This month the Italian Food Wine Travel bloggers are looking at non-native Italian grapes and Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is hosting. You can read his invitation here. If you are reading this early enough, feel free to jump in on our live Twitter chat on Saturday, August 6th at 8am Pacific time. Follow the hashtag #ItalianFWT and be sure to add it to anything you tweet so we can see it.
Here's what the bloggers are sharing...
- Camilla
of Culinary
Adventures with Camilla whips up Deviled Eggs and
a Chardonnay from Alto Adige.
- Lynn
of Savor the Harvest shares The ‘Other’ Wine Grapes in Italy.
- Linda
of My Full Wine Glass offers us Trentino: Another option for Pinot Noir fans.
- Jennifer
of Vino Travels presents Blending the Non-Native Grapes of Puglia with the Trentatre Rosso.
- Susannah
of Avvinare contributes Oltrepò Pavese – Pinot Noir Reaches New Heights.
- Deanna
of Wineivore dishes up Butternut Squash Risotto Paired with Organic Merlot.
- Gwendolyn
of the Wine Predator explores Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc: Ivaldi’s Andrea Alta Langa DOCG.
- Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm wonders An Italian Merlot? Sì, Grazie.
- Host Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog pairs Mussels With Garlic and Parsley Paired with Cantina Terlan Kreuth Chardonnay.
Alois Lageder Chardonnay 2020
I'll be honest: this theme that Martin picked is one that is the complete opposite of what I usually look for in a wine or pairing. I love tracking down wines made with indigenous - and maybe even overlooked - grape varieties. Here's an example of that from when I hosted the February 2020 French Winophiles event; I paired Asian BBQ Sauce-Glazed Pork Chops + Domaine Trosset's Mondeuse d'Arbin. Before that I had never heard of the Mondeuse grape.
But I love participating in these groups. So I did some research and got my hands on a Chardonnay from Magrè, in the southern part of the Alto Adige region of Italy. Remember, Chardonnay is a French grape, not an Italian one!
The Alois Lageder winery was established in the early 19th century and it is now managed by the family’s fifth and sixth generation who produce wines following biodynamic principles. One of the tenets of biodynamics is to create a closed farm organism that increases diversity and fertility. Alois Lageder collaborates with nearby farmers who bring their cows and sheets to the vineyards during the Fall and Winter.
This is a medium-bodied, bright Chardonnay. On the nose I noted cucumber and green apple. On the palate, the flavors match the aromas with the addition of some herbs and tropical fruit. The minerality was impressive.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are the quintessential finger food. I love making - and eating them - and it's pretty simple to add ingredients to match the flavor profile of the wine I am pairing. So, for this batch, I added some notes of apple with apple cider vinegar and fresh herbs.
Ingredients serves 4
- 8 large organic eggs
- 1/3 cup organic mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh herbs
- fresh herbs or herb flowers for garnish (I used sage flowers from my friends' garden)
- freshly ground pepper for serving
Procedure
Hardboil your eggs. Cover eggs completely with cold water by
1 to 2" in a heavy saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to
low and simmer eggs, covered with a lid for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and
let stand - covered - for 15 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice to stop
cooking. Let stand 5 minutes.
Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Remove yolks as carefully as you can and mash in a bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, ground mustard, vinegar, garlic, and herbs. Stir with fork until smooth. Fill egg whites with deviled egg mixture and garnish with fresh herbs.
This is a wrap on the August #ItalianFWT event. We'll be back next month as Jill of L'Occasion leads the discussion on wines from Sardinia. Can't wait. Stay tuned.
Looks like a great pairing. Alois Lageder always has a number of single varietal non-native grapes to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI will keep an eye out for more of their wines! Thanks for reading.
DeleteEven though you like digging into the less-known grapes, your find for this month is terrific and from a great producer!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I hear. I can't wait to track down more bottles from the same producer. Thanks for reading and commenting, Lynn.
DeleteNow I'm hungry for deviled eggs
ReplyDeleteMe, too! But that is not on the menu today. I will put it on the list for sometime soon though.
DeleteI've been impressed by Alois Lageder wines, but haven't tried their Chardonnay - yet. Love deviled eggs and your recipe looks like a good one. So perfect for summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Linda! Yes, deviled eggs are a summer picnic must!
DeleteI haven't had deviled eggs in forever! And your pairing looks and sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI love deviled eggs! And I agree this month's topic was the opposite of what I usually look for too but still made for a fun discovery. I've never tried a Chardonnay from Italy but look forward to trying one!
ReplyDelete