INSIDER'S PICK: 2020 KELLEREI KALTERN SCHIAVA ALTO ADIGE $14.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

We revisit the Kellerei Kaltern co-operative winery fairly frequently for all of our various features here. Just can't help ourselves, too much quality and easily the best bang for the buck we can find from the Alto Adige. They also provide great introductions to some of the lesser known regional varieties, helping people learn that it