Wines with passion, character and soul
life 6
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DINE&WINE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013
| Bangkok Post
Wines with passion, character and soul Cantina Terlan Winery offers some outstanding vintages for the fifth Bangkok Post Charity Wine Dinner STORY: PAMELA TAN
T
erlan, also known as Terlano, lies in South Tyrol, a melting pot in which the contrasts blend to form a harmonious whole. There, in Italy’s northernmost province, Alpine peaks contrast with Mediterranean scenery, both German and Italian are spoken and centuries-old local traditions are combined with an openness to modern ideas. Terlano is a wine-growing village located halfway between South Tyrol’s main towns of Merano and Bolzano where the Adige flows through a wide valley in a southeasterly direction. The village and vineyards nestle against the red porphyry rock of Monte Tschoggl on the left side of the valley. The Cantina Terlan Winery was founded in 1893, at a time when agriculture was the mainstay of the regional economy. Today, this vineyard is one of the leading wine-growing cooperatives in South Tyrol, with 143 members working a total area of 165 hectares and producing some 1.2 million bottles of wine a year — 30% red and 70% white, all of them of DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) quality. They are marketed in three distinct quality lines: Selections, Vineyards and Classics. An annual ‘‘Rarity’’ is also produced, which only comes on the market after it has spent at least 10 years maturing in the cellars. The philosophy of making long-life wines is an old Terlan tradition. The success of this strategy is based on such factors as the high mineral content of the soils, old vines in a positive balance, carefully managed vineyards with limited yields and the exclusive use of healthy and completely ripe grapes. Another ingredient is the use of the sur lie (on lees) method of wine-making, which offers benefits not only in terms of the longevity of the Terlan wines but also their aromatic diversity, freshness and complexity. A specialty in Terlan is the Stocker method, named after Sebastian Stocker, a former local wine-maker. The method involves permitting outstanding vintages to rest for years sur lie. They are first aged for one year in wooden barrels and then for between 10 and 30 years in small steel casks before they are finally bottled. They reach final maturity and are ready for drinking after a further four or five years in the bottle. At present, Cantina Terlan has 14 such vintages, dating back to 1979; they are stored in the cellars in small steel casks. The var-
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The spacious underground cellar at Cantina Terlan Winery where wines are first aged for a year in wooden barrels.
ieties involved are Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and one called Terlan Cuvee. One of the secrets at Cantina Terlan is its ‘‘wine archive’’. Located about 13 metres below the ground, it is a valuable store of some 20,000 wines of every vintage from 1955 to the present. There are even some bottles that date back to the foundation of the winery in 1893. Most of the vintages that have been laid down longest are white wines, and it is astonishing that they have managed to retain their mineral freshness and pleasant acidity to this day. For the fifth Bangkok Post Charity Wine Dinner, some outstanding wines from the Cantina Terlan Winery have been hand-picked by the vineyard’s resident sommelier to accompany the distinctive Alpine Italian cuisine prepared by Norbert Niederkofler, a Michelin twostar chef who is based at St Hubertus, the in-house restaurant at the Relais and Chateaux Rosa Alpina Hotel in South Tyrol. The selections are:
Winkl Sauvignon Blanc 2012 ✦ This delicately fruity sauvignon blanc is made from grapes grown in one of the region’s oldest wine-growing sites, known to have been used for that purpose by the Romans. The aroma is of ripe fruits — apricot, mandarin and passion fruit mingle with elements of elderberry, nettle and mint. The fruitiness continues on the palate in combination with a fine acidity. The wine scores with a good structure and a finish that is minerally, but at the same time aromatic. Kreuth Chardonnay 2011 ✦ Kreuth is the name of Terlano’s westernmost site. The chardonnay grapes here produce a very elegant white wine which boasts a fine acidity, creamy structure and an elegant play of aromas. The aroma of this brilliant, attractively strawyellow chardonnay is built of exotic fruit components. With its complexity and mineral notes, this is a very strong, longlived chardonnay.
