I’ve shared in the past that I really love roast chicken paired with a bottle of Chardonnay, and today we’re popping open one of my faves – Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay hailing from New Zealand’s North Island. 

I was first introduced to these wines several years ago when I had a chance to sit down for a tasting with Paul Brajkovich, a member of the owning family. I was quite impressed with the whole line and shortly after, I had planned to feature a bottle of a moderately aged but inexpensive Pinot Gris they had released at the time which I had paired with a fried chicken dish. Sadly, we lost all of the pictures related to that dish in a computer crash. Wahwah. I only see current vintages of their Pinot Gris available now, but I can vouch for the wine’s ageability and deliciousness.

I equally enjoyed their Chardonnays, and while their higher-end wines were beautiful, the Estate Chardonnay is moderately priced ($29 average, although I usually see it priced in the mid to low $30s) and delivers bang for the buck. When I first tasted the Chardonnays, I mentioned that they reminded me of a ‘Mersault with the volume turned up to 11.’ I eventually got to experience that comparison in real life. I brought a bottle with me to dinner at a friend’s house with a group of wine industry girlfriends. By coincidence, one of the other ladies brought a bottle of Mersault, so we got to do a side-by-side tasting. 

We enjoyed our Chardonnays from Meursault and Kumeu River with chicken and butternut squash.

Things played out basically as they had in my head. The Mersault was lovely of course – believe me, I’m not knocking white Burgundy. The wine had elegance, minerality, and some nice fruit, but it was a bit more subtle. The Kumeu River bottle had a similar balance of elements I expect from Burgundy, particularly the minerality, bright acidity, and hints of spice, but with the levels turned up a bit; in particular, the bright, sun-shiny fruit notes just jumped out of the glass more readily. Other wine geeks might counter that this is to be expected of a New World Chardonnay, and yes, you’re right, but the minerality and acidity in this wine are higher than one might expect from many California versions, for example. Another way to put it is that this is a great marriage of New World and Old World styles. 

Let’s go ahead now and travel over to New Zealand to get to know this wine better.

Auckland & Kumeu

New Zealand has become well known for its delicious Sauvignon Blancs, particularly those hailing from Marlborough on the South Island. Today, however, we’re going to the North Island, and fairly north in North Island at that, to the Auckland region, which shares its name with  New Zealand’s most populous city. 

Map borrowed from WineFolly.com

As you can probably imagine, being much farther north the most of the rest of the country’s winegrowing regions, the terroir here is a bit different. Most of the area lies on a narrow strip of land between the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific to the east. Having water so close in most directions means the region has a maritime climate that is much more humid than many of New Zealand’s other wine regions. This can make things tricky since humidity brings disease pressures. Moreover, most of New Zealand’s growing regions are in the rain shadow of the island nation’s mountain ranges. Most of the Auckland region gets no such protection. On the plus side, since the region is closer to the equator than most of the rest of the country, they also experience warmer temperatures than much of the rest of the country, which allows them to ripen grapes that simply don’t do as well in the cooler temperatures further south, such as Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, as well as particularly good Chardonnay. The breezes that come off the ocean, in turn, help moderate temperatures and keep things from getting too warm. 

The region was formed by volcanic activity about 50,000 years ago, and all of Auckland’s subregions have similar clay and loam soils that both add minerality to the wines, and can help keep the vines hydrated in drier years. On the flip side, those fertile, water-retaining soils can present challenges in the humidity. Growers have had to be very selective as to the types of rootstocks, grapes and clones, and growing methods they use in order to mitigate the problems with diseases and overcropping that come with the humid weather and fertile soils.

While James Busby brought vines to New Zealand in 1819, winemaking in the region really began in the early 20th century when settlers came over from Croatia, Lebanon, and England. As was often the case, the settlers brought their vines with them and many wineries in the area trace their origins back to these settlers, as we shall see. 

