THE ENCOUNTER: Twenty something wines from Germany, Austria and Alsace

Riesling arrives at
La Montecchia

by Romina Savi

Still widely unknown in Italy, Riesling is well worth an introduction. Just ask Mauro Meneghetti who has been drinking Riesling for over 10 years. After numerous trips spent seeking out top producers, Mauro decided to create a “map within a map” indicating the location of twenty great Riesling producers. “Riesling e ditorni,” the name of his project, includes wines from Germany, Austria, Alsace and even Sylvaner and Grüner Vertliner, the freshest and most straightforward of these terriors. “Riesling Tröcken is a wine with a big personality. It is complex with intriguing perfumes,” says Mauro. “It is a real shame that in Italy there are so few importers and so few people that appreciate this special white wine.” Riesling is characterized by a marked minerality that manifests itself in the hydrocarbon-like aromas on the nose. It is fruity without being brash. After 10 to 15 years in the bottle, the wine develops a freshness and drinkability that is hard to find in other white wines. “Without a doubt, the top vintage is 1997,” believes Mauro. “This is the year in which the wine best expressed, with extreme grace and balance, all of the characteristics of the varietal.” Riesling is often served at the beginning of a meal with the appetizer, but if also pairs nicely with truffle dishes (both the wine and the tuber have notes of hydrocarbons), beef tartar or fish dishes. Riesling can also be drunk slowly in small sips as a vino da meditazione, allowing for the wine to evolve and reveal its nuances.