Alto Adige & Cantina Tramin
As you drive north into the Dolomites from Trento, you will see vineyards to either side of the Adige River. A little more than halfway into your drive to Bolzano, to the west, you will see the village of Tramin.
I had an opportunity to taste wines from Cantina Tramin, the co-op winery for 160 growers in the region. I met via Zoom with Wolfgang Klotz and Willi Stürz, the Director of Marketing and Sales and Winemaker, respectively, from Cantina Tramin.
This month, our Wine Writers’ Group is led by Camilla Mann of Culinary Cam. She chose “Up and Coming Wine Regions.” Alto Adige has been around for quite a while. I’m not sure that it quite fits “Up and Coming”, but…I had a Gewurztraminer from the region, and I don’t think people normally think of this wine and this region, so…I’m giving it a shout-out!
When we stayed in Trento a few years back, we left our hotel with a Gewurztraminer, and I thought it was odd that they had this variety. Not so odd, evidently, just beyond my scope at the time.
You can find links to the other Writers’ articles at the end of this one. I’m anxious to discover some wines with them, and I hope you are too.
In the Middle Ages, Alto Adige was renowned for high-quality wines.
The story of this winery dates back to 1898, when a parish priest sought to protect the future of the region’s wine producers. The growers bonded together and pooled their grapes to create wine.
Alto Adige, this mountain region in Northern Italy, known in German as Südtirol, has 5,000 hectares of vineyards and 5,000 growers.
In 1971, the growers of Cantina Tramin merged with Cantina Sociale di Egna, established in 1893. At this point in history, the region was turning out easy-drinking, bulk wines. The system didn’t pay growers well, and there was room for something new. With the merger, Willi was able to begin a quality revolution in the region, restoring the region’s reputation for high-quality wines to what it had been in the Middle Ages.
Today, together, these 160 growers tend around 270 hectares of vineyards, many of which are very small. This gives the winery a patchwork of terroirs to blend. While you might think it difficult to manage this many separate plots of grapes, come harvest, having many small growers is a blessing. Willi and his oenologist walk the vineyards regularly during harvest and can choose the perfect time to harvest each plot. Unlike a large vineyard property, where you have to choose where to send your harvest crew, here, each vineyard grower gathers their own cru and can quickly harvest their own plot and send the fruit to the winery in peak condition.
The Cantina has growers on both sides of the Adige River, with the reds primarily coming from the eastern side of the valley and the whites from the west. Vineyards typically sit between 250 and 800 meters above sea level. These vineyards catch the warm Ora wind that originates at Lake Garda to the west, which appears in the afternoon.
Environmentally friendly
90%of the growers’ vineyards do not use herbicides. Resources for sustainable growing are made available to growers through the winery and fetch a higher price due to the quality of the grapes.
The winery
Architect Werner Tscholl designed the modern building that imitates the vines, blending into the landscape. This beautiful sculptural building, painted green, is green in its energy use, topped with a photovoltaic system, and made from predominantly recyclable materials, blends beauty, functionality, and sustainability.
The origin of a name
Gewürztraminer is the pink mutation of Savagnin Blanc. Sauvignin is the French name for Traminer, and is found in the Jura region of France.
Traminer is believed by some to originate in Alto Adige, with the name derived from the village of Tramin (or Termeno in Italian). In Tramin, they will tell you that this grape likely made its way to the region via the Roman Road.
The book Wine Grapes disputes the naming, finding no evidence that Savagnin was grown here before the 19th century, and citing that the name Traminer was used in the region for multiple varieties in the Middle Ages. Mind you, in the Middle Ages, this region was well known for good wine, and monasteries flocked here to set up and make wine.
For our purposes, the wine we speak of today is indeed Gewürztraminer from Tramin, and the name Gewurztraminer for this variation of Savagnin has stuck! As Wolfgang told us, he believes that when this grape found its way here, it found a home where it could thrive.
So why does Gewürztraminer thrive here? In this area between the Dolomites, the climate is warmer, allowing the grapes to fully ripen. Willi tells us that Gewurz ripens, and then its sugars stop. At this point, the skins are very thin, and the acidity is low, but Gewurz needs a high pH. If they picked at lower sugar levels to achieve higher acidity, they would lose the aromatics. And this wine is aromatic. The high pH level gives them a higher concentration of terpenes, the natural aromatic compounds that also act as antioxidants, thereby increasing the wine’s aging potential.
Cantina Tramin Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer 2024
This is their flagship wine and the variety most noted in this region.
Typically harvested between the end of September and the end of October, whenever the grapes in each vineyard are at their peak. The grapes are gently pressed and fermented at 18 degrees Celcious in small stainless steel tanks. Then they mature the wine on its lees for almost a year (until the end of August the year after harvest). It spends another 3 months in bottle before release.
Nussbaumer is done in a dry style. It smells sweet, of course, with those classic Lychee and roses notes, as well as cantaloupe, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and saffron.
The color is a bright yellow gold.
On the palate, while the residual sugar is less than 6,5 g/L, the nose deceives you, and you taste the sweetness of melon.
The wine is reminiscent of a late harvest wine with a richer viscosity and the sweetness on the nose, but still has good acid to pair with food.
This is Italy’s most awarded Gewürztraminer.
