text:
Chardonnay Altkirch
DOC Südtirol,Cantina Colterenzio, 2018
|Grape variety:
|Cantina Colterenzio
|Italy / Alto Adige / Alto Adige
|Other vintages:
Pale golden yellow with green tinge. The nose is floral and fruity with Granny Smith apple, lime, mango, hazelnut. On palate the wine is forward and direct, driven by a pleasant nervousness. Freshness and elegance result in this pleasant classic Chardonnay.
|Italy / Alto Adige / Alto Adige
|Grape variety:
|Ripening potential:
|1 to 3 years
|Serving temperature:
|10 to 12 °C
|Food pairing suggestion:
|Italian antipasti, Crispy roast chicken, Orecchiette, Strozzapreti alla siciliana
|13.0 %
|Contains sulphites
Italy – Where wine is a way of life
The Italian wine regions are extremely diverse, and this is made clear in their wines. Established varieties such as Merlot, Syrah, and Sauvignon can be found on just 15 percent of the total vine growing area. The remaining 85 percent is reserved for autochthonous, indigenous varieties. More than 2,000 different grape varieties are grown under diverse conditions and pressed with various techniques into wines that reach the top tier of the international wine market.
Alto Adige
Alto Adige: Alpenweine mit südlichem Charme
Am Alpenübergang gelegen verfügt das Südtirol über eine grosse Palette an Mirkroklimata und Bodentypen. Dies macht es möglich, dass hier über 20 verschiedene Sorten optimale Bedingungen vorfinden. Vernatsch, Lagrein und Gewürztraminer gelten als alteingesessene Südtiroler Gewächse, doch auch die Familie der Burgundergewächse finden hier ideale Bedingungen vor. In wichtigen Weinführern wie etwa dem «Gambero Rosso» erhält das Südtirol regelmässig die meisten Höchstbewertungen («Tre Bicchieri») im Verhältnis zur Rebfläche in ganz Italien.
Cantina Colterenzio
High above Sion on the Clos du Château lies the heart of the oldest wine company in the canton of Valais. The view across the wide Rhône valley is framed by the two hills of Tourbillon and Valère, surmounted by castles, and feasts on this magnificent vineyard landscape with its numerous terraces. Looking down into the valley from the Clos du Château, you will see the narrow path meander down the steep incline between the Chasselas-vines (Fendant) from Brûlefer.
The Guérite de Brûlefer welcomes guests on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Here you can treat yourself to hearty Valaisian specialities, first and foremost to the heavenly Raclettes. The Valais' greatest treasure is its diversity of grape varieties with some indigenous varieties such as Petite Arvine, Heida, Amigne, Cornalin, Humagne rouge and others, which thrive in this excellent climate for wine-growing.
The geological diversity of the Valaisian soil contributes to the rich diversity of these most exciting and interesting wines. To preserve this treasure, Bonvin 1858 Les Domaines have strongly committed themselves, since time immemorial, to sustainable viticulture. All wines proudly feature the Vinatura Label from Vitiswiss. Charles-Marie Bonvin, a cosmopolitan, energetic man, founded this winery in 1858. Soon after, he began winning medals for his wines: in London (1862), in Paris (1867) and finally at home in 1871. His descendants steadily enlarged the property and the wine trade.
For 25 years, the winery, now comprising 23 hectares, has been managed by André Darbellay with the support of Ambassador Christophe Bonvin and winemaker Thierry Delalay. In 2014, they were rewarded with a nomination for Swiss Winery of the Year at the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse in recognition of their tireless commitment.
King or beggar?
Hardly any variety of vine shows such a broad spectrum of quality as the Chardonnay. Its wines range from faceless neutrality to breath-taking class. It is an extremely low-maintenance vine, which explains why it is grown around the world – even in places where it probably should not be. The aromas of the Chardonnay variety are not very pronounced: a bit of green apple, a little hazelnut; in warmer latitudes, also melon and exotic fruits. The wines are often defined by maturing in casks. They develop more or less subtle notes of butter, toasted bread and vanilla. The grapes achieve their highest expression in their region of origin, Burgundy. Its heart beats in the Côte de Beaune: one might think of the plant growth of Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. With their finesse and complexity, they can survive for decades. Chardonnay also achieves first class in some Blanc-de-Blancs champagnes. It additionally yields great wines in the Burgundian Chablis, and increasingly in Australia and Chile. A simple rule of thumb for pairing with food: When butter and cream are involved, you cannot go wrong with Chardonnay.


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We can't quite believe it but we've been on the road for over nine months already. Sometimes it feels like we've been doing this for years, and then in another instant it feels like it was only yesterday that we were stuck at my parents, waiting for the repairs to the Moog to be completed so we could hit the road.
It's been an incredible journey so far, and has more than exceeded our expectations of how we imagined this lifestyle to be. We've travelled thousands of kilometres, been to all four corners of the North Island, met heaps and heaps of really lovely people and attempted to earn a living along the way.
It hasn't all been plain sailing though and there've been a few lows to go with the highs, just as there would be in any walk of life, but the highs have far outweighed the lows and we can't wait for the next months and years of 'Life on the Road'.
With that in mind we thought it would be good to answer some questions that we often get asked, around how we can live in such a small space, how we earn a living on the road, and a few reflections on how we've found the first nine months.
Living in a Tiny Home
I'm sure that most people we know, think we are crazy for living in such a cramped, tiny space. The Moog is 7.5m long and 2.3m wide so about 17sqm in total, about the size of a small single garage. Excluding the vehicle's main dashboard which is really wide, then it's around 14sqm. The truth though is that we absolutely love living tiny and wouldn't have it any other way.
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subset: commoncrawl