Quarz Sauvignon Blanc ‘‘Magnum’’ 2010 ✦ Delicate as the fine inclusions of quartz in Terlano’s volcanic porphyry rock, this brilliant, straw-yellow sauvignon blanc displays a multi-layered fruity element (mango, papaya, lime and red grapefruit) with herbal aromas reminiscent of lemongrass, lemon balm, mint and green tea. On the palate, the wine offers a combination of fine texture, depth and a salty aftertaste that has given this noble white an international reputation. Rarity 2000 Chardonnay ✦ Cantina Terlano has an unusual offering in the form of its Rarities, special editions of mature white wines that have been left to age on the lees in steel pressure tanks for at least 10 years. The Rarity chosen for this dinner is a chardonnay with a youthful freshness that belies its maturity. That makes it perfect for a long period of ageing in the bottle. Terlano’s Rarity 2000 has an impressive freshness and a wealth of aromas, including herbal notes. The wine is smooth
and creamy on the palate, and strikes a fine balance with the mineral components. The finish is elegant and silky, but also enormously deep and firm. Porphyr Lagrein Riserva 2010 ✦ Made from 100% Lagrein grape, the wine has a deep ruby colour and aromas reminiscent of morello cherries and bilberries, with notes of liquorice, coffee beans, vanilla, cloves and black tea, which makes it spicy and fruity at the same time. The wine is harmonious on the palate with very compact and concentrated, multi-layered flavours and a slightly sweet note of dark chocolate rounded off with silky tannins. Juvelo Gewurztraminer Passito 2011 ✦ This amber-hued wine has a very aromatic and spicy bouquet, with notes of honey, vanilla, quince and candied orange peel. It has a full and voluminous body, with excellent balance between the residual sugar, acidity and alcohol content.
Continued from page 1
The peak of Alpine cuisine The philanthropic dinner, which will be held in the elegant setting of the skyhigh fine dining establishment, promises to indulge keen epicureans in Bangkok with some of the world’s best cuisine and wines. To offer something even more exceptional, this year’s affair will feature distinctive Alpine Italian cuisine by Norbert Niederkofler, the highly-celebrated head chef of the Michelin two-star St Hubertus Restaurant of Relais Chateaux Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spa in South Tyrol, Italy. The Michelin star chef is internationally glorified for his innovative culinary approach that dexterously unifies cooking
Orzotto with Goat and Cow Butter, Mountain Herbs, Lemon Verbena Jelly.
tradition of the Austro-Bavarian region in Northern Italy with modern touches, using only the best seasonal ingredients. His food, representing South Tyrol’s cuisine which is very rare in Bangkok, emphasises highland produce including game meat (in fact, the name of the restaurant ‘‘St Hubertus’’ means ‘‘the patron of the hunters’’), lake fish and forest vegetables from the Italian Alps. At his restaurant situated at the fivestar resort in the San Cassiano village on the Dolomite mountain range, it can take up to several weeks to get a table. Although it’s not the first time he’s been to Thailand, it’s the very first time he will showcase his cuisine in the country. ‘‘I love Thailand and I want to bring to diners in Bangkok my hometown cuisine, and to show the way we cook and think at the St Hubertus Restaurant. Our cooking philosophy is to have 100% respect for nature,’’ the amiable chef said. For the evening, Niederkofler will present some of his signature autumn dishes, served at 1,537 metres above sea level at St Hubertus. The six-course menu includes tartare of lavaret white fish (a typical harvest of Lake Garda, Italy’s famous glacial lake) with tomato confit and lemon balm (a perennial herb in the mint family that has a lemony zest); pearl barley risotto with goat and cow butter, mountain herbs and lemon verbena jelly; lukewarm smoked pike perch (German’s famous freshwater fish) on ricotta with red beets; and fillet of venison with buckwheat
and mountain cranberries. The cheese course will be presented in a form of sorbet. The hay tempura with graukase sorbet is a revolutionary and refreshing representative of the very famous South Tyrolean grey graukase cheese. While Delice of green apple represents the chef’s signature dessert. Nuntiya Hame-ung-gull of Gourmet One, a leading fine food supplier and regular supporter of the Bangkok Post Charity Wine Dinner event, said: ‘‘Chef Niederkofler is very strict about the produce he uses. He wants most of the ingredients from specific sources, mostly his region. It’s not easy but we will provide him what he’s requested to guarantee that the diners in Bangkok will experience the best, authentic taste of St Hubertus’s award-winning cuisine.’’ Niederkofler’s eminent cookery will be masterly paired with award-winning Cantina Terlan wines from the same neighbourhood in South Tyrol. ‘‘Thanks to the high elevation, good air, good grass and good soil of the Dolomites, South Tyrolean wine, just like its culinary produce, is very characteristic and exceptional,’’ said Robert F MaurerLoeffler, general manager of the Centara Grand at CentralWorld. According to Maurer-Loeffler, who’s a wine connoisseur himself, this specific region is famous particularly for white wine. ‘‘South Tyrol is a very unique area, one of the few places on earth where you can age white wine for a very long time because of a very high quartz content in the volcanic rock. The temperature is also ideal, being protected by the Alps,
Fillet of Venison with Potatoes ‘‘Ribla’’, Wild Cranberries and Mushrooms.
