Located in the sleepy little burg of Novacella, in the Isarco River Valley, Abbazia di Novacella was founded in 1142 by the Augustinian Order of Canons Regular. The monks have taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to their superiors, but they also work to support themselves as a part of their community. To this end, the Abbey not only grows grapes for winemaking, but also farms apples and vegetables, and there is a small school devoted primarily to studies of viticulture. The abbey’s reputation as a winery is stellar and international. In 2009, Italy’s influential Gambero Rosso named Celestino Lucin, the abbey’s enologist, Winemaker of the Year.

The abbey owns 21 hectares that they work organically and they also collaborate with over 50 small growers in the region. The soil for the wines is mainly granitic schist, created by ancient glaciers; and the vineyards are quite steep. In the Isarco Valley, vines do not live much longer than 30 years, and the yields are miniscule naturally, producing wines that are aromatic, fresh, and rich. Though it is one of the oldest wineries in the world with over 850 years of winemaking experience, the cellar is entirely modern.

These vines grow in gravelly marine soils at 600-750 meters in elevation.  Two-thirds of the wine was fermented and stored in stainless steel tanks and one-third was fermented in 30-hectolitre oak casks using natural yeasts.

TASTING NOTES

Pale straw yellow in color with an attractive aroma of citrus fruits, white peach and honeydew melon. This is crisp focused on the palate with orchard fruit flavors, flint, crushed stone, and tangy acidity on the finish.

FOOD PAIRING

Try this wine with seafood such as fish fry, white fish like halibut or cod, shrimp, or crab cakes. It would be delightful with many chicken dishes or with pork tenderloin, especially utilizing orange and citrus flavors to accent the white meat. A number of  vegetable dishes or cheeses would be complementary.

Cheese, Chicken/Turkey, Fish (white), Lobster & Crab, Pork, Vegetables