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Preview: The Charms of Northeast Italy as seen by #ItalianFWT

Pergola vineyard at Premstallerhof in Südtirol
Pergola vineyard at Premstallerhof in Südtirol
Pergola vineyard at Premstallerhof in Südtirol

Friends, the day is fast approaching! That day, by the way, is Saturday, August 3rd – at 11:00 am Eastern Time (which is 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

But what day is this? Why, the day of the Twitter ChatTM for the Italian Food, Wine and Travel group (#ItalianFWT) on this month’s topic: Northeast Italy. To be even more specific, we’re looking at Trentino, Südtirol/Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. To get a bit more of an idea what we’re up to, have a look at the Invitation Post I put up a couple days ago!

A History Like No Other Part of the Peninsula

With its history as part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, its prevalence of German, Slovenian and other non-Romance languages, and its extremely mountainous geography, Italy’s northeast is an area unlike the rest of the country (with the possible exception of the Val d’Aosta, but that is a topic for another month) – and possibly nearly unrecognisable as “Italy” to many who spend most of their time on the peninsula around the Po river or further south.

Vinous Riches

There is a wealth of indigenous grapes and grapes more recognisable from neighbouring countries like Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. They are fascinating, characteristic – and often unusual. Red that are deep and tannic are shoulder-to-shoulder with ones that are light and ethereal. Juicy, fruity whites and steely, mineral ones. Some of Italy’s finest traditional method sparkling wines. One of the country’s most decadent sweet wines. With the Dolomites setting the tune, this is a region of viticultural extremes and fantastic beauty, with a food culture that knows no peer in the country.

An Opportunity not to be Missed

So who wouldn’t be thrilled at the prospect of a voyage of discovery through this diverse region, with the food and fables that goes along with that – even if that voyage only takes place at the dining room table? Our group of wine writers has plundered their cellars and plumbed wine shops and restaurants to find the wines and the grapes typical of the region. Then they’ve cooked and dined to see what works best with them.

Find inspiration and make discoveries with some of the #ItalianFWT writers:

Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla hunts down “Coniglio in Agrodolce + Ronchi di Cialla Ribolla Gialla 2017”

Wendy tries “Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Pizza with a Terlano Pinot Bianco” over at A Day in the Life on the Farm

Linda investigates “Alto Adige: Is this wine region Italian or Austrian?” at My Full Wine Glass

Gwendolyn is The Wine Predator, and she will be “Celebrating Summer in the Mountains of Italy : 4 wines with 4 courses from Südtirol”

Jeff at FoodWineClick! will be getting back to nature with “A Food-Friendly Skin-Fermented Vigneti delle Dolomiti”

Cindy will be taking a look at “Picolit – A Historic, Rare, Sweet Dessert Wine from Collio DOC” over at Grape Experiences

Jennifer will be taking her Vino Travels to the farthest reaches of Italy’s northeast to discover “Friulian Reds with Zorzettig”

Lauren, The Swirling Dervish, will be trying out “Elena Walch Müller Thurgau with Summertime Shrimp Pad-Thai”

Katarina will be look closer at “Aquila del Torre winery: An Oasis in Friuli Focused on Local Identity and Innovation” at Grapevine Adventures

And I will be doing a bit of a double-header here at SnarkyWine, with some “Mountain Bubbles and a Tannic Finish”

Check them out!

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