Put your nose in the glass. Do it gently, or you are likely to get punched. This wine is big with aromatics: gooseberry, citrus, and green fruit that will be powerful on your nose and your palate. It’s unmistakably Sauvignon Blanc. With the power behind it, you might think it is from New Zealand, but it is not. This Sauvigon Blanc hails from the hills of Alto Adige in Northern Italy.
Cantina Tramin
The village of Tramin lies about halfway between Trento and Bolzano. While the winery “Cantina Tramin” lies on the west side of the Adige River, the vineyards of the 160 families that work together to grow the grapes for the wine lie on either side of the river.
The winery is a co-op and is led by Winemaker Willi Stürz, who in 2004 was named Winemaker of the Year by Gambero Rosso. Willi was born in Tramin and has led the winery to produce award-winning wines that stay true to the place while experimenting with possibilities.
While this variety has been found in the area for over 100 years, more and more Sauvignon Blanc has been planted here recently. Here, Sauvignon can ripen fully and still maintain that beautiful grassiness. Flavors are bright and tropical.
Cantina Tramin Sauvignon Blanc 2025
This wine comes from their classic range. The vines are planted in vineyards at 350-550 meters above sea level in soils that are of calcareous clay and gravel.
The winery’s description of this vintage is as follows
“After a mild winter, flowering was early and abundant. The summer brought extreme climatic variations: a hot, almost sweltering June was followed by a cool and rainy July. Very high temperatures in August then accelerated the ripening process. Almost everywhere, the harvest began much earlier than usual and was short, intense and demanding. Thanks to our members’ small plots, their great flexibility and careful manual harvesting, it was possible to pick high-quality grapes with the utmost precision. The red wines of the 2025 vintage are juicy and fresh, some with great potential for development, particularly the Pinot Noir. The white wines are lighter than in previous years, with less alcohol, more acidity and a fresh, fruity style.” Per the Cantina Tramin Website.
The grapes are gently pressed into steel tanks and ferment without malolactic fermentation. The age further in smaller steel tanks.
13% abv with an aging potential of 2-4 years, but delicious right now.
Pairing this Sauvignon Blanc
So what to pair with this unexpected Sauvignon Blanc? Well, why not travel a bit more internationally with this International Grape? We went with Smørrebrød and Croquettes.
Smørrebrød
Our Smørrebrød was dark rye bread, spread with butter, then herring in sour cream, hard-boiled egg, pickled red onions, capers, a dollop of crème fraiche, dill, chives, a drizzle of gooseberry and elderflower sauce, and a scattering of fried shallots.
We played with making this as 1/2 size slices and then again with the bread cut out to make a daintier canape.
Or you can set up all the fixins’ and choose to layer with your own style and flair!
Smoked Trout Croquettes
With such a bright wine, we also wanted to pair it with something fried! That fat and salt a wonderful contrast to the bright acidic Sauvignon Blanc.
I had leftover smoked trout from last week and decided to brave some croquettes. Braved, because of my fear of deep frying. These smoked trout croquettes with a bit of Grana Padano, horseradish, and chives, came out so fluffy and delicious, you can be sure that I will be braving this technique again!
They were gorgeous with the wine, dipped in a bit of créme fraiche, chives, and lemon zest.
Learn more about Cantina Tramin and Alto Adige
Smørrebrød with Herring in sour creme
Smørrebrød is a Danish open-faced sandwich, layered beautifully with delicious flavors.
Ours is on dark rye with herring in sour cream, hard boiled eggs, pickled red
onions, capers, creme fraiche, gooseberry elderberry sauce, dill, chives, and
fried shallots.
We paired this with a Sauvignon Blanc
Ingredients
- 2 slices of dark rye bread cut in half
- 2 tbsp of unsalted butter softened
- 4 oz of herring in sour crème (you can find this jarred in the meat/deli section)
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- 2 ox of pickled red onions
- 2 oz of capers
- 4 oz of crème fraiche
- 1 tbsp of chopped chives
- 1 tbsp of dill fronds
- 3 oz of gooseberry jam
- 2 oz of elderberry liquor
- 2 oz of fried shallots
Instructions
- Spread a thin layer of butter on each ½ slice of bread.
- Top with a layer of the herring
- Top with 2 to 3 slices of hard-boiled egg
- Add a bit of pickled red onion and capers
- Add a dollop of crème fraiche
- Mix the gooseberry jam and elderflower liquor.
- Drizzle this over the crème fraiche.
- Add the chives and dill to the top
- Sprinkle with the fried shallots
Notes
If you like, you can make this smaller in a canapé size. Use a cutter to cut a 2 to 3 inch disc of the rye bread and top in the same manner. This makes an elegant and delicious canapé.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 714Total Fat 53gSaturated Fat 30gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 321mgSodium 946mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 6gSugar 11gProtein 14g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Smoked Trout Croquettes
Golden brown, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, with the richness of smoked trout, the zing of horseradish and the brightness of chives, these croquettes were perfect with a bright sauvignon blanc!
Ingredients
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/8 cup of butter, cubed
- 2 oz of smoked trout
- ¼ cup of low-moisture shredded mozzarella
- 1 tsp creamy horseradish
- .5 oz of freshly grated Grana Padano cheese
- 1 tbs fresh chopped chives
- ½ cup of panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs beaten (divided)
Instructions
- Peel and quarter the potatoes.
- Place in a pot and cover with cold water with a bit of salt.
- Boil covered over medium and cook for 25 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and mash with the butter.
- Add the Grano Padano, horseradish, chives, and ¼ of the beaten eggs.
- Fold in the mozzarella and trout.
- Roll into 2-inch round balls (you should get about 10)
- Dip the balls in the remaining beaten eggs
- Roll in the panko
- Place on a lined sheet pan
- Pour oil into a pot to a depth of about 3 inches and heat over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees.
- Fry the croquettes in batches, turning them occasionally until they are golden brown (4-5 min). Remove them to drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
- If you like, serve them with a dip of crème fraiche, chives, and lemon zest.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 373Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 132mgSodium 548mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 18g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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