Description
Gunther Kerschbaumer uses the Sylvaner grape as his canvas for crafting this beautiful alpine white wine from the Isarco Valley near the Austrian border. Made from two plots of 20-year-old Sylvaner vines, this Riserva wine is rich and full with deep layers of ripe lemons and limes, scented with alpine white flowers and with a creamy finish.
Gunther partners up with agronomist Florian Sinn to tend the high-altitude vines (1,800 – 2,100 feet) and vinify small batches of distinctive white wines that express the local minerality and floral terroir characteristics. This Sylvaner R 2009 vintage is a Gambero Rosso 3 Bicchieri winner.
Expected maturity: Now through 2018
Food pairing: Think cheese. This is a great wine with Fontina (and fonduta made from Fontina, of course) and Gruyere, and creamy mild cheeses like Robiola and Cambembert. Sylvaner R is also a fine pairing with grilled vegetables, river fish like trout and steelhead, and lighter meats like roast or grilled chicken.
Visiting Kofererhof: Gunther’s cantina is northwest of Bolzano in drop-dead-gorgeous wine terrirtory. You can visit with a reservation (or roll the dice and just show up — not recommended). He also runs a fine Osteria with companion Gaby Tauber where you can sample his wines (and others from the region) and pair with rich local dishes. Call Gunther on his cell at +39.347.477.8009 or send him an email.
Cantina Address: Frazione Novacella, Via Pusteria 3, Varna 39050 (BZ). Google Map
Learn More: Their website is really just a single page image, but there’s useful info on it.