Production: 58,000 bottles Abv: 14.5% ta: 4.9 g/L aging potential 7-15 years
Pairings
Cantaloupe Carpaccio
I wanted to play into those sweet melon notes and created a Cantaloupe Carpaccio.
Thinly sliced ribbons of cantaloupe line the plate, topped with thinly sliced speck (cut like you would prosciutto)
Top that with fresh dill and tarragon, olive oil, lime juice and zest, pistachios, and finishing salt.
Salty and sweet, it balances beautifully with the wine, tying into the cantaloupe notes on the nose.
The pistachios and the wine’s rose notes complement each other.
There is brightness and contrast with the fresh dill and tarragon, and the salty speck helps to balance the wine.
Rainbow Chard with Speck and Fennel
The rich, bitter notes of chard playing against the sweet aromas of this wine seemed irresistible (I do love chard).
We gave this depth by including chopped stems, so we don’t miss those beautiful colors of the beautiful rainbow chard, which also add texture.
Garlic and shallots add depth, and then the sliced fennel adds that pop of licorice that brightens the dish.
Of course, the speck brings the salt and fat. Greens and pork…you can’t go wrong.
This simple dish adds new depth to the menu.
Spaetzle with Smoked Trout and Peas
I wanted to go with a pasta of for the main course, but spaetzle seemed perfect for the region.
This spaetzle is the way my mom made it when I was a child, a recipe handed down from my grandmother. Simple, no frills, with the spaetzle dough dropped on a board and cut into the boiling salted water.
We mixed it with a garlic-and-shallot crème sauce, peas, smoked trout, dill, grated Grano Padano, and lemon zest.
All three of these dishes paired beautifully with the wine. This really is a food wine, and pairs with the savory notes in the dish, which moderate the sweet notes of the wine for a wonderful pairing.
More on Up and Coming Wine Regions from my fellow writers!
- From Terri Steffs of Our Good Life shares “Tesoro Della Regina Lugana: Why I’m Completely Smitten with Lugana Wine This Summer”
- Wendy Klik of A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Greek Wines Outside of Santorini”
- and our host this month Cam of Culinary Cam shares “A Taste of Croatia: Paprikaš od Kokoši + Zlatan Otok Pošip 2023“
Want more?
For more on the wines of this region, check out these other articles on Alto Adige on Crushed Grape Chronicles
- Bolzano and the Alto Adige Wines of Kellerei Bozen
- Trentino-Alto Adige – Trento, Bolzano and Wines of the Dolomites
Or this article (with a recipe) on Gewürztraminer!
Cantaloupe Carpaccio
Sweet and salty, this beautiful carpaccio is perfect paired with a Gewürztraminer.
Ingredients
- ½ cantaloupe, seeded, peeled, and cut into ribbons on a mandolin
- 1/3 cup torn tarragon and dill
- Olive oil
- ¼ cup roughly chopped Pistachios
- 4 slices of thinly sliced Speck
- Zest of ½ lime
- Juice of ½ Lime
- ½ teaspoon Finishing salt
Instructions
- Layout half the cantaloupe ribbons on your platter,
- Add half the speck slices,
- Drizzle with evoo, ½ of the lime zest, ½ of the pistachios, ½ of the herbs, and½ of the finishing salt.
- Top again with the same and finish with the lime juice.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 160Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 7gSodium 357mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 8g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Rainbow Chard with Speck & Fennel
Savory and slightly bitter, this pairs beautifully with the sweet nose of a Gewürztraminer.
Ingredients
- 1 bulb of fennel sliced
- 1 bunch of Chard - leaves cut into strips, stems cut to bits
- ½ tsp grated Garlic
- ½ Shallot, finely diced
- 5 slices of Speck, cut into smaller pieces
Instructions
- Heat olive oil,
- Add the shallot and allow to soften slightly,
- Add the chard stems and fennel, cook for 2 or three minutes.
- Add the garlic and speck and cook for another few minutes until the fennel and chard stems have softened.
- Add the chard and mix.
- Cover and allow to cook down, mixing every couple of minutes.
- Serve when still green but softened.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 93Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 2gSodium 152mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 2gSugar 7gProtein 2g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Spaetzle with Smoked Trout and Peas
Creamy, salty, bright...this dish has it all. With ingredients and inspiration from the North of Italy, it is a beautiful pairing with a Gewürztraminer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- ¼ milk
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 cloves of Garlic grated
- ½ Shallot finely diced
- ¾ cup of half n half
- 3/4 cup peas
- ¾ cup torn smoked trout
- ¼ cup fresh Dill
- 1 tbsp Lemon zest
- ¼ cup Grana Padano
Instructions
- Mix the flour, eggs, milk, and salt in a stand mixer and set aside.
- Start a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Dump the spaetzle mixture on a cutting board and, using a knife, cut bits of it into the pot of boiling water. When they float, they are done. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon.
- Cook the peas
- Soften the shallot in evoo.
- Add the garlic and stir till fragrant.
- Add the half and half and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the Grana Padano and stir.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in the peas and trout.
- Add the spaetzle and mix.
- Add the dill and lemon zest and lightly stir.
- Serve garnished with additional lemon zest and dill.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 404Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 132mgSodium 814mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 5gSugar 4gProtein 28g
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.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
Leave a Reply