Auckland has several subregions, of which Kumeu is one. The town of Kumeu is located about 15 to 20 miles northwest of Auckland’s CBD. There are several larger-scale wineries based around Kumeu, but many of them source their grapes from elsewhere in New Zealand. However, there are also quite a few boutique producers, like Kumeu River, that have figured out how to work with the elements to make some excellent wines. 

Quick side note to give props: New Zealand as a country has an amazing track record on sustainability. Per WineFolly.com, to date, 98% of vineyards are above the ISO 14001 sustainability standard and 7% operate organically, so their wines are an excellent bet if sustainability is important to you.

Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay

Image borrowed from WilsonDaniels.com

Kumeu River's history serves as a perfect illustration of the region’s history as described above and they were one of the region’s early pioneers. Mick Brajkovich emigrated from Dalmatia and arrived in New Zealand in 1937 to work in the Kauri gum fields – Kauri gum was a very important resource at the time. His wife Katé, son Maté, and daughters Frances and Nevenka followed him a year later. The family moved a few times, working and saving, and by 1944, they’d saved enough money to buy land in Kumeu. Initially, the property was used for mixed farming and they raised dairy cows and grew fruit and vegetables. There was already a small vineyard on the property, and they made for their own consumption, just as had been common in Dalmatia. Their production quickly exceeded what they needed for themselves, and as the quality was also very good, they started making wine commercially, initially focusing on dry red wines in the style that was popular in Croatia. Sadly, Mick died in 1949, but Maté and Katé kept the business going which became known as  San Marino Vineyards. 

Eventually, Maté married Melba Sutich, whose grandparents had also immigrated to New Zealand from Croatia. They had four children – Michale, Marijana, Milan, and Paul. In 1979,  the family began to move away from the hybrid varieties that were there, and towards  Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, which were unusual at the time. 

The new generation began to take an interest and get involved in the family business, which increasingly focused on quality and built a reputation. In 1986, the winery changed its name to Kumeu River Wines and began making a Burgundy-influenced style of Chardonnay using indigenous yeasts, extended lees aging, and malolactic fermentation. 

Today, Kumeu River has 30 hectares (74 acres) of estate vineyards in Kumeu, and they work with another 10 hectares (24.7 acres) from local growers, producing 250,000 bottles annually.  The wines are farmed sustainably and are vegan. The vineyards have predominantly clay soils overlying a sandstone base, which retain enough water to hydrate the deep-rooted vines, so additional irrigation is not needed. 

Image borrowed from WilsonDaniels.com

Fun fact, Michael Brajkovic, who is now their winemaker, became New Zealand’s first Master of Wine. 

I described Kumeu River’s Estate Chardonnay in general terms at the top, and on the night we opened the 2020, it showed all the lovely balance and bright flavors I was expecting. On the nose, I picked up notes of tangy peaches, crisp apples, lemon, and vanilla cream, all laced with minerals. All of those elements continued on the palate, along with a little butterscotch. The oak was well-integrated, and the wine’s bright acidity gave it a juicy quality at the start of the palate that then moved towards a sleek, mid-weight body with lots of minerality. Lovely!

Geeky Details

Details were taken from the tech sheet.

Vineyards: The grape for this wine come from six different vineyard sites in the Kumeu Region,  with careful attention paid to the selection of the grapes. 

Winemaking:  

Grapes are hand-harvested 

Whole-bunch pressed 

Indigenous-yeast fermentation

French oak barrels, 20% new oak

100% barrel fermentation

100% malolactic fermentation

11 months maturation in barrel

 

The Pairing: Roasted Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Veggies

Since I’ve had these wines quite a few times, I had a good idea of the flavor profile. As I mentioned, I find it hard to resist roast chicken with Chardonnay, particularly one with a bot of oak on it. This time I thought I’d create a sheet pan-style dinner with vegetables and seasonings that would play to the different aspects of the wine. Now, I say sheet pan, but I’d recommend using a roasting pan or at least a deeper sheet pan since the chicken and vegetables give off a lot of juices. Of course, you want to avoid a mess, but likewise, you’ll want to catch those juices to serve on chicken and veggies because they’re delicious. 

