Two red wines to look out for, one from Burgundy, one from the Dolomites

Two red wines to look out for, one from Burgundy, one from the Dolomites.

 Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks Park) in the Dolomites, just a couple of hours from Foradori vineyard.

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Domaine Lacour Côtes Du Couchois Bourgogne (AOP) 2020, 13%, 

€22.65 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Côtes du Couchois is a relatively unknown area of Burgundy and is the source of authentic and very well priced wines. This is one to look out for.

It is also one of the darker coloured Pinot Noirs. The grape is loved for its red fruit and you’ll note plenty of it (cherry, raspberries) in the aromas. More of the same on the smooth palate, enlivened by a wash of sweet spice (from the oak ageing). Tannins are soft and there is a long finish. Another superb wine from Lacour and Very Highly Recommended.

This father (Fabrice) and son (Antonin) team run a 13-ha estate in the appellations Côtes du Couchois, Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne. Antonin, in his mid-twenties (captain of the local rugby team), is now working full time at the estate. The Côtes du Couchois is a tiny appellation located South of Maranges, at altitude between 300 to 420m.

They say: “Ageing in terracotta allows the freshness of the fruit to be preserved …Unique in the Couchois, this "Cuvée Amphore" allows you to pleasantly discover the typicality of our territory.”

Pinot Noir, and this a typical example, is versatile at the table. Try it with  duck, chicken, pork and mushrooms. 

As you know, the grape is one of the main ones in Champagne and no surprise that France is the world’s largest producer of Pinot Noir. The USA is second and Germany third with Moldova a surprising fourth.

We have come across Domaine Lacour previously on the blog and, two years back, were absolutely delighted with their Passe-tout-grains, a sort of vineyard blend (in this case mostly Pinot Noir and Gamay) somewhat similar to the Gentil of Alsace. A short review of the Lacour version here.  

*The Passe-tout-grains is also available from Le Caveau.

Foradori Teroldego Vigneti Delle Dolomiti (IGT) 2019, 12.5%

€30.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This wine from the mountainous Trentino wine region of northern Italy has a dark garnet colour. Pretty intense aromas of a dark fruit character. This juicy red wine softly bathes the palate with notes of cherries, raspberries and blackberries, and there’s a hint of sweetness. It is fresh and lively and balanced all through to the lengthy finish that also comes with pleasant light tannins.

In 2016, The Modern History of Italian Wine (my review here) honoured the producer Elisabetta Foradori as one of the leading producers in the renaissance from the 1960s onwards. She led the local change from pergolas to Guyot (lower yield, more quality), practiced the “diligent use of small oak barrels” (to tackle the international market), and then her embracing of biodynamic cultivation and her adoption of the amphora in “this land where Regina Elisabetta (Queen Elizabeth) reigns” further enhanced her wines.

In the Trentino area, a favourite at the table is a bowl of giant canederli (bread and flour dumplings, which are laden with smoked bacon chunks and served in a warm broth). Local breads and cheeses are also on the table, dispatched before you tackle the filling polenta and sausage based dish known as Smacafam. Apples will feature in the dessert course, perhaps their version of strudel. And this is the wine to pair with the local food!

Here in Ireland, you could match it with cured meats and dishes that include bacon or guanciale (O’Mahony Butchers have this in the English Market). Teroldego would do well with spaghetti carbonara, for example, because it would both cut through the richness and compliment the bacon and pepper notes. 

I was in that area just once myself, on a day trip from Austria, and remember having the best ever Spaghetti Carbonara in a high altitude restaurant in or near the Naturpark Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks Park) in the Dolomites and then enjoying a stroll around a nearby lake (in pic above) under some awesome peaks.

This dark aromatic wine is indeed a gem, light in alcohol but full of flavour, a distinguished part of the Trentino gastronomy. The wine itself is pure, precise and elegant and Very Highly Recommended.

