from Wimmer-Czerny in the Wagram region.

Appropriate ambience for a successful wine presentation: the Castello Katzenzungen

 

Apart from the pleasure of tasting wines, there were also many discussions on the topic of wine, most of them, of course, about the organic, or biological,  production of wines. The bio & dynamica presentation provided a platform for „organic hardliners“ such as Wimmer-Czerny, Stefano Bellotti from Piemonte and Loacker from Alto Adige, as well as for producers who do not have an organic certificate, such as, for example, practically all the members of the "Vini Veri" association. My opinion on this: the name of the presentation is called "bio & dynamica", and the members of the "Vini Veri" association are always described as "i biodinamici" in Italy, everybody assumes that these are 100% organic producers. When I am inforthat these producers do not have a corresponding certificate, then I am uncertain, and irritated. I would appreciate a little more clarity in the matter, and the reassurance provided by an official seal or certificate would be helpful. Just to avoid any misunderstanding: I consider the work of the "Vini Veri" group to be very good and very important. Without these wines, both the wine scene in Italy and also the bio & dynamica would be missing an important facet. White wines such as those from La Castellada and Radikon in Friuli, the Barolos from Giuseppe Rinaldi and a range of Barberas such as that provided by Trinchero in Asti, to name just a few, are jewels of Italian wine culture, as they combine expression and typical character at a very high level. Pure, uncompromising terroir wines. And, just like their colleagues who do have an organic certificate, they fully comply with the basic premises demanded by the initiator of this presentation, and owner of the Castello Katzenzungen, Caroline Pobitzer, of the wines selected: "We want to present authentic artisanal wines, that show up a new direction in the world of wine". This she has achieved, and we may look forward to another edition of this presentation next year.

I had planned to visit the main event of the festival at the Kurhaus in Merano on the second day, but on my arrival at around noon I was confronted by an as yet unresolved problem of the WineFestival, namely the masses of people it attracts. Slowly but surely, the success of the festival is developing to be a problem. The venue was hopelessly overflowing with visitors, in spite of the hefty entrance fee of at least 60€/day (which I consider to be quite justified in view of what is on offer). I decided on a change of plan, and did not go in at all, instead heading for the 

Vini Culti

This event takes place in the village of Tirol, six kilometres from Merano. The motto was "Mister Lagrein receives Ms. Nero dÂ’Avola". Two typical, indigenous Italian wines, the one from the most northerly wine-growing region, Alto Adige, the other from Sicily, the most southerly growing region, where presented alongside other indigenous varieties from these growing regions, all against the backdrop of the historical ambience of the Tirol castle. This was complemented by typical, mostly organically produced culinary specialities from these two regions.

View from the Schloß Tirol castle: Meeting-place of wines from Alto Adige and Sicily

In stark contrast to the main event at the Kurhaus in Merano, this venue was virtually empty for most of the time, with long faces from the producers exhibiting their wines, forced to psend their time getting to know the wines of their colleagues. (A hint for the organisers: public transport is very well organised in Alto Adige. This should be communicated much more clearly in the various media announcements. Alternatively, organising a shuttle from Merano to the Tirol castle would also be helpful). Nevertheless, even the bored producers must have enjoyed tasting the wines of other producers, as some of the best producers of both regions were represented, some of them with really remarkable wines. From Alto Adige there were the leading co-operatives from Tramin, Terlano and Bolzano, highly regarded wholesale producers such as Brigl and Zemmer, as well as small, quality-conscious producers such as the Pfannenstielhof from Santa Maddalena.. Among the producers from Sicily, one could enjoy wines from Planeta, Donnafugata and a number of other interesting newcomers. Indeed, not only the wines presented, but the unique ambience really would have deserved being appreciated by a larger number of visitors. I found the whole thing so interesting that I stayed on to the end of the day, and did not return to the overflowing Kurhaus. Instead, I drove on to Caldara, where the Manincor winery had invited guests to a pleasant interlude. For the second time, the WineFestival presented a

VintnerÂ’s Evening

On this evening, the cellar is open to invited guests. There was no scheduled programme, and that was the best part. You could simply enjoy a 5-course menu and superb wines, all self-service, in a casual atmosphere, supported by good music, all in the architecturally impressive cellar. The wines are sourced both from the wineryÂ’s own cellar, as well as from other producers who are friends of the host, and who are also present on the evening. Certainly the friends of the Goess-Enzenberg family were not shy in terms of the wines they brought along, which meant that some of the best Barolos, Bordeaux, Rieslings and Veltliners at the festival could be tasted here. To ensure that visitors could really enjoy the hospitality to the full, the hosts had also organised a free shuttle service to and from Merano.

