riff
FACT SHEET
Location: Tre Venezie (Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and the Veneto)
Website:
Principal: Alois Lageder
Winemaker: Luis von Dellemann
About riff: riff is a nécogiant-operation that is a separate entity from the Alois Lageder estate wines.
This top-value Pinot Grigio reflects the expertise of Alois Lageder and the wines he has selected from vineyard sources in the “Tre Venezie” (Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and the Veneto)—acknowledged as one of Italy’s prime regions for quality white wines. A fourth generation winery owner and winemaker in the Alto Adige, Lageder’s long-standing credibility with winegrowers provides him with access to some of the region’s best Pinot Grigio wines for this special selection.
Lageder selects the wines on-site, which are then sur lie-matured in stainless steel tanks, blended, and bottled at his Löwengang winery. riff Pinot Grigio is produced from grapes grown in vineyards located on the slopes of the foothills of the Dolomites (part of the Alps) abundant in the prized alluvial dolomite, a limestone made of fossil deposits from an ancient ocean that covered the region 4.6 million years ago. The name riff (German for reef) thus refers to the Dolomites’ geologic origin. This dolomite has an obvious impact on the wine’s character and style. The wine label’s graphic design is a direct reference to the influence these ancient limestone fossils have on the wine’s character. Total production is 75.000 cases.
Wine Produced:riff:
2007Pinot Grigio IGT Delle Venezie, SRP $12.00
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Region:Climate and Terroir:
Italy’s northeast Tre Venezie region stretches from the majestic snow-capped Dolomites to the Veneto’s serene lakes and farmland and Friuli’s Collio hills. This triumverate’s geography and climate conditions of cool nights and warm days are optimal for grape maturation. The Alpine influence on this area is a
significant factor in the quality of the fruit grown here: “the Venezie” are on the Alps’ sunny side, and protected from northern Europe’s damp cold weather. Vineyard conditions range from cool at high altitudes to warm in the plains near the Adriatic Sea plains and along the Po, Piave and Adige river valleys.
Pinot Grigio has been grown here for over a century. For riff, grapes drawn from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia provide the wine’s aromatics, those from the Veneto give it body and texture and those from Trentino-Alto Adige its steely intensity.
“The Venezie” has set the standard for crafting modern wines. Much of the winemaking technology here is quite sophisticated and contributes to the creation of wines that are stylish and aligned with contemporary tastes as well as remaining true to their indigenous varietal roots and terroir.
History:
The Tre Venezie region produces more classified wine than any other part of Italy: more than a third of the country’s DOC, yet collectively these three regions account for less than a sixth of Italy’s total production. Growers here work with a wide assortment of native and imported vines to produce the largest measure of Italy's best white wines.
The culture of this region is also mixed. While the ancient Venetian Republic is the strongest cultural influence on the Veneto, Slovenia has flavored the Friuli region, and Austria has had a significant impact on the Alto Adige, where most of the area’s residents speak both German and Italian.
For more information and for information on U.S. distribution, go to
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