Winery of the Month – SEPTEMBER 2019
Elena Walch Winery

For the last month of summer we are going to stay in the Trentino-Alto Adige Sudtirol region of North Eastern Italy.  This region was part of Austria until the end of the First World War.  Because of this there are some interesting facts.  The end of World War 2 brought some discontent as the region was annexed by Germany in 43 and then given back to Italy in 45.  There was a time in the sixties when there was a lot of separatist tension and domestic terrorism.  This was ended with a treaty between Austria and Italy in 71.  The region is basically autonomous today.  It gets to keep most of the tax it collects which is quite large given that it is a huge tourist and vacation area.  Because of this it is one of the wealthiest and most technically advanced parts of Europe.  One of the things I find to be the most Interesting is that the Majority of the people speak German and there is a small population there that speaks a language called Ladin.  The region is also gorgeous with rolling hills, mountains, rivers and lakes.  It is my favorite part of Italy. 

September’s winery, Elena Walch, lies only about 10 miles from last months, Colterenzio.  Elena Walch has an interesting story.  She grew up in Milan and ended up as an Architect in Trentino.  There she gained some renown.  She was then hired Werner Walch to restore the Castel Ringberg.  She and Werner fell in love.  At this point she switched careers and entered the winemaking field.  The Walch family already produced one label, Wilhelm Walch.  This label focused more on quantity than quality.  Elena saw the potential for not only the winery but the entire region.  She and Werner decided to start a new label dedicated to quality under the name Elena Walch.  She set about modernizing the facilities and switching to organic farming practices.  Her first release was from the 1988 vintage.  Her winery has been given more awards than I can mention here but I will mention one, she was named one of the 21 most important Italian wine estates by the Italian Sommelier Society.  The winery is still at the forefront in ecologically sound production and farming.  It shows her dedication to quality wine production that she is known throughout the industry as a great producer but not as a pioneering woman in two different occupations. 

Elena Walch Chardonnay

 A grape that is known much better from different areas but can be wonderful from Alto Adige.  The wine has traditional flavors of apple and melon along with a vibrancy that you don’t see in many other areas.  It is light bodied for chardonnay and has a little bit of the creaminess from some sur lie aging although no trees were harmed in its production as everything is done in stainless steel.
Regularly $17.99  Sale $13.99

Elena Walch Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc does not get the recognition that it deserves.  Here the flavors are like the chard but with some definite Herb de Provence influences.  It is lighter in body than the chard so it is perfect as an aperitif or for light seafood dishes.  
Regularly $19.99  Sale $15.99

Elena Walch Gewurtztramine

She is probably best known for this as she was given the moniker “The Queen of Gewurztraminer”.  This is always my favorite gewurz.  It is med bodied with all the aromatics that one expects from the varietal.  Don’t let the nose fool you it is a dry wine.  Flavors of Lychee and stone fruit mix with some ginger making this a very expressive wine.  The flavors are powerful but the wine always comes off light and clean so it pairs well with everything from vegetarian dishes to pork and varied cuisines like Thai or Italian.
Regularly $26.99  Sale $20.99

Elena Walch Schiava

The Colterenzio Schiava from last month was such a hit that we decided to put another one up.  This schiava is a little denser and has a little bit of spice in it from a brief aging in large oak barrels.  Bright red berry fruits are still the main flavor with a light hint of almond on the finish.  
Regularly $19.99  Sale $15.99

Elena Walch Lagrein

Lagrein is the Cabernet of Alto Adige.  Here you will come across flavors of ripe red cherry and some brambly black fruit.  It also displays some chocolate and baking spice flavors from the aging in oak barrels.  The wine is dense but not chewy and the tannins lend enough grip to handle big steaks as well pasta.
Regularly $19.99  Sale $15.99