so the wine is extraordinary, very clean and very nice to drink. ‘‘Some of the wines, especially the Rarity, will be available exclusively at the event. The taste profile is very straightforward, close to that of Burgundy wine. It’s regarded as the top of the very top wine of Italy, and a cooperative work of 143 vineyards that have put their best knowledge together,’’ he said. The meticulous selection of Cantina wine will complement Niederkofler’s highbrow cuisine perfectly, according to Maurer-Loeffler. ‘‘Though the typical Alpine cuisine may focus on red meat and butter, the guests will find St Hubertus’s fare an excellent combination of meat and herbs — a balance between rich flavours and delicate textures.
‘‘This wine dinner will offer something very different from most of the Italian fare you can find in Bangkok today. So it’s a good opportunity for diners in Bangkok to witness a perfect marriage of Northern Italian food and wine right here at home.’’ This is the second time the Centara Grand at CentralWorld plays host to the Bangkok Post Charity Wine dinner. ‘‘With the great feedback from our last participation in 2010, we’ve decided to do it again and this time we want it to be very special,’’ said the hotel’s manager Maurer-Loeffler. ‘‘It’s always good to do something for charity and you can never have enough of charitable events especially when the money goes for a very good cause — the education of children.’’
K C M Y E
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DINE&WINE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013
| Bangkok Post
Wines with passion, character and soul Cantina Terlan Winery offers some outstanding vintages for the fifth Bangkok Post Charity Wine Dinner STORY: PAMELA TAN
T
erlan, also known as Terlano, lies in South Tyrol, a melting pot in which the contrasts blend to form a harmonious whole. There, in Italy’s northernmost province, Alpine peaks contrast with Mediterranean scenery, both German and Italian are spoken and centuries-old local traditions are combined with an openness to modern ideas. Terlano is a wine-growing village located halfway between South Tyrol’s main towns of Merano and Bolzano where the Adige flows through a wide valley in a southeasterly direction. The village and vineyards nestle against the red porphyry rock of Monte Tschoggl on the left side of the valley. The Cantina Terlan Winery was founded in 1893, at a time when agriculture was the mainstay of the regional economy. Today, this vineyard is one of the leading wine-growing cooperatives in South Tyrol, with 143 members working a total area of 165 hectares and producing some 1.2 million bottles of wine a year — 30% red and 70% white, all of them of DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) quality. They are marketed in three distinct quality lines: Selections, Vineyards and Classics. An annual ‘‘Rarity’’ is also produced, which only comes on the market after it has spent at least 10 years maturing in the cellars. The philosophy of making long-life wines is an old Terlan tradition. The success of this strategy is based on such factors as the high mineral content of the soils, old vines in a positive balance, carefully managed vineyards with limited yields and the exclusive use of healthy and completely ripe grapes. Another ingredient is the use of the sur lie (on lees) method of wine-making, which offers benefits not only in terms of the longevity of the Terlan wines but also their aromatic diversity, freshness and complexity. A specialty in Terlan is the Stocker method, named after Sebastian Stocker, a former local wine-maker. The method involves permitting outstanding vintages to rest for years sur lie. They are first aged for one year in wooden barrels and then for between 10 and 30 years in small steel casks before they are finally bottled. They reach final maturity and are ready for drinking after a further four or five years in the bottle. At present, Cantina Terlan has 14 such vintages, dating back to 1979; they are stored in the cellars in small steel casks. The var-
●
The spacious underground cellar at Cantina Terlan Winery where wines are first aged for a year in wooden barrels.