Spoilt for choice – so many wines on show

The main event in the Kurhaus building

As mentioned before, the Winefestival is a huge affair, so that one has to be selective. I decided to concentrate on the “home team”, i.e. the exhibitors from Alto Adige, as well as on the separate section called

Vinis Extremis

There is a good reason why most visitors to the Festival also visit this section. The wineries presented here are characterised by the common thread of all producing unusual wines. Such as the Blanc de Morgeaux, which is produced in the Aosta valley at an altitude of 1.300 m above sea level, or the Cannonau di Sardegna from the Dettori winery, a wine that has 17% alcohol, which one would never guess when tasting it, the wine is elegant, with depth and finesse. The same can be said of the wines from Zýmè in the Valpolicella region. The Vinis extremis show presents unknown new grape varieties from the Lieselehof experimental cellars in Alto Adige, as well as rustic Italian classics such as Lambrusco from Graziano Vittorio in the Emilia-Romagna region. In my opinion, the most impressive wine in this section is also from that region, the Cortiglio produced by the Ercolani winery from the Uva Longaresi grape.

This section with its unconventional wines is certainly a must for all those who are curious, and who have a penchant for genuine terroir wines.

Alto Adige at the Weinfesteival

The local team from Alto Adige regularly presents the largest contingent of Italian wines at the festival, next to Tuscany and Piemonte, and all the big names are present here: the co-operatives from Terlano, Tramin, Eppan, Girlan, Schreckbichl and Merano, the top quality estates such as Hofstätter, Lageder, Elana Walch, Arunda-Vivaldi, the Neustift abbey winery, Tiefenbrunner and Lun, to name just a few. Only the so-called "Freie Weinbauern" (Free Wine-growers) were poorly represented in terms of numbers, with only two members present, Josefus Mayr and Manincor. However, it must be mentioned that this association of direct marketers from Alto Adige had booked an entire hall for its joint presentation on the last day of the festival, so that at least those visitors attending for several days could overlook this slight weakness.

The WineFestival is a popular event, and can be crowded

The quality of the wines presented certainly lived up to the good reputations of the producers. The wines that stood out in my mind were primarily the Traminer wines from the Tramin winery as well as from Hofstätter, as well as the Sauvignon and Pinot Blanc from the Terlano winery. My impressions of the red wines were a little mixed. Most of the Pinot Noirs were elegant and appealing; while the Lagrein was generally full-bodied, but sometimes a little dominated by oak. Looking at the Cabernets and Merlots, as well as the blends of these two varieties, one was then highly motivated to move on to another hall and rather taste the originals from Bordeaux. In fact, having visited the stands of 27 wineries from Alto Adige, who showed around 100 wines in total, the main question that arose in my mind was: Where is the Schiava? The official festival catalogue lists only one by Josefus Mayr, and other than that only the Girlan and Egger-Ramer wineries had the courage to present this classic of Alto Adige at the festival. There are certainly many more high-quality wines available from this classic variety of the Alto Adige region, which not only do not have to hide behind most of the other reds, but are in many cases quite capable of  beating them. The elegant Santa Madalena wine from the hill of the same name in Bolzano, the long-lived wines of Girlan (the  1990 Gschleier from the Girlan winery has now, almost as an afterthought, been awarded the coveted 3 glasses of the Gambero Rosso guide) or the refreshing wines from Caldara and from the hills around Merano all come to mind. I almost had the impression that the locals are even a little ashamed of this lovely “simple” wine, at least at an event such as the WineFestival. To be able to explore this wine extensively, one had to wait until the last day. As mentioned, this day saw the

Free Wine-growers (Freie Weinbauern)