A Royal Red Wine From The Queen of Teroldego

A Royal Red Wine From The Queen of Teroldego

Foradori Teroldego Vigneti Delle Dolomiti (IGT) 2018, 12.5%

€30.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

After an active day in the mountains of Trentino, perhaps trekking in the vast Naturpark Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks Park) or skiing in Cortina d´Ammpezzo, it’s time to replenish your reserves. And here a favourite at the table is a bowl of giant canederli (bread and flour dumplings), which are laden with smoked bacon chunks and served in a warm broth. Local breads and cheeses are also on the table, dispatched before you tackle the filling polenta and sausage based dish known as Smacafam. Apples will feature in the dessert course, perhaps their version of strudel.

And all the while your enjoyable companion is the Foradori Teroldego, a superb wine of the region made by the experienced Elisabetta Foradori. She is indeed regarded by many authorities as the queen of Teroldego.

“It has beautiful colour and rich fruit, but sometimes the tannins can be a little drying. You need to hold on to it for a while or pair it with gamey foods, but the flavour is unique. And you won’t find it anywhere else in the world.” That was young Elisabetta Foradori speaking to Vino Italio back in 2002 who even then considered her as the leading producer of Teroldego.

Regina Elisabetta

In 2016, The Modern History of Italian Wine honoured her as one of the leading producers in the renaissance from the 1960s onwards. She led the local change from pergolas to Guyot (lower yield, more quality), practiced the “diligent use of small oak barrels” (to tackle the international market), and then her embracing of biodynamic cultivation and her adoption of the amphora in “this land where Regina Elisabetta (Queen Elizabeth) reigns” further enhanced her wines.

A handy base in Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks Park) in the Dolomites,
about 3 hours from the Foradori vineyards.

Even the 8th Edition of the World Wine Atlas concurs: “the unrivalled queen of fine fully ripe Teroldego Rotaliano is Elisabetta Foradori. Her improved clones, and experiments with fermenting in amphoras, impresses her clients more than they do the authorities, so she sells them as IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti.” 

This dark ruby aromatic wine is indeed a gem, light in alcohol but full of flavour, a distinguished part of the Trentino gastronomy. About two months back, we got a great idea of how the wine and food go together thanks to a Tasting the Dolomites meal (Take Out of course in the current circumstances) organised by Cork’s leading wine-bar, Latitude 51, as part of their own deliciously defiant response to setbacks over the past two years (including those Covid 19 restrictions). The wine itself is pure, precise and elegant and Very Highly Recommended.

We nibbled on Speck (smoked cured ham) and Taleggio cheese for a start. Then moved on to the hearty Zuppa all’Orzo (pearl barley), eating and drinking in that bowl. I had been a little wary of the dumplings having been very disappointed with a series of Northern European dumplings a few years back. But these, packed with herbs and Speck, were in a different class altogether. Then on to another highlight, the Smacafam, a sausage and polenta pie, a hearty rustic type of pizza, full of flavour and topped with delicious cheese and that meaty sausage was just superb.

Speck (via Pixabay)

Then time for the finalé, after a decent pause! Apples are abundant in Trentino and L’Atitude included their take on an Apple Strudel, a superb take indeed, enhanced with a dab or two of crème fraîche. They even included a digestif, some prunes soaked (deluged!) in Grappa to bring the curtain down on an excellent insight into the area.

Been in that area just once myself, on a day trip from Austria, and remember having the best ever Spaghetti Carbonara in a high altitude restaurant in or near the Naturpark Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks Park) in the Dolomites and then enjoying a stroll around a nearby lake (in pic above) under some awesome peaks.

A Right Royal Bottle of Teroldego. Tasting the Dolomites with L’Atitude 51

A Right Royal Bottle of Teroldego. 

Tasting the Dolomites with L’Atitude 51.

