Award winning 5th generation winemakers - Elena Walch Vineyards

Alto Adige DOC is in the northern most winemaking region in Italy. Bordering Austria, the cultural influences in Alto Adige are both German and Italian, making it a very cultural diverse region. Climate and location influences bring fruity freshness to Alto Adige wines - the vineyards are grafted on to the Dolomite foothills, the warm air from the Adige River, the sunny summer days and cool nights, warm soils and sufficient precipitation are all contributing factors.

Elena Walch Vineyards stands for innovation, quality and environmental responsibility. Elena Walch, along with her daughters, Julia & Karoline, run the family estate. Their philosophy is of terroir - each wine is an expression of the soil, climate, grape variety and vineyard. Each vineyard is like an individual with its own unique characteristics. The family leads the charge for sustainable winemaking and viticulture in the region. Through a number of ways such as recycling water for use within the vineyard, leaf pulling for proper air flow in the vineyards, creating their own compost to nourish the vineyard, mulching, close monitoring of water usage, alternative pest management for grapevine moths - the list goes on. Their focus is to preserve the vineyard and environment for the next generation.

This particular wine is made from the native Schiava grape, which in Italian means “little slave.” The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks with 6 days of skin contact. The wine was then matured in large oak casks. Both the fermentation and maturation produced a wine of pure character and elegance. The wine is a lovely bright ruby color. It’s flavors of fresh strawberry, cherry, raspberry, rose, bitter almond, spice and slight smokiness are beyond captivating. The wine has a light body, low tannins, medium acidity and long finish. The wine could easily age another 2 to 4 years.

For those who are seeing a sustainably made wine this is your best bet. It is affordable, of the highest quality, the perfect summer red wine, served slightly chilled.

Video review available at Instagram: Elena Walch Schiava

Pair this wine with roasted eggplant, stuffed mushrooms, antipasti, shrimp skewers or Southeast Asian cuisine with basil and ginger. The wine is light, refreshing and thirst quenching.