Happy with the performance of their "Team": The executive board of the "Freien" (Free producers)

present their wines in a special hall, which gave me an opportunity to enjoy the filigree, sometimes even slightly minerally Santa Maddalena from Franz Gojer (Glögglhof), Thomas & Heinrich Rottensteiner (Obermoserhof) and Martin Spornberger (Kandlerhof). Naturally, Alto Adige is not only about Schiava – in fact, the region is particularly famed for the diversity of its wines. Thus there were hearty Sylvaner wines from the Isarco valley, from the Garlider and Köfererhof estates, even elegant Riesling wines from the Gut Falkenstein estate in the Vinschgau, the winner of the tasting in Naturns, as well as from Castel Juval. There were hearty Lagrein wines from the Griesbauerhof and Pfannenstielhof estates, as well as lovely Pinot Noirs from Eppan (Stroblhof) and from the lower parts of Alto Adige (Brunnenhof Mazzon and Ferrucio Carlotto). While among the Free Wine-growers there were a number of wineries that have only recently started bottling their own wines, and whose wines showed some minor technical imperfections, this special presentation with its diversity of wines gave me a more accurate picture of the status quo in Alto Adige than did the presentation in the main hall.

Attached to the WineFestival is the

Culinaria

This show presents artisanal, typically regional foods from all parts of Italy. Many of them are organically produced and all of them – at least those I tasted, as it is impossible to taste everything presented here – showed a very high level of quality. A sensible and most enjoyable complementary show alongside the WineFestival.

More than satisfactory all round: what the Culinaria had to offer

To put it simply and succinctly:  the Merano Winefestival is always worth a visit. The next festival will take place from 12. – 14. November 2007.

Just some good advice at the end: for all those who feel four days are too long, or it is too far to Merano, or who consider the entrance fee to be too high, a trimmed-down version of the festival, with fewer exhibitors, will be going on tour with a road show in 2007, calling at the following cities:

Munich, Hamburg, Vienna (or Salzburg), Budapest, Zagreb, Prague, Paris, London and Valencia. 

The dates will be published during the year on www.meranowinefestival.com .

The Auchtona

show is a few sizes smaller than the Merano festival, and has a totally different objective in mind.  This show has been organised for the past two years, it takes place at the end of October at the showgrounds in Bolzano. As the name indicates, this show is focussed on indigenous grape varieties, and exclusively Italian varieties.

An indigenous classic from Italy: Lambrusco

With very few exception (the Terlano winery and Elena Walch from Alto Adige) you will not find any of the big stars of the Italian wine scene here. But that is precisely what organiser and founder Gründer Renato Tessaro, who has an Enoteca with a wide range of wines at the showgrounds in Bolzano, had in mind. "I could just as well have decided to present famous Brunello and Barolo wines. After all, they, too, are made from indigenous grape varieties. But everybody already knows those wines. I am interested in the unknown rarities, or underestimated Italian specialities, such as Schioppettino from Friuli, Erbaluce di caluso from Piemonte ort he often denigrated Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna. These are the wines that make up the diversity, charm and attraction of Italian wines”. And he has really put together a very appealing selection of unusual Italian varieties. Apart from the wines already mentioned, one can taste wines at the Autochtona show that most wine lovers will not have heard of yet, such as Raboso and Oseleta from Veneto, Pelaverga and Erbaluce from Piemonte, Nerello, Mascalese and Cappuccio from Sicilly, Pecorino from the Marches or a white wine made from the "La carica l’asino" variety (the one the donkey carries), which derives its name from the fact that it is grown on such steep vineyard sites in the border area of Piemonte and Liguria that in days gone by the grapes could only be transported to the cellars on the backs of donkies.

In my opinion, most of the Chianti wines shown at the Autochtona were a little out of place. The point is that most of the wines in this group presented here contained a fairly substantial dollop of  Cabernet Sauvignon, which could also easily be tasted, so that they did not really have a right to be in this section. In addition, some of the wines  - not only those from Tuscany, but certainly predominantly these – were so overpowered by heavy barrique maturation that one could sometimes only guess at the characteristics of the indigenous grapes from which they had been made.

All in all, though, the Autochtona show is an attractive event that affords opportunities of making some interesting new discoveries away from the usual mainstream.

At the time of writing, the 2007 date for this show has not yet been announced, but it will most likely again be at the end of October.