The Alps
by Tom Wolf
2021 Südtirol Eisacktaler Grüner Veltliner
Italy | Alto Adige
Manni Nössing’s sliver of Alto Adige is an Alpine paradise nestled in a high-elevation valley in the Dolomites and near the Austrian border. This part of the region, cut off from Mediterranean currents that cross much of Alto Adige, is ideally suited to white wines that are at once chiseled, bracing, and profound. In this bottling, charming flavors of ripe white peaches and apricot give way to a stony, precise, and intensely refreshing finish that would beautifully suit sushi or grilled shrimp tacos.
2021 Savoie Arbin Mondeuse “Terres Brunes”
France | Savoie, Bugey, Hautes-Alpes
Mostly known and beloved for its white wines, Savoie is also home to a noteworthy red grape called Mondeuse, which thrives along the impossibly steep and scree-laden slopes of the pre-Alps, just down the road from France’s renowned ski mountains. For half a century, the Quenards’ vines for this cuvée have clung to this stony rubble, yielding reds unlike those from any other region in France. Lithe, brambly, and floral, it’s as well suited to fondue and tartiflette as it is to slow-braised oxtail or your favorite stew.
2022 Valle d’Aosta Torrette
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
As with Manni Nössing, who lives mere miles from the Austrian border and whose first language is German, Château Feuillet inhabits a corner of Italy bordering France and Switzerland where many of the town, family, and grape names—as well as one of the two official languages—are French. The starring varieties in this Torrette, however (mostly Petit Rouge with a splash of Mayolet), have no counterparts in France. This uniquely Valdostano red is characterized by a charming freshness and a spicy, red-berry core. Pour it alongside a mushroom risotto with Fontina, the creamy Valle d’Aosta cheese, for a sublime regional pairing.