I used yogurt flavored with lemon and garlic as a marinade in order to play to the wine’s tangy, juicy qualities.  Meanwhile, I opted for cauliflower, mushrooms, and potatoes to tease out more earthy elements. I used parsley as a garnish, which is optional, but I do think it also helped bring out herbal notes in the wine and worked with its minerality as well. While I kept the seasonings fairly simple here, feel free to play around and change them up.

Everything worked as I’d hoped and different flavors in the wine came out depending on the composition of the bite – sometimes the citrus notes were highlighted, while at others the wine appeared more earthy or minerally. It was delicious, easy, and in the end, there was only one pan for my husband to clean. 

We definitely celebrated Merlot month around here.

A couple of weeks ago I shared Exploring California in 5 Merlots. These Merlots were from different areas of California and all were pretty reasonably priced. However, I received quite a few more media samples for participation in #MerlotMe month than I was able to cover in one post, so the party continues, and I’m sharing these today, JUST under the wire for International Merlot Day. (That’s right, Merlot also has a day.)

In this post, we’ll be looking at 5 more Merlots, but this time I’ll be looking at a batch for when you want to kick things up a notch. We all have moments when we feel like something a little more spendy, whether it’s for a special occasion or just because. Sometimes you’ve just gotta “treat yo self!”

Merlot is a great option in times like these because you’ll typically get extra bang for the buck at any price point. Today’s wines are all from Napa, a region that generally pricey. It’s known for Cab, which can be even pricier. The Merlot-based wines can deliver just as much pleasure for comparably less money, regardless of the price bracket you're working in.

Napa doesn’t need much of an intro. It’s definitely California’s most famous winemaking region. That said, the AVA’s in the area are very diverse. Napa Valley was created by geological events that have occurred over the last 150-million years, and as a result there’s a crazy array of soils. So where appropriate, we’ll take the opportunity to get to know some of these individual areas a little bit.

Map borrowed from Wine Folly.

Winemaking and vineyard details are taken from the tech sheets and/or websites.

Long Meadow Ranch Napa Valley Merlot 2015 with Mushroom and Butternut Squash Risotto 

SRP: $37 (Sample). Not a crazy splurge, so it’s perfect for when you’re just feeling a touch extra.
Blend: 95% Merlot, 2.4% Cabernet Sauvignon. 1.8% Petite Sirah, 0.8% Petite Verdot.
Alcohol: 13.5%

Winery: The winery has a long history dating back to the late 1800’s. Today it’s owned by Ted, Laddie, and Christopher Hall – it was purchased by the family in 1989. Long Meadow Ranch is engaged in full circle farming – they employ integrated farming systems that rely on different parts of the ranch to contribute to the health of the whole. In addition to vineyards, they have olive orchards, cattle and horse breeding, vegetable gardens, and poultry for egg-laying. Each piece feeds the whole and everything is certified organic. In addition, they make their own compost and use solar power.

This isn’t the first time I’ve featured once of their wines. Check out their rosé here and here.

Vineyard & Winemaking Deets:  Organically farmed, as noted above. They’re also certified under Napa Green. The wine was aged in 30% new French Oak.

Area:  Grapes grown at their Mayacamas and Rutherford Estates. Their Rutherford Estate sits on a mineral-rich benchland that was once a riverbed.Tectonic plate movements and volcanic activity, and erosion and intermingling over time have created complex alluvial fans that radiate from the hillsides and through the valley floor. The most famous of these alluvial fans is the Rutherford Bench. The Mayacamas Estate is nestled in the mountains high above the Rutherford Bench.

Tasting Notes: Red plum, black cherry, vanilla, hints of tea and dried leaves on the nose. On the palate, notes of licorice, dutch chocolate, and white pepper joined the red plum and cherry notes. There was also a little touch of bitterness, along with tobacco, tomato stem, and medicinal herbs on the finish.  It was medium bodied, with medium acid, and medium/medium+ tannin.

