Originally posted November 20, 2010.
A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: More like a note to myself – a reminder to buy more of this wine. More recently, we regularly sell the Foradori wines from the Marema, but I need to get this back on the shelf. It’s just so, so good. Geeky and crowd-pleasing? As a wine buyer, that’s my favorite sort of wine.
Foradori Teroldego Rotaliano 2007 (Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy)
Most lists of Thanksgiving wine suggestions will usually include a Zinfandel. It’s the whole “American holiday-American grape variety” thing. And while I’m not going to prevent anyone from buying a nice bottle of Ridge or Dashe Zinfandel, I’m not going to formally include this grape on my list.
But I will include a wine that can sort of fill that Zinfandel spot…a Teroldego.
”Sort of” is the key phase. Because really, Teroldego doesn’t have much in common with Zinfandel. It’s rarely seen outside the little Campo Rotaliano region at the base of the Italian Alps. It makes wines that are lighter than even the lightest Zinfandel, with less spice, more herbal notes, and more minerality. It’s not even related to Zinfandel – most people who track such things consider it a cousin of Syrah.
But it is red. And it does have a similar red-berry character. And…..well, like I said – it’s red!
So why am I trying to shove it into the Zinfandel hole?
It’s because I really like this wine. I’m always forgetting about it when it comes time to purchase wines for the store or recommend wines to the customers. Which has everything to do with me – and nothing to do with the wine – because it’s a very good wine. It does offer up enough fruit to keep all but the most die-hard fruit fanatics happy. But it’s elegant and vibrant and has an underlying complexity that makes it a very good match with many foods. Some Teroldegos can get a little earthy/funky, but Elisabetta Foradori manages a nice balance between the fruit and the earthier/herbally elements. We’ve had it open at the store and it’s one of those “oh yeah, I’ll take a bottle” wines.
I’m specifically recommending her Teroldego Rotaliano, but she also does a higher end version called Granato. Its flavors are a bit more concentrated and it sees more time in oak. I like that one much more when it’s had a little time to age – when the polish and sheen of its youth has time to mellow into something with a little more funk and earth. And of course, if you’re feeling really fancy, I happen to have a couple bottles from the 2002, 2001, and 200 vintage on hand. At least until I decide to drink them myself.
Price: $22.99