ieties involved are Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and one called Terlan Cuvee. One of the secrets at Cantina Terlan is its ‘‘wine archive’’. Located about 13 metres below the ground, it is a valuable store of some 20,000 wines of every vintage from 1955 to the present. There are even some bottles that date back to the foundation of the winery in 1893. Most of the vintages that have been laid down longest are white wines, and it is astonishing that they have managed to retain their mineral freshness and pleasant acidity to this day. For the fifth Bangkok Post Charity Wine Dinner, some outstanding wines from the Cantina Terlan Winery have been hand-picked by the vineyard’s resident sommelier to accompany the distinctive Alpine Italian cuisine prepared by Norbert Niederkofler, a Michelin twostar chef who is based at St Hubertus, the in-house restaurant at the Relais and Chateaux Rosa Alpina Hotel in South Tyrol. The selections are:
Winkl Sauvignon Blanc 2012 ✦ This delicately fruity sauvignon blanc is made from grapes grown in one of the region’s oldest wine-growing sites, known to have been used for that purpose by the Romans. The aroma is of ripe fruits — apricot, mandarin and passion fruit mingle with elements of elderberry, nettle and mint. The fruitiness continues on the palate in combination with a fine acidity. The wine scores with a good structure and a finish that is minerally, but at the same time aromatic. Kreuth Chardonnay 2011 ✦ Kreuth is the name of Terlano’s westernmost site. The chardonnay grapes here produce a very elegant white wine which boasts a fine acidity, creamy structure and an elegant play of aromas. The aroma of this brilliant, attractively strawyellow chardonnay is built of exotic fruit components. With its complexity and mineral notes, this is a very strong, longlived chardonnay.
Quarz Sauvignon Blanc ‘‘Magnum’’ 2010 ✦ Delicate as the fine inclusions of quartz in Terlano’s volcanic porphyry rock, this brilliant, straw-yellow sauvignon blanc displays a multi-layered fruity element (mango, papaya, lime and red grapefruit) with herbal aromas reminiscent of lemongrass, lemon balm, mint and green tea. On the palate, the wine offers a combination of fine texture, depth and a salty aftertaste that has given this noble white an international reputation. Rarity 2000 Chardonnay ✦ Cantina Terlano has an unusual offering in the form of its Rarities, special editions of mature white wines that have been left to age on the lees in steel pressure tanks for at least 10 years. The Rarity chosen for this dinner is a chardonnay with a youthful freshness that belies its maturity. That makes it perfect for a long period of ageing in the bottle. Terlano’s Rarity 2000 has an impressive freshness and a wealth of aromas, including herbal notes. The wine is smooth
and creamy on the palate, and strikes a fine balance with the mineral components. The finish is elegant and silky, but also enormously deep and firm. Porphyr Lagrein Riserva 2010 ✦ Made from 100% Lagrein grape, the wine has a deep ruby colour and aromas reminiscent of morello cherries and bilberries, with notes of liquorice, coffee beans, vanilla, cloves and black tea, which makes it spicy and fruity at the same time. The wine is harmonious on the palate with very compact and concentrated, multi-layered flavours and a slightly sweet note of dark chocolate rounded off with silky tannins. Juvelo Gewurztraminer Passito 2011 ✦ This amber-hued wine has a very aromatic and spicy bouquet, with notes of honey, vanilla, quince and candied orange peel. It has a full and voluminous body, with excellent balance between the residual sugar, acidity and alcohol content.