Pairing: We paired this with butternut squash and mushroom risotto topped with shredded chicken and crispy sage. You could just as easily leave the chicken off  and keep it vegetarian. The wine was a good weight to match the food. More earthiness came out with the food, as well, and the white pepper and herb notes were heightened.

The winery also recommends beef, smoked baby back ribs, and barbeque pulled pork sandwiches with this wine. 

Materra Right Bank Oak Knoll District 2015 with Roasted Chicken and Roasted Veggies

SRP: $50 (Sample)
Blend: 99% Merlot, 1%
Alcohol: 14.5%

Winery: Brian Cunat grew up in the Midwest on a farm which gave him respect for farming. Later, he and his wife Miki traveled to Napa Valley and they fell in love with the area. They decided to buy a 50-acre property in Oak Knoll in 2007, then hired an expert team of vineyard managers and winemakers. The family is involved in the operations on a daily basis, though, and it’s become a full family affair.

Vineyard & Winemaking Deets: The winery is certified by Napa Green.
The wine is aged 22 months in new French Oak.

Area:  Oak Knoll District. This area is on the valley floor, near the southern end of Napa Valley, so it’s cooler than many areas of Napa, as it’s closer to San Pablo Bay and feels some of its marine effects. It’s known for wines from Bordeaux grapes (Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot) that are actually reminiscent of Bordelais wine –  typically, Napa’s take on these grapes tends to be much bigger and bolder.

Tasting Notes: Appropriately, this wine is paying homage to Bordeaux with the name “Right Bank,”  referring to the area of Bordeaux on the right bank of the Gironde River and specializes in Merlot. Of all the wines we tried, this one was really the most reminiscent of the Bordelais style to my palate. (Or course, still with riper California fruit notes.) When I poured this for Greg, without telling him what it was, he knew it was a step-up in quality. It was very elegant and well-made. It had notes of plum sauce, ripe raspberry, black cherry, and light vanilla and cocoa. On the palate, there was a whole mix of berries, cherries, and red plums. It was velvety with a light cocoa, like chocolate pudding, and a little pencil lead. It was medium bodied, with medium acid, and medium tannins that were fine grained and little dusty. This was a mutual favorite.

Pairing: We had this with roasted chicken with root vegetables. I basically made the same way as I prepared this spatcocked chicken, but instead of za'atar, I used Trader Joe’s Umami Seasoning and this Napa Valley Blend I’m fond of. Use your favorite. Leftovers from this chicken got shredded up and put on top of the risotto above. The wine and the chicken worked really well together thanks to the medium body and elegant nature of the wine. The wine also reflected the spices and herbs on the chicken nicely.

 

Markham Vineyards Yountville Estate Merlot 2015 and Surf & Turf with Friends

SRP: $55. (Sample)
Blend: 75% Merlot, 18% Cabernet, 7% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 14.2%

Winery:  Markham Vineyards celebrated 40 years of winemaking in 2018, however, the winery’s history goes back even further. It was commissioned to be built in 1879 and they’re currently the 4th oldest continually running winery in Napa county operating under this original bond number, albeit under different owners and names.

On their website Markham’s winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls notes that “Merlot is the first wine I fell in love with when I arrived in Napa. In my opinion, it is the perfect food wine.”

Vineyard & Winemaking Deets: Markam’s wineries and vineyards are by certified by Napa Green. Fun fact, the budwood for their Merlot vines originally taken from the Three Palms Vineyard. The wines if fermented in 100% stainless steel, then is aged for 15 months in new French oak barrels.

Area:  Yountville. This AVA is right in the heart of Napa Valley, halfway between San Pablo Bay and the southern end of Mount St. Helena. Most of the vineyards here are located on the valley floor. Vineyards for this wine are located at the southern end of the famous Rutherford Bench area. The soils are well-draining, sitting atop ancient alluvial fans.

