Elisabetta Foradori grew up in the tiny 2,000 person village of Mezzolombardo in the Dolomites, about 45 minutes south of the Austrian border. Her father, a cooperative grape farmer, passed away when she was in middle school—leaving Elisabetta to tend the vines. In her teens, Elisabetta left high school and enrolled in a university oenology program. By age 19, she was supervising all aspects of harvest and production at Foradori. Over the next decade, Elisabetta transitioned the family farm from bulk wine and grape sales into bottling and selling their own wines.
In an era when her region was becoming overrun with the industrial production of cheap Pinot Grigio, Elisabetta defiantly persisted with the same indigenous grape varieties her father and grandfather farmed: Teroldego, Nosiola, and the variety showcased in today's offer: Manzoni Bianco. Manzoni Bianco is a genetic cross of Pinot Blanc and Riesling. It has the round, soft stone fruit of Pinot Blanc wed with the structure and mineral freshness of Riesling. The grapes in this bottling come from the famed Fontanasanta (holy fountain) vineyard, one of the Trentino's undisputed grand crus. Composed entirely of iron rich (and thus, pink-hued) limestone, the vineyard rests on a 1.8ha hillside of terraced vines planted above an ancient stone fountain. The Fontanasanta vineyard has been planted to vines since the 1400s.
This wine is fermented in amphorae and aged in acacia casks and amphorae. Despite a week-long skin fermentation, the wine is clean, fresh and possesses a beautiful display of aromatics. In the glass, it has a bright golden yellow core moving to green and golden reflections on the rim. The aromas are incredibly unique, intriguing and unlike any other white wine produced in Italy. Notes of fresh watermelon rind, green papaya peel, unripe banana, apricot pit, lemon zest, crushed stones, and a hint of fresh cheese rind explode from the glass with palpable energy. The palate is full bodied and packed with focused minerality and thirst-quenching acidity, showing notes of green melon rind, lime blossoms, unripe white peach and stirred lees. This wine is at its best at a touch above cellar temperature; I even prefer it a touch warmer—about 60-65 degrees, served in a Burgundy stem. This wine acts like a red wine, showing a bit of tannin and structure, and is absolutely stunning with grilled fresh shellfish (like shrimp, lobster and scallops). With that being said, this is a big and structured white that has limitless pairing options; it can even stand up to roasted pork. If I were to cook a dish for this wine to show best, it would cook polenta with roast pork;
this recipe is a great guide. Please finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon to tie in the acidity of the wine.