Continued from page 1
The peak of Alpine cuisine The philanthropic dinner, which will be held in the elegant setting of the skyhigh fine dining establishment, promises to indulge keen epicureans in Bangkok with some of the world’s best cuisine and wines. To offer something even more exceptional, this year’s affair will feature distinctive Alpine Italian cuisine by Norbert Niederkofler, the highly-celebrated head chef of the Michelin two-star St Hubertus Restaurant of Relais Chateaux Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spa in South Tyrol, Italy. The Michelin star chef is internationally glorified for his innovative culinary approach that dexterously unifies cooking
Orzotto with Goat and Cow Butter, Mountain Herbs, Lemon Verbena Jelly.
tradition of the Austro-Bavarian region in Northern Italy with modern touches, using only the best seasonal ingredients. His food, representing South Tyrol’s cuisine which is very rare in Bangkok, emphasises highland produce including game meat (in fact, the name of the restaurant ‘‘St Hubertus’’ means ‘‘the patron of the hunters’’), lake fish and forest vegetables from the Italian Alps. At his restaurant situated at the fivestar resort in the San Cassiano village on the Dolomite mountain range, it can take up to several weeks to get a table. Although it’s not the first time he’s been to Thailand, it’s the very first time he will showcase his cuisine in the country. ‘‘I love Thailand and I want to bring to diners in Bangkok my hometown cuisine, and to show the way we cook and think at the St Hubertus Restaurant. Our cooking philosophy is to have 100% respect for nature,’’ the amiable chef said. For the evening, Niederkofler will present some of his signature autumn dishes, served at 1,537 metres above sea level at St Hubertus. The six-course menu includes tartare of lavaret white fish (a typical harvest of Lake Garda, Italy’s famous glacial lake) with tomato confit and lemon balm (a perennial herb in the mint family that has a lemony zest); pearl barley risotto with goat and cow butter, mountain herbs and lemon verbena jelly; lukewarm smoked pike perch (German’s famous freshwater fish) on ricotta with red beets; and fillet of venison with buckwheat
and mountain cranberries. The cheese course will be presented in a form of sorbet. The hay tempura with graukase sorbet is a revolutionary and refreshing representative of the very famous South Tyrolean grey graukase cheese. While Delice of green apple represents the chef’s signature dessert. Nuntiya Hame-ung-gull of Gourmet One, a leading fine food supplier and regular supporter of the Bangkok Post Charity Wine Dinner event, said: ‘‘Chef Niederkofler is very strict about the produce he uses. He wants most of the ingredients from specific sources, mostly his region. It’s not easy but we will provide him what he’s requested to guarantee that the diners in Bangkok will experience the best, authentic taste of St Hubertus’s award-winning cuisine.’’ Niederkofler’s eminent cookery will be masterly paired with award-winning Cantina Terlan wines from the same neighbourhood in South Tyrol. ‘‘Thanks to the high elevation, good air, good grass and good soil of the Dolomites, South Tyrolean wine, just like its culinary produce, is very characteristic and exceptional,’’ said Robert F MaurerLoeffler, general manager of the Centara Grand at CentralWorld. According to Maurer-Loeffler, who’s a wine connoisseur himself, this specific region is famous particularly for white wine. ‘‘South Tyrol is a very unique area, one of the few places on earth where you can age white wine for a very long time because of a very high quartz content in the volcanic rock. The temperature is also ideal, being protected by the Alps,
Fillet of Venison with Potatoes ‘‘Ribla’’, Wild Cranberries and Mushrooms.
so the wine is extraordinary, very clean and very nice to drink. ‘‘Some of the wines, especially the Rarity, will be available exclusively at the event. The taste profile is very straightforward, close to that of Burgundy wine. It’s regarded as the top of the very top wine of Italy, and a cooperative work of 143 vineyards that have put their best knowledge together,’’ he said. The meticulous selection of Cantina wine will complement Niederkofler’s highbrow cuisine perfectly, according to Maurer-Loeffler. ‘‘Though the typical Alpine cuisine may focus on red meat and butter, the guests will find St Hubertus’s fare an excellent combination of meat and herbs — a balance between rich flavours and delicate textures.
‘‘This wine dinner will offer something very different from most of the Italian fare you can find in Bangkok today. So it’s a good opportunity for diners in Bangkok to witness a perfect marriage of Northern Italian food and wine right here at home.’’ This is the second time the Centara Grand at CentralWorld plays host to the Bangkok Post Charity Wine dinner. ‘‘With the great feedback from our last participation in 2010, we’ve decided to do it again and this time we want it to be very special,’’ said the hotel’s manager Maurer-Loeffler. ‘‘It’s always good to do something for charity and you can never have enough of charitable events especially when the money goes for a very good cause — the education of children.’’
K C M Y E
