This month, we travel back to the Alto Adige (called the Sudtirol by the mostly Germanic folks who live there), to try the wines of Alois Lageder. We're presenting his crystalline pure Pinot Grigio and an amazing single vineyard Pinot Nero. 
Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio Dolomiti: Brilliant straw yellow with a green shimmer. Quite pronounced and expressive aroma with flowery and somewhat spicy notes. Rich flavored in the mouth, with a slight smokiness at the back and a good, fresh finish. Organic and biodynamic. 
Alois Lageder Pinot Nero Krafuss: Medium light ruby color with a garnet shimmer. Impressions of red berry fruit, cherries along with oak spice (white pepper, cinnamon). Quite pronounced flavor, medium bodied. Fresh finish with good length and a presence of spicy tannin. Elegant style. Organic and biodynamic. 92 points, Parker: "Krafuss is a beautiful Pinot Noir from Alto Adige. The wine possesses gorgeous inner perfume in its well-articulated varietal fruit, with exceptional length on the palate and silky, refined finish. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2015."
Alto Adige is one of the smallest of Italy’s viticultural regions. But its geographical placement also makes it one of the most diverse. The Alps to the north give protection from cold winds. They also make for cool nights, which promote a slow, even ripening of the grapes with the result that the grapes maintain their typical aromas. They are likewise able to preserve the acids which give the wines freshness and elegance. Mediterranean influences stream up from the south, through the wide, open Adige Valley. The year is blessed with more than three hundred days of sunshine.
And the growing season’s average temperature of over 18°C (65° F) combines with sufficient rainfall to create ideal conditions for growing grapes for exceptional wines. The wide range of grape varieties cultivated here is a function of the region’s topography. Most vineyards are planted on steep slopes between two hundred and thirty and a thousand meters (seven hundred and fifty and thirty-two hundred and fifty feet) above sea level.
The eponymous Alois Lageder winery was founded over 150 years ago in Alto Adige, Italy’s most northern wine growing region. Here Alois Lageder grows grapes on steep Dolomite slopes with varied micro-climates that provide distinct vineyard sites—ideal for producing a wide variety of wines. Alois Lageder produces nearly 30 wines.
In 1934, the family acquired the Löwengang estate in Magrè and subsequently acquired other vineyards in prime positions in Alto Adige. Since the 1980s the current, fifth generation Alois Lageder’s innovative ideas and strategies, and pioneering practices such as “quality rather than quantity” have led the movement to improve Alto Adige’s wine industry. Alois Lageder plays a leading role in recognizing and developing Alto Adige’s single vineyard wines. His winemaking philosophy is founded on a holistic approach with the goal of making wines with authentic character while leaving the natural environment as intact as possible for future generations.
Alois Lageder wines are produced via sustainable, biodynamic, and organic farming methods and express the many nuances of the region’s microclimates and soils. Alois Lageder practices site-specific viticulture here, where quality starts with the soil, composed of dolomitic rock, glacial moraine and porphry, and slopes range from gentle to steep. The family has 156 acres of vineyards, in addition to fruit purchased from long-term contracted grape farmers on select sites.
Alois Lageder has been practicing sustainable, eco-friendly viticulture now for many years. Parasites and diseases are primarily combated through natural means. Compost, manure and ground ricinus are used as fertilizers. The rich alpine flora in the covercrops that grow in the vineyards is an additional source of balanced nourishment. The trees and bushes planted in the vineyards respect and augment the natural variety of the local flora and fauna. The longterm goal is to strengthen the vineyard’s biological equilibrium, and thus to increase the vitality of the vines. This enhances their resistance to parasites and disease. Alois Lageder increases the quality of the grapes by limiting the yield of the grapevines. The vines are pruned back in winter to only a very few shoots. In summer the grapes are thinned. Careful cropping of the foliage of the vines increases ventilation and allows greater penetration of sunlight.
Alois Lageder was one of the first of Alto Adige’s grape growers to opt for new modes of planting: he replaces the classical pergola with wire trellis systems. Vines are also planted densely – some six to eight thousand plants per hectare – which makes for increased competition between them, and for increased quality of the grapes. Only low-vigor grape stock and high-quality grafts are used.
Refer a Friend Promotion: From now through March 31, we'll give you either a $10 Farmstead Gift Certificate or a Bottle of Wine for every new Wine Club membership that you bring to us.
Recipes:
For the Pinot Grigio: Spaghetti with Tuna, Parsley and Olive Oil Serves Four
The secret to making this luscious pasta is to stir in a little of the pasta cooking water, which melds with the tuna and the oil to create a creamy sauce. The touch of lemon oil at the end pulls the dish together and picks up on the citrus notes of the pinot grigio.
* 12 ounces dried spaghetti
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 1 1⁄2 teaspoons crushed red chile flakes
* 3 6-oz. cans olive oil–packed tuna (undrained)
* 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
* Kosher saltLemon oil for garnish
Bring a 6-quart pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just al dente, about 8 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1⁄2 cup pasta water. Drain and reserve pasta.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add tuna and cook, stirring and breaking up tuna into small chunks with a wooden spoon, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Add reserved pasta and water and toss with tuna sauce. Cook, stirring vigorously with tongs, until sauce thickens and clings to pasta. Stir in parsley, season with salt to taste, and drizzle with the lemon oil.
Divide the pasta between 4 bowls and serve immediately.
For the Pinot Nero: Veal Chops with Potato Gnocchi and Rapini Serves Four
From Andy: This recipe is a streamlined version of a dish I used to have on the winter menu at a restaurant on the East Coast. It would make a great Valentine's Day main course!
* 1 pound russet potatoes
* 3/4 cup of flour
* 2 egg yolks, beaten
* 1 tablespoon chopped chives
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
* 1 bunch rapini, leaves removed and florets cut into 3-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
* salt and pepper to taste
* 4 large veal chops (14-16 ounces each)
* 1/4 cup dry white wine
* 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Heat oven to 350F.
Bake potatoes on a bed of kosher/rock salt for about one hour until done. Scoop out flesh and push through a fine sieve. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and add half the flour and all the eggs. Season with a little salt and pepper and using a table scraper begin to chop and turn the potatoes, add a little flour at a time until the dough begins to come together. You will need to work quickly to prevent the dough from getting cold. Finally add the chives and fold into a ball. Taking a little piece of the dough at a time, roll into a ½” thick rope and cut into 1” pieces. Lay the pieces on a paper lined and floured baking sheet, keeping apart to prevent them sticking together. Cook in boling salted water until they float to the top. Drain and toss the gnocchi with the butter. Keep warm.
Cook the rapini in a pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the rapini and saute until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside, covered to keep warm.
Season the veal chops with salt and pepper, and sear in a large saute pan, for about 3 minutes on each side. Put the pan in the oven and roast about 4 minutes. Turn the chops and roast a further 5 to 6 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the chops to a platter and keep warm. Pour off any oil in the pan and add the wine. Raise the heat to high and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and cook until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter. Season with salt and pepper, and serve alongside the veal chops, gnocchi and rapini.
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