Northern Italian Red Wine
Welcome to vine to wine this is your host Linda Moran. Bordering on the countries of Austria and Switzerland, you may not expect the north of Italy to be very good wine country but, surprisingly it is home to a very interesting red wine Teroldego. Trentino-Alto Adige is a region of northern Italy that has blended the Austrian and Italian cultures and they truly produce some outstanding wines from these alpine vineyards. One of the most noteworthy red wines is created from a grape that is indigenous to Italy and almost exclusively found in Trentino, it is the grape Teroldego. It is specifically grown on the Rotaliano plain of Trentino which has a unique exposure and stony soil, favorable to growing this grape. Some say Teroldego is similar to Zinfandel, as it has a deep color, rich fruit flavors with good acidity and reasonable tannins, definitely enough tannin for short term aging. Some of the best producers have successfully aged it for ten years or better. In recent years versions have been made in lighter styles resembling Beaujolais. Teroldego Rose' has acquired quite the following. It is a great wine with barbecue and grilled foods and even Indian curries. It is definitely considered the best red wine of Trentino but you may have to special order it from your wine merchant. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.