If you’re ever in the area, downtown Yountville is also a great place to stop. It also happens to be home to Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Bouchon.

Tasting Notes: This was a hedonistic wine with deep mocha and roasted plums and espresso. There were touches of soy and savory herbs. I didn’t take full structure notes in the moment, but it was a full-bodied and structured. This was a mutual favorite from the batch for both Greg and I.

Pairing: We enjoyed this wine during a surf-and-turf- cookout with friends. It was excellent with the steak, and Greg noted he also really enjoyed it with sweet potatoes.

Pahlmeyer Merlot Napa Valley 2016 with Beef Wellington

 

SRP: $90 (Sample)
Blend: 97% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.9%

Winery: Jason Pahlmeyer was an attorney who became captivated with wine. He found a partner who owned an estate in Napa and they set about reimagining the vineyard. They sought assistance from professors at the University of Bordeaux, and searched out the best clones of Bordeaux  varieties from vineyards in France and brought back their “suitcase clones.” They brought them back through Canada and actually got caught along the way. Here’s a fun excerpt of the story from their website:

Jayson's partner smuggled their “suitcase clones” to the U.S. through Canada. All went off without a hitch until their final truckload, when the border authorities uncovered the French vines. Ordered to surrender all their contraband, they kept their French clones hidden and instead turned over to the unwitting patrollers clones purchased from U.C. Davis.

The vineyards were planted in 1981, and they’ve have a pretty amazing set of winemakers come through there over the years. Bibiana González Rave currently holds that position and she is one amazing lady. (She was San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker of the Year in 2015, and I highly recommend the read.)  I’m happy to say to have had the very great pleasure to get to know her a little bit over the last couple of years, and she was on my panel this year for Bâtonnage: "Pathways to Inclusion: But How, Really?" I invite you to listen to that here. She also has her own line of wines called Cattleya  which I highly recommend, as well as Shared Notes which she makes with her husband Jeff Pisoni.

I was admittedly very excited to receive this wine as a sample, to get the chance to taste an example of her wines I’d not had before.

Vineyard & Winemaking Deets: The vineyards are farmed sustainably, taking careful measure to prevent erosion, and use organic compost. 100% free-run juice was used for this wine. Great care was taken to sort the grapes, through multiple stages to ensure only the best fruit was used. The fgrapes underwent five days of cold maceration. After primary fermentation, the grapes were gently basket pressed. The wine was aged in 85% new French oak barrels for 20 months.

Area:  Atlas Peak and Rancho Chimiles. Pahlmeyer’s estate vineyards are on Atlas peak, so I’m going to focus on that today, but Rancho Chimiles has a really interesting history you can read more about here. Atlas Peak is one of the highest points in Napa – the highest vineyards are planted at 1665 feet above sea level. The Foss River is largely responsible for the terroir here, rather than the Napa River, although it does eventually meets the larger river. The soils are mostly volcanic and highly porous, which is good for drainage, and lends itself well to high-quality wines. Sadly, this area was hit hard by the wildfires of 2017.

Tasting Notes: On the nose, there were notes of blackberry, black cherry, blueberry, boysenberry, light chocolate, light spice, hint of bramble, red flower petals. A similarly lush combination of fruits returns on the palate, with light bramble, white pepper, and a hint of anise. It was medium + to full bodied in body, medium tannins, but with sufficiently fresh acid to hold it all together. This wine had a great combination of elegance and richness, like a velvet glove and I relished every sip.

Pairing: I decided to embark on a quest of experimenting with Beef Wellington. We paired this wine with the first iteration. I was fairly faithful to this recipe from Delish, with the exception that I used hanger steak, instead of the traditional tenderloin. It was a fantastic match.

Blackbird Vineyards Illustration Napa Valley 2013 with Filet Mignon and Roasted Beets on Salad

Average Price: $106 for this vintage (Not a sample. I pulled this one from “the cellar.”)
Blend:  60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.5%

Winery: Blackbird Vineyards is located on a former walnut orchard which was planted to Merlot vines in 1997. It was purchased by Michael Polenske in 2003. Much like a couple of the other wines above, the wines were inspired by the wines of the Right Bank of Bordeaux.