“It has beautiful colour and rich fruit, but sometimes the tannins can be a little drying. You need to hold on to it for a while or pair it with gamey foods, but the flavour is unique. And you won’t find it anywhere else in the world.” That was Elisabetta Foradori speaking to Vino Italio back in 2002 when she was already  “considered as the leading producer of Teroldego”.

And it was Foradori’s Teroldego that was the centrepiece of last weekend’s Latitude Click & Collect offering. Latitude owner Beverley expands:  “As L’Atitude is all about exploring wine and trying something new, our take-out boxes have wine at its centre, designed to bring you on a journey and discover something different. And we match tastes to the wine based on our travels and experience of food and wine pairing.” 

Monte Cristallo in the Dolomites, about 3 hours from Foradori.
 Wouldn't mind repeating that 2004 trip!

“This week we take you to Trentino/Alto Adige in the Dolomites to sample Foradori Teroldego a delicious red wine made from a local grape variety by the "Queen of Teroldego’, biodynamic winemaker Elisabetta Foradori. Based at altitude in Mezzolombardo in the shadow of the towering Dolomite mountains, Elisabetta has been leading the way in biodynamic winemaking in Trentino for years with her visionary approach, making wines that are respectful of the soil and the local grapes she wants to honour, and using the techniques that are less invasive, and more holistic. We love everything about her wines and this Teroldego is the winery’s flagship wine. It’s fresh and pure with vivid raspberry and cherry and a supple, fresh crunchiness on the finish. Delicious! “ And so it was. 

Quite a bit has changed since 2002. Foradori has embraced Guyot instead of pergolas, her "diligent use” of small oak barrels (according to the History of Modern Italian Wine), her adoption of amphoras and her embracing of biodynamic cultivation have all improved her wines. The tannins in her Teroldego are not so drying now and the finish is longer than way back then. 

A superb wine choice by L’Attitude. And the food wasn’t bad either! Beverley: “As usual we pair tastes from the region that will bring out the flavours in the wine. So this week’s tastes will take a little of the best that Trentino and South Tyrol has to offer and will include a polenta and sausage based dish known as Smacafam, Canederli (a type of dumpling), local breads, cheese and charcuterie, as well as something sweet. The tastes are designed as an aperitif or sharing platter for people to experience different flavours with each sip of wine. There will be an element of finishing at home, to make the experience more enjoyable and bring your kitchen alive with the smells of the mountains.”

     

This dark ruby aromatic wine is indeed a gem, light in alcohol but full of flavour, a distinguished part of the Trentino gastronomy, as so well illustrated by the Latitude 51 kitchen, the current Takeout series a part of their defiant response to setbacks over the past two years (including Covid 19 restrictions). The wine itself is pure, precise and elegant and the weekly experience is Very Highly Recommended.

 

While the wine is the star, the food element is also top notch and you won’t go hungry! We nibbled on Speck (smoked cured ham) and Taleggio cheese for a start. Then moved on to the hearty Zuppa all’Orzo (pearl barley soup), eating and drinking in that bowl. I had been a little wary of the dumplings having been very disappointed with a series of Northern European dumplings a few years back. But these, packed with herbs and Speck, were in a different class altogether. Then on to another highlight, the Smacafam, a sausage and polenta pie, a hearty rustic type of pizza, full of flavour and topped with delicious cheese and that meaty sausage was just superb.

Smacafam - a deliciously filling part of the meal

Then time for the finalé, after a decent pause! Apples are abundant in Trentino and L’Atitude included their take on an Apple Strudel, a superb take indeed, enhanced with a dab or two of crème fraîche. They even included a digestif, some prunes soaked (deluged!) in Grappa to bring the curtain down on an excellent insight into the area.

Been up there once myself, on a day trip from Austria, and remember having the best ever Spaghetti Carbonara in a high altitude restaurant in or near the vast Naturpark Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks Park) in the Dolomites and then enjoying a stroll around a nearby lake under some awesome peaks.

This is the poster for L'Atitude's offer for the coming weekend, another very tempting one!