As those of you that follow our wine dinners are familiar, we have a great love for the wines of Austria.  The bi-lingual Alto-Adige or Südtirol as it is known in German, is a fitting match.  Both areas have long been a crossroads of cultural influence.  The Germanic precision is softened with latin finesse and passion.  And the wines and food reflect long proud traditions of masterful craft and rigorous regional pride.

As brand manager at Winebow, Erin Grace has deep familiarity with the winemakers whose wine she gleefully advocates.  She can deftly recite the details of each of the vineyard sites along the Danube while remembering the personalities of the wines they produce.  Long before Jesse Becker began Péripherique Wine Merchants, he was a tireless advocate of the great under-appreciated Grüner Veltiner.  It is with great pleasure that we can invite them both to present a dinner of some of the great wines of both sides of the Dolomite mountains.

Rudi Pichler has been very generous to the Boiler Room.  He donated his wine to our dinner at the James Beard House and already helped us last fall to present another of his wines.  Rudi believes in macerating his white wines with their skins, something of an enigma.  But more than anything, he emphatically wants to express the Wachau's earthy quality, full of intense minerality and creaminess.  He has become one of the greatest producers in all of Austria.
 
Willi Sturz, the winemaker at Cantina Tramin or Produttori Tramino is rather shy.  His wines aren't.   They are brilliant, structured, balanced and clear wines that also focus on terroir.  Gentle pressing, gravity feed, and stainless steel protect the purity of his wines.  Founded 1898 as a cooperative of some 280 producers in Südtirol.  Alto-Adige is some of the most expensive property anywhere, so cooperatives work to produce outstanding quality at approachable prices.  The Nussbaum Gewürtztraminer is super aromatic with turbocharged lychee and spice that remind how Gewürtztraminer (translated Spicy Traminer) got its name.

Tieffenbrunner is run by a fourth generation family in Entiklar.   They own an impressive 186 acres and are supplied with the fines southwest facing grapes.  As most of the winemakers in Alto-Adige, they believe in their local varietals such as Lagrein.  From one of their 5 growing areas, the Castel Turmhof produces a Lagrein with compact tannin, rich and round and full of fruit, while still long on the palate.

Paul Achs has made wine around the world and settled back in Bols in Austria’s Burgenland in 1991.  Planting and tending to 21 acres, Paul produces 3 Cru wines.  His Edelgrund comes from 16 year old vines, representing quite a step up from the base wine.  Paul believes wine should taste like it is and not how it could be.  His Blaufrankish is characteristically powerful and fruity while earthy and spicy.  

As usual the menu is still being formulated, but will include four courses to match the wines. The cost is $85/person before tax and tip and reservations can be made here or by calling 402-916-9274.