Vineyard & Winemaking Deets: They farm sustainably, rarely using commercial pesticides, herbicides, or artificial fertilizers. Organic materials from farming and harvest are put back into the soils as compost. All wines are fermented via native yeasts. I couldn’t find a tech sheet for the 2013 vintage, but according to their website the 2016 spent 21 months in French oak barrels - 75% new, 25% seasoned. They consider this the most luxurious wine in their portfolio.

Area:  Blackbird sources fruit from around Napa, but they’re based in Oak Knoll, which we covered up above.

Tasting notes: High-toned with notes of violets, orange rind, cherry, red plum, raspberry, and vanilla on the nose. On the palate, there were notes of kirsch, herbs, and that hint of orange rind. It had bright acidity, was medium to medium + body, and had a little grip on the finish. Even though it has a few years on it, I thought it could use a few more since it was still taught or decant.

Pairing: We paired this with filet mignon, which I prepared sous vide. I also prepared a little pan sauce to serve on top. On the side, we had salad and roasted beets. I also had some chimichurri around, so we played around with that as well. The wine was very good with the steak and pan sauce. In large amounts, the chimichurri tended to throw it off a little bit; however, in small amounts or bites where there was a little of everything, it all worked together solidly well.

It’s been a minute since I’ve been on here. Work, travel, outside projects, and computer crashes have all been conspiring to keep me away. Happy to be back today though!

Today we’re taking a quick look at a genuine underdog grape: Pinot Bianco . . . or Pinot Blanc or Weissburgunder,  depending on where it’s coming from.

This grape is kind of like the Cinderella of the Pinot family. It’s the white skinned mutation in the group (Noir = black, Gris= gray, Blanc = white, you get the idea), but where it’s siblings often get to play the star, this version is mostly known for being a workhorse, and doesn’t ever really get to stand in the spotlight.

I think that’s actually a great reason to take a second look at it: Underdogs = value. And I love a value. If there are areas that are known for this grape, they’d be Alto Adige in NE Italy and Alsace in France. You can also find it in Germany and Austria. Today we’re going to focus on the Italian versions.

In terms of flavor, Pinot Bianco is most often compared to Chardonnay. It tends to show similar fruit flavors like apples, stone fruits, and citrus. There’s often a little nuttiness to this grape, and even a hint of spice at times. It can be anywhere from light to medium + in body, but there’s often a roundness to the texture even in the lighter versions. Versions from Alto Adige tend to be on the more minerally side of things with more freshness.

Chardonnay haters, don’t let the comparison put you off!  Despite the comparisons, I don’t think Pinot Blanc is  likely to be as divisive. It’s underdog status might be helping it out here. A lot of people that don’t like Chard are actually reacting to the oak treatments that are common with that grape. Oak is expensive though, and as an underdog, Pinot Blanc is less likely to see extensive amounts of it.

Today’s wines are from Alto Adige. You’ll often see the name combined as part of Trentino-Alto Adige. The two areas are each self-governing provinces, but they’re right next to each other, Alto Adige being just north of Trentino. Alto Adige is smashed right up against the Austrian border and was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was reclaimed by Italy in 1919 after WWI, but is still strongly influenced by its roots and German is often people’s first language.You’ll usually see the German name for the region, Südtirol, proudly listed on wine labels in addition to the Italian name. Südtirol translate to South Tyrol in English, and references the Tyrol region or Austria, and the historical Princely County of Tyrol, to which it belonged in the time Habsburgs.

My sister-in-law Becky’s family comes from the town of Moena. This is admittedly in the Trentino half of the mash-up, but thought I’d share a couple of pics my brother Alex sent me of one of their trips there to give you a general idea of the GORGEOUS landscape. We weren’t able to go the last time they went, but we definitely intend to invite ourselves along on a future trip!





