Pranzegg
2020
Vino Rosso Leggero
Vernatsch, Lagrein
Alto Adige, Italy

Just when he turned 18, Martin Gojer had to decide if he wanted to take over the winery. His father unexpectedly passed away, and so he had to jump right in and continued in his footsteps. Initially, he would grow and deliver grapes for the local coop, but soon he became tired of all the rules he had to follow. So in 2009, he started bottling and selling his own wine according to his vision. A couple of years later, he switched to bio-dynamics and mainly focused on native grape varieties like Vernatsch and Lagrein. His wife Marion is also helping wherever she can, and together they farm four hectares of steep mountainous vines around Bolzano.

The plants for this lightweight red are all about 40 years old and grow on volcanic soil. The harvest happens in September and usually takes a bit of time because of the mountains. The grapes macerate for one day, and then half of the juice sits on the leftover skins of their white wine. So you get a tiny bit of structure and aromatics from those. Afterward, the must goes partially into concrete eggs and the other part into wooden barrels, where it stays until bottling in March. Overall this is a cherry party in all the ways, while in the mouth, a little more tannic and herbal flavors appear. Try this with Pasta alla Norma and enjoy the summer while it lasts.

This wine is part of
 
Volume 35: The Reform Edition