Brought to you in partnership with Alto Adige Wines
Just north of Italy, bordering Austria and Switzerland, is one of the smallest but most successful winegrowing regions in Italy. Alto Adige (also known as Südtirol) mainly produces white wines, but it also produces indigenous reds – and 98% of its wines are DOC (controlled designation of origin) quality, the highest percentage in Italy.
From the noble Schiava (Vernatsch) to the fruity Pinot Blanc and crisp Sylvaner, more than 20 varieties grow in Alto Adige owing to its geographic diversity – unique for such a small winegrowing region. When altitude meets attitude, what emerges are not trendy wines, but rather authentic and unique wines with their own original characters. Due to the opportunities offered by different elevations, Alto Adige wines can be Alpine fresh but also have Mediterranean charm.
Looking at the Gambero Rosso wine guide, the number of Alto Adige wines with awards and honours in comparison to the area of cultivation is remarkable. Consistently in the top 10 award winners even with its small size, Alto Adige picked up 21 awards last year.
What this means is that if you choose a wine from Alto Adige, chances are that it will be of the very best quality in Italy. Life’s too short to drink bad wine!
If you haven’t yet tried wine from Alto Adige, you will have good opportunity to do so this month right here in Hong Kong. Until 31 December, the Consorzio Alto Adige Wines [Südtirol Wein] is running a promotion in partnership with some of our favourite restaurants:
- 121BC (Central)
- Amelia (TST)
- Beefbar (Central)
- DiVino Patio (Wanchai)
- Duddell’s (Central)
- Gaia Ristorante (Central)
- Golden Bull (TST)
- Kuki Izakaya (Causeway Bay)
- Le Moment (Central)
- Octavium (Central)
- Osteria Ristorante Italiano (TST)
- Radical Chic (TST)
Each restaurant is promoting two different Alto Adige wines, and they will be available both by the glass and bottle. Amongst the Alto Adige producers that you will be able to try are Alois Lageder, Elena Walch, Falkenstein, Cantina Terlano, Nals Margreid and more.
Spacious, 6,000-square-foot French-Vietnamese restaurant Golden Bull is offering a choice of two set menus, featuring either lamb chops or grilled Duroc pork ribs, and each is paired with a glass of Cantina Valle Isarco Aristos Pinot Grigio DOC 2019.
Osteria Ristorante Italiano is showcasing Alois Lageder wines. You can enjoy Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio with a slow-cooked chicken salad with Piedmontese truffle cheese and Alois Lageder Pinot Noir paired with costolette d’agnello scottadito (Roman-style lamb chops), asparagus and baked mushrooms as part of their three-course set dinner.
This is a great chance to try a top Italian wine region that’s not yet very well known in Hong Kong. You might just find your new favourite bottle!
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