Even though I’m focusing on Pinot Bianco today, I highly recommend exploring the wines of this region in general. In addition to beautiful white wines from several different varieties, they also make delicious light/medium bodied reds that are perfect for summer.

Today’s wines were sent to me as samples, but note that as always, all opinions are my own and no other compensation was received. 
 

Castelfeder Vom Stein Pinot Bianco Südtirol - Alto Adige 2017

(Pictured up top.)

Average Price: Wine Searcher has this listed at $12, but I think $16-$18 is more usual. 

Nose: Lemon, white flowers, apples.

Palate: Lemon and little grapefruit pith, apples, and a hint of white pepper. There’s a hint of cheese rind that adds texture and complexity, leading into a minerally finish. The wine is dry and medium bodied.

About the winery: Castelfeder was founded in 1970 by oenologist Alfons Giovanett.  His son Günther Giovanett took over in 1989. He expanded the vineyard holdings, bringing in new varieties with the new land. He runs the operation with his wife Alessandra and their two children, Ivan and Ines.



Pairing: Greg and I enjoyed this wine with a classic roast chicken dinner with lots of root vegetables. I spatchcocked the chicken and essentially prepared it the same way as this version I did for 8 & $20, but swapped out the Zahatar for thyme and rosemary. The wine made for a really refreshing pairing. It had enough body to complement the weight and flavors in the food. 

For more winemaking details, check out the tech sheet for the 2015 here.

Peter Zemmer Punggl Pinot Bianco Alto Adige 2017

Average Price: $16

Nose: White flowers, green and gold apples, pears.

Palate: Bruised apples, lemon, stone fruits, green melon, hints of spices, Parmesan cheese, and nuttiness with a light herbs and minerals on the finish. The wine is dry, medium bodied, it starts off with lushness up front but leads into fresh acidity on the finish.

About the winery: The winery was established in 1928, Peter Zemmer, the great uncle of the current Peter Zemmer. Helmut Zemmer took over for his uncle Peter after his early death in 1969. His son now carries on the family tradition.

The winery puts great importance on sustainability. All of the winery’s energy needs are covered by renewable sources, such as solar panels on the roof of the winery, that allow them to produce their wines with zero emissions.

Pairing: We had this wine with butternut squash risotto with salmon. The wine struck a nice balance between speaking to the creaminess of the risotto, while refreshing the palate between bites.

For more winemaking details, check out the tech sheet for the 2015 here. 

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla hunts down “Coniglio in Agrodolce + Ronchi di Cialla Ribolla Gialla 2017.” 
• Wendy tries “Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Pizza with a Terlano Pinot Bianco” over at A Day in the Life on the Farm. 
• Linda investigates “Alto Adige Offers More than One White Wine” at My Full Wine Glass. 
• Gwendolyn is The Wine Predator, and she will be “Celebrating Summer in the Mountains of Italy : 4 wines with 4 courses from Südtirol.” 
•  Jeff at FoodWineClick! will be getting back to nature with “A Food-Friendly Skin-Fermented Vigneti delle Dolomiti.” 
• Cindy will be taking a look at “Picolit – A Historic, Rare, Sweet Dessert Wine from Collio DOC” over at Grape Experiences. 
• Jennifer will be taking her Vino Travels to the farthest reaches of Italy’s northeast to discover “Friulian Reds with Zorzettig.” 
• Lauren, The Swirling Dervish, will be trying out “Elena Walch Müller Thurgau with Summertime Shrimp Pad-Thai.” 
• Katarina will be look closer at “Aquila del Torre winery: An Oasis in Friuli Focused on Local Identity and Innovation” at Grapevine Adventures. 
• And Kevin will be doing a bit of a double-header here at SnarkyWine, with some “Mountain Bubbles and a Tannic Finish.”   

Additional sources used for this post and background reading:
Jancis Robinson.com
Wine-Searcher.com
WineFolly.com
TheSpruceEats.com