2010 Kofererhof Veltliner Italy (Other)

2010 Kofererhof Veltliner

Type of Wine	Italy (Other) : There are dozens of grape varietals grown in Italy so no wonder they produce such a broad range of most exquisite wines. Some of the most cultivated red varieties are Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Barbera, while Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also popular. Among whites, you're likely to find Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, or Vernaccia varietals.
Varietal	Gruner Veltliner : When it comes to winegrowing in Germany, Austria and Alsace, the grape variety that most often comes to mind is Riesling. This is a fair assessment given Riesling dominates most of Germany and much of Alsace, but… Austria, in its own right, is the ancestral home to one of the most fascinating and complex varieties in the world: Gruner Veltliner. Up until the 1990s, the consumer market outside of Austria had been mostly incognizant of its existence; however over the past few decades, Gruner Veltliner has blasted through its shroud of anonymity and onto wine lists and dinner tables around the world. Today, Gruner Veltliner is the most widely cultivated grape variety in Austria, covering approximately 17,000 hectares of vineyards space. It has seen such world-wide exposure that no self-respecting restaurant, whether in New York or Hong Kong, can afford to be without at least one example of Austria’s signature white wine grape. As the accomplished MW (Master of Wine), critic and wine writer, Jancis Robinson insists, “…Gruner Veltliner has impinged on the consciousness of the wine world recently and the quality of all Austrian wines has become so excitingly and consistently high that no fine wine enthusiast can afford to ignore them.” The varietal’s renaissance can be greatly contributed to the massive shift in the flagship grape’s vinification process. As an era of ripe, alcoholic and flashy Austrian white wines, many late harvested and often showing the effects of noble rot or Botrytis Cinerea, dwindles out of favor, it has given way to fresher and more precise examples that are better at showcasing the characteristics of the country’s many diverse wine regions. The Austrian climate, terroir and topography greatly contribute to the grapes characteristics and ultimately the wines produced. There is very little Mediterranean influence due to the Alps, thus creating a strong continental climate. The mountainous, landlocked country has pronounced temperature shifts from day to night and from summer to winter. The many terraced vineyards scoring the landscape as well as the proximity of the Danube River (which flows through the norther regions) creates numerous varied meso-climates. The terroir is mostly comprised of sand, gravel and loess, which has been deposited by the Danube over the many millennia. The late ripening greenish to foxy-yellow berries of Gruner Veltliner thrive in its native terroir. The vines can be quite vigorous and need a great deal of care and attention to produce healthy yields. The varietal is highly susceptible to many vineyard diseases such as powdery and downy mildew. A high-trellising system developed by Austrian winemaker, Lens Moser, in the 1950s has greatly contributed to the growth, quality and success of the varietal over the course of its more modern era. When yields are healthy and kept in check, Gruner Veltliner can be a very versatile grape. Due to its versatility and naturally high levels of acidity, the grape can be fashioned into several different styles, which are broken down into several categories. For example, the wines of the Wachau region, which has become one of the top producing locations in all of Austria, is structured into three tiers. The first is Steinfeder, which focuses on minerality; it is light, fresh and tangy with a maximum of 11.5% alcohol. These wines are often bottled with a slight spritz to lift the wine and emphasizes its fresh, fruity notes. The second style, Federspiel, includes wines that are spicier, show more weight and complexity with an alcohol level between 11.5%-12.5% and are racy, precise and elegant. Smaragd is the richest and a most full-bodied Gruner Veltliner styling. These wines are richly textured, well-structured and require several years in bottle before reaching developed maturity. Like Riesling, there are many avenues one could take down the proverbial rabbit hole of the more complex side of Gruner Veltliner; its levels of ripeness and tiers of quality that break down even further, clear down to single-vineyard wines. For simplicity, Classic Gruner Veltliner wines show citrus aromas of lemon peel and grapefruit, complimented by stone fruits, lime, flint, fresh vegetal notes (green pepper) and its trademark hint of white pepper. Half of the country’s Gruner Veltliner hails from the Weinviertel Districtus Austriae Controllatus or DAC (Similar to AOC in France). Some of the most notable regions (DACs) include Wachau (as aforementioned) Kremstal and Kamptal. Wines from the vineyards of these regions are the finest expressions of Austrian Gruner Veltliner. The varietal has inevitably traveled beyond the borders of Austria and is now widely cultivated in Slovenia and the Czech Republic and to a lesser extent in Northern Italy, New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.