“People want the region to succeed”

Alto Adige is one of five wine-growing regions worldwide to have its own guide published on the website Wine Folly to date. Christine Marsiglio MW, Head Wine Educator at Wine Folly, talks about the website and her work on the recently published guide.

Who is Wine Folly aimed at?

Christine Marsiglio: Wine Folly is a great resource for novices who are just starting to learn about wine as well as experts of the wine industry. We present our content in a friendly and unobtrusive way. But we also delve into individual subject matters in much more depth. Friends of mine use Wine Folly to select a wine or to learn a little about wine. Yet even for myself, when I was studying for my Master of Wine program, I definitely used Wine Folly.

What kind of information about Alto Adige is presented on Wine Folly?

Christine Marsiglio: Our Alto Adige Guide is a resource for anyone wanting to know what wines are produced here. But also for those wanting to do a deep dive about the wines and their taste, how they are grown, the climate, and the landscape and culture from which they originate. The guide also contains a travel section with places to visit and things to do.

How did the Alto Adige Wine Guide come about and what was your role in this project?

Christine Marsiglio: We started out by collecting as much information as possible – the Consorzio Alto Adige Wines was very helpful. I did research, traveled around Alto Adige in September 2021, spoke to wine makers and grape growers, took pictures and recorded videos. Then I culminated all that and wrote it down. In addition, the wineries and vintners enter their wines into the Global Wine Database themselves. That means, for example, that local Gewürztraminer will automatically appear at the end of our article on Gewürztraminer.

How do wine enthusiasts and experts from abroad view Alto Adige as a wine region?

Christine Marsiglio: I think there is a big difference between the two groups. We just want to make consumers – from the USA, for example – aware that Alto Adige exists and tell them about the level of quality and diversity of wines. When it comes to experts, they already know about the quality, especially of the white wines; they’re looking for specialist information.

What piece of advice would you like to give consumers regarding Alto Adige wines?

Christine Marsiglio: When you are looking for amazing, refreshing white wines, but also for ageworthy white and red wines that come from one of the most beautiful wine-growing regions in the world, Alto Adige wines are the perfect choice.

Did you learn anything new on your research trip to Alto Adige?

Christine Marsiglio: Just the passion of the winegrowers was amazing and everyone was very cooperative. People want the region to succeed. Regarding wine, I was impressed to learn how well Pinot Blanc can age. The Gewürztraminer that had been aged for a time was a positive surprise, too.

What is your personal Alto Adige wine highlight?

Christine Marsiglio: It might be really old Vernatsch; really old wine that has been made with care and high quality. I ended up bringing a few bottles home.

 

You can also follow Christine Marsiglio on Instagram: @christinemarsigliomw