A Masterclass on Sauvignon at the Colterenzio Winery in Alto Adige
The tasting of six Sauvignons, conducted by MW Frank Röderer from Germany, provided an opportunity to meet with around ten colleagues and Colterenzio winery’s top management, namely president Maximilian Niedermayr, oenologist Martin Lemayr and sales director Alex Ferrigato. To mark the occasion held in the winery’s new wing, Colterenzio’s first vintage of Sauvignon Riserva Gran Lafóa 2021 was officially presented. Comparing the Alto Adige Sauvignon with three French Sauvignons from Loire, a Sauvignon from Styria and another from New Zealand, all from the same vintage apart from one, was extremely fascinating.

Taurasi the Irpinia Region of Campania and the Taurasi Masterclass
he province of Avellino, known as Irpinia, is a district of the Campania region in southern Italy, located in the heart of the Southern Apennines. Rustic and wild, Irpinia, with its green hills, beech and chestnut forests and mountainous landscapes with peaks of over 1,800 meters, criss-crossed by streams and rivers, is home to Aglianico, an extremely ancient grape variety, whose origin dates back to Greece, the main ampelographic base of Taurasi Docg red wine.

Azienda agricola "Gravner" - The quest for essence as a way of life
I am sitting at winemaker Joško Gravner’s living room table in Oslavia, Friuli Venezia Giulia. He is seated at the head of the table to my left. Opposite me are the other characters of my story: Mateja, Joško’s daughter, and Gregor, Mateja’s son. Holding a glass in my hands, I have just drunk their Ribolla Gialla, made with Oslavia’s native vine par excellence. Thoughts and images simmer within me and my mind’s eye takes me back to my visits to Oslavia, to the village of Lenzuolo Bianco. It is strange how this name, which derives from considerable war efforts in this tormented land, could be interpreted as premonitory since Joško has written on a blank sheet several times, only to start over. He often says “I was wrong, I hadn’t understood” and that awareness led him to metamorphoses, even when the world demanded those wines that no longer corresponded to his new vision

Joško Gravner - part 2
Joško has always been against irrigation. In his opinion, vines must delve deep to find water on their own. He has had forests, fruit trees, cypresses and olive trees planted near and among the vines to encourage biodiversity and attract various animal species. I look up at the tree beside the pond and see a bluetit darting into a miniature house hanging in the branches. We walk among the vines and Joško tells me that the predominant training system is the fan-sha-ped alberello bush proposed by Simonit&Sirch (world-famous master vine pruners) during one of their consultations. This man never ceases to amaze me: he never misses a new idea if it is in line with his principles.

Alto Adige Wine Summit
Two full days in the South Tyrolean highlands under the banner of the fourth edition of the Alto Adige Wine Summit organised by Consorzio Vini Alto Adige. With its mountainous scenery, the Alto Adige region of Northen Italy is a complex mosaic of unique and original settings and cultures.