I'm constantly getting asked "what's new?  What's exciting in the wine world?!" So I thought this would be a great opportunity to write about one of my favorite "new & exciting" wines. It also doesn't hurt that this wine is a perfect one to go with the beautiful spring weather that's finally upon us and great for the upcoming Easter holiday. The wine is the newly released 2010 Hoandlhof (Manfred Nossing) Kerner.

It comes from a very small artisanal producer in the Alto Adige region of Italy. The Alto Adige region is starting to grow in popularity mainly due to the excellent whites that are being produced there. The climate is ideal for producing Riesling, Kerner, Veltliner & Silvaner, just to list a few. Many of the wineries produce very tiny productions. 

Manni Nossing happens to be one of the top artisanal producers in the region & is known for producing one of the top Kerners. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate had this to say about Manni Nossing: "Manni Nossing is a terrific source for fine, chiseled whites from the Isarco Valley in the north of Alto Adige. They are some of the most pedigreed (and fairly-priced!) wines readers are likely to encounter from anywhere in Italy."

The 2010 Hoandlhof (Manfred Nossing) Kerner is also his biggest production wine with around 800 cases being produced. Kerner is a cross between Riesling and Trollinger (a German red grape varietal) and derives its name from Mr. Justinian Kerner, a writer of drinking songs. All of the grapes are hand-picked for optimal ripeness and balance between acid and sugar. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged on the lees for eight months before bottling. The wines show amazing concentration, precision, balance & minerality.

Now that everyone has a good understanding on the background of the region and the wine, let's taste it!! On the nose, you get hints of peaches, jasmine and some citrus peel. The wine has amazing freshness & minerality that leads to a well balanced finish with just enough acidity. With a price tag of under $30 a bottle, this is one of the great values in the wine world & should be on everyone's must-try list! It's also a fantastic opportunity to taste a wine from a top producer from one of the up- and-coming regions in Italy.

As I mentioned previously, this is a very small production wine. We were only able to secure five cases. With a 93 RP rating & only $29.99 a bottle, these won't last long, so contact either myself at nick@sokolin.com or your Sokolin sales rep asap to taste what's new & exciting at Sokolin!