Next Tuesday February 17th is National Pinot Grigio Day and with the warm weather hitting New Hampshire this week I figured I’d pop open a bottle early in celebration. If you ask me where I prefer to drink Pinot Grigio from I’m always going to direct you to the northeastern wine regions of Italy. Today’s bottle I picked up at the store, a 2018 Ca’Montini Pinot Grigio Trentino DOC, is from the Trentino-Alto Adige region, but more specifically Trentino in the southern portion of the region.
The Region ~ Trentino
The capital of Trentino is Trento, which I luckily visited the last time I was in that area. It was about an hour train ride north out of Verona. A beautiful town with the picturesque Alps and Dolomites looming all around. As you can imagine this is a mountainous region with many lakes and rivers with the most important being the Adige River, which divides the valley in two and is known for being one of the longest rivers in Italy.
Copyright of Consorzio Vini del Trentino
This wine hails from the Trentino DOC that was established in 1971 and is rather encompassing throughout the region from Lake Garda to the Cembra Valley. White wine production dominates Trentino at around 74% per the Consorzio’s site including grapes like Muller Thurgau, Nosiola, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Traminer.
The Winery ~ Ca’Montini
I couldn’t locate too much on the Ca’Montini estate, but it is one of the brands under EnoItalia, a global producer and exporter of Italian wines. The idea of producing wines under this brand stemmed from the reknown enologist, Riccardo Cotarella. These vines were planted in 1990 and occupy 74 acres of vineyards that are managed and owned by 3 local families that hand harvest the grapes.
The Wine
The 2018 Ca’Montini Pinot Grigio Terre di Valfredda Trentino DOC is made from 100% Pinot Grigio. These grapes are harvested from a single vineyard in Ala, which consists of 3 small vineyard plots known to the locals as Valfredda or cold valley. Straw colored with aromas of mostly citrus with some pineapple and yes, wet rocks. The wine was bone dry on the palate with a crisp acidity and tart lemon flavors with a hint of green apple lingering through to the finish. Simple, but pleasing. ABV 12.5% SRP $15
There are plenty of mass marketing Pinot Grigio out there, but what are some of your favorites?
Back
in 2015 I had the luxury of being on a press trip to visit a bunch of
wineries in the Valpolicella wine region, including Albino Armani. It’s
been awhile since I’ve tasted their wines and was excited to join a virtual tasting a couple weeks ago hosted by Susannah of Vigneto Communications where Albino Armani presented along with his wife, Egle, and their US Ambassador, Dario DiStefano.
Egle Armani from my visit
The Winery ~ Albino Armani
The Albino Armani winery was established back in 1607 and today is operated and managed by the 16th generation. Albino Armani is located in the Adige Valley,Valdadige, in the town of Dolce where the headquarters are situated. Their vineyards cover 750 acres across the 3 wine regions of Friuli, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige also known as the TriVeneto.
This
area about 40-50 years used to be dedicated to red grapes and thanks to
Santa Margherita that determined the land was better suited to whites
and today has converted over to 70% white wine focused. Although
according to the QPR in my opinion I'm digging these Pinot Grigio
opposed to the higher priced wines of the former mentioned.
Albino
has a preference for cooler climates at higher elevations with large
temperature swings between day and night, which he believes is the best
terroir for his Pinot Grigio. Plus, he has a love for extreme sports
that tie in well to these conditions in which he lives and grows his
grapes. The average temperature in the Delle Venezie DOC is between 57 to 59 degrees. Albino shared that warmer climates
produce a very different Pinot Grigio that lack complexity and
acidity. Albino has seen climate change definitely affect the harvest.
When he was younger they use to harvest the grapes and now they harvest them much earlier into August.
The Grape ~ Pinot Grigio
The tasting highlighted 4 of Albino Armani’s Pinot Grigio wines from the TriVeneto,
whose regions make up 85% of Itay’s production when it comes to Pinot
Grigio. Globally, Italy makes up 37% of the world’s Pinot Grigio prodution with the US being the #1 export market occupying 40%.
Pinot
Grigio is an early ripening grape that although produces white wine is
actually a grayish/red grape. It can be difficult to grow as it can
face issues like botrytis, a fungal disease, and needs well-drained
soils. It’s a very delicate grape and it ultimately just high
maintenance.
The Wines
The DOC Delle Venezie
is a relatively newer appellation with Albino serving as the President
of the Consortium. With any government, it was a long and arduous 8 year process to get the DOC Delle Venezie
to be established and what was amazing to learn was that all 15,000
farmers and producers of the 3 regions that this DOC covers were in
agreement to have it be establishment. It is the biggest European
appellation and with the establishment of it you will no longer find any
more IGT wines in the Northeast for Pinot Grigio. The wineries had to
cut yields considerably from 20 tons per hectares down to 13 to increase
the quality.
The 2020 Albino Armani Pinot Grigio DOC Delle Venezie
was pale yellow with nice floral aromatics showing mostly citrus notes
along with some pears. The wine was light to medium bodied with juicy
acidity showing more pears on the palate with some apple. A really
nice, enjoyable Pinot Grigio and at $11.99 a bottle I wouldn't hesitate
to try it again. It was recommended to taste with to sample with
prosciutto and melon or sushi. ABV 12.5%
The Friuli Grave DOC is
the most northern DOC. In this area the terroir is 80% made of stone
from the Dolomite Mountains. The wines there tend to have lower alcohol
levels with higher elevations as one can imagine with more salinity
characteristics in the wines.
The 2020 Albino Armani Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave DOC
was straw colored and another with great florals of pear and apples.
Fresh, lively acidity on the palate mostly showing lemon citrus with some hints
of almonds and minerals. A great household Pinot Grigio. Recommended with a variety of vegetarian
dishes including an asparagus risotto or roasted chicken. ABV 12.5%SRP $12.99
The 2020 Albino Armani Pinot Grigio CorvaraValadige DOC
is a single estate wine and is the top of their line. The winery has
about 38 acres planted next to a rock wall where the sun reflects of it
onto the grapes. The area experiences also great ventilation with
healthy winds along with thermal exposure with diurnal swings allowing
great aromatic concentration in the wines. Pale straw colored with
beautiful aromatics of ripe peaches and citrus. Love the green apple
notes on this one along with some pear and lemon. Medium-bodied with
crisp acidity and some flinty minerality. I’m big fan of this one,
especially at $14.99. Recommended with fish tacos. ABV 12.5%.
The 2019 Albino Armani Pinot Grigio Colle Ara TerradeifortiValadige DOC comes from a small part of the Valadige DOC, Terradeiforti.
It's a very special territory for Albino and his family's history. The
Romans settled there and it has been in his family a very long time.
The name, "Colle Ara", comes from the word Ara, meaning alter, since
Albino wanted to make something sacred to represent this special
terroir. It's not your typical Pinot Grigio, but does represent the
ancient style of Pinot Grigio. The grapes are macerated with the skins
for about 15-18 hours so the wine has hues of a pinkish copper. Very
aromatic as well with citrus and peach on the nose. Good weight on the
body with grapefruit very prevalent on the palate along more tropical,
pineapples notes. A very interesting wine with layers and was my pick
of the tasting with the Corvara as a close second. Recommended with asian food. ABV 12.5%, SRP $21.99.
After
the tasting I was inspired to prepare a roasted chicken with risotto
topped with grilled zucchini from my garden. Although most folks like
to drink Pinot Grigio in its youth, Albino recommends holding onto these
wines as they develop nicely over time.
Albino
stated that he has a “responsibility to the family legacy and their
territory”. The winery is certified sustainable. He demonstrated a high
level of respect for farmers and how it is possible to live off the
land as his family has been doing for generations. The rich family
history and dedication to producing high quality wines and seeing the
passion during Albino’s presentation made me quite the fan of their
wines and I hope you have the opportunity to try them for yourselves.
It seems these wines can be find at Total Wine and More.
*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.
March is Women’s History month and is the perfect time to highlight and celebrate the hardwork, dedication and achievements of women in the Italian wine industry. This is the focus of our Italian Food,Wine & Travel group this month. I’m featuring Maso Martis of the Trentino wine region in northeastern Italy where owner Roberta Giuriali and her daughter Alessandra, along with other members of the family, are dedicated to growing quality wines in the Trento DOC. Below is an interview with Alessandra including her mother, Roberta's comments. Enjoy!
Copyright of Maso Martis
Tell me how the family came into the wine business.
Maso Martis was established in 1990 by Antonio Stelzer and Roberta Giuriali, a young couple that never experienced the wine world before, but were passionate about the land and vines. In the 80’s Antonio’s father had the possibility to buy the Maso, typical house with 12 hectares of the surrounding land. This was considered a vocational area for the cultivation due to the perfect terroir.
Tell me about Maso Martis and what is special and unique about your winery. Maso Martis is situated in Martignano at the foothill of Mount Calisio (also called Argentario) above Trento, 450 m above sea level. It’s a mountainous terrain that was cultivated as early as the late 80's and is well exposed and caressed by the mountain breeze. Between 1982 and 1984 they replanted all the vineyards, mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a little bit of Meunier and a little bit of Moscato Rosa, a typical Trentino red grape for sweet wines. In 1990 they started the production with their own grapes dedicated almost exclusively to the art of producing classic method sparkling wines. This was a real challenge to face at that time, as this type of product from Trentino still had not achieved the reputation of high quality as it has today with the brand Trento DOC.
Today the production of classic method is the integral part of our everyday life. Over the years we've embraced a particular selection and management of the vineyards that are all of our own property. Therefore, for us the transition to organic viticulture was the natural consequence of our way of life that focuses on life quality.From harvest 2013 we have obtained the organic certification ICEA for the vineyard and the cellar. Working with the organic method means to exploit the natural fertility of the soil favoring limited interventions, promoting the biodiversity of our environment by limiting or excluding the use of synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).We have a limited production of 90,000 bottles per year of which 80,000 are dedicated to Trento DOC. Our wines are made from organic grapes from our own production and from the grapes of little certified organic farmers on Trento hill. The harvest on the farm is strictly handmade and is experienced today as a village festival.
Tell me about you and your mother's background in the wine industry?
Alessandra: I was born at Maso Martis just a few years after my parents started the winery, in 1993. I grew up in the vineyards, observing my parents’ and Matteo, our enologist, work in the vineyards, in the cellar and in the office. I experienced all the difficulties and the amount of work they had to face. I knew that I would be able to find my own space in the family business. I graduated in 2015 at the IULM University of Language, Media and Communication in Milan attending a three years course in Public Relation and Communication. After graduation I worked for 6months at a communication company in Trento. In 2016 I officially took part in the family business. Today my role is focused on social and web communication, visits and tastings in the winery. In the last three years the interest in enogastronomic travels has grown a lot.
Roberta: My life in the wine industry began when I met Antonio Stelzer, my husband. I was 19 and I attended a school to become a teacher.Mine was a love choice. A little over twenty years old my husband's parents entrusted the management of the farm to us and in 1990 we started to work the first 150 quintals of grapes based on sparkling wine. Inexperienced and with a good dose of unconsciousness we have taken the road of sparkling wine decidedly uphill.
I was able to enjoy the trust and esteem of my husband and collaborators and I have been entrusted with the administrative and commercial part of the company which today with work from a strong team and small steps we cross the 30 year mark.
Copyright of Maso Martis
Since this focus is on Italian women in the wine industry I'd be interested in hearing your perspectives on women in the Italian wine industry. What are some of the challenges and opportunities?
Alessandra: I think that women today have a really important role in the wine industry. Lots of companies are guided by women that have a real capacity of management and collaboration between them. Women today tend to create groups of work, in which they have the goal to create something bigger. In Italy for example, we have the association of wine women that Roberta and I are part of. During the year we organize lots of events around Italy and some collaborations with foreign countries.
Roberta:There are certainly many more women today than when I started. There are huge growth opportunities. The predominance in the sector is still too male-dominated, above all in command of strategic positions (ex. Consortia)
I see there is another daughter, Maddalena. Are there plans for her to join the business as well?
At the moment Maddalena is attending a course in ayurvedic Indian medicine. She loves cooking and maybe in the future she will develop the agrituristic part of the business.
What are some of the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome since you started the winery?
At the beginning it was a real feat. Our basic luck was to be able to count on the raw material: 12 hectares of properties grown to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier (Cabernet Sauvignon and Moscato Rosa have been uprooted over the years). These are wonderful grapes that we have learned to know and manage better. The first bottle born was a simple still Chardonnay pending the first bottle of classic method Trento doc in 1993, the year of birth of the controlled denomination of origin dedicated to the city of Trento. The bubbles were not used except in moments of celebration. We started from scratch and from our territory, Trentino.
Then slowly we built the sales network in Italy and abroad. In 2007 was the birth of the collective brand Trento DOC, which has constantly promoted the denomination and the classic method, helping to communicate the product's seasonally adjustment.
Who are some of your role models in the wine business?
There are no people and models to which we have been inspired by, despite having esteem and admiration for colleagues. We have firm principles that we stick to: respect, perseverance and determination. Our motto is never give up and always believe in it!
What is the future of Maso Martis and what’s to come?
The future of Maso Martis is green and international growth. We are working on completing the renewal of the vineyards. We enhanced our production by creating unique cuvees like Madame Martis (70% pinot noir, 25% chardonnay, 5% meunier) by increasing the numbers of bubbles that we intend to bring to 100,000 bottles. Ninety percent of our production is organic (only Madame Martis by age is not). We will shortly present the new graphic line of labels and packaging. Our daughters will be able to contribute with their creativity and we have opened a number of new markets.
At the time of writing we are on Coronavirus alert and therefore have postponed our 30 year anniversary celebrations.
The Wine ~ Maso Martis Brut Trento DOC
This wine is made of 70% chardonnay and 30% pinot noir. The grapes are crushed separetely and the wine off the less goes into stainless steel. It spends about 36-48 months on the lees and goes through the process of riddling, disgorgement and bottling. A pale straw color this wine is well-balanced with perfumed, floral aromas. Fresh, delicate and elegant finishing with long lingering bubbles. ABV 12.5% SRP $35 Join our fellow Italian wine and food lovers as they share more women in the Italian wine industry with suggested food pairings. You can also join us live on Twitter this Saturday at #ItalianFWT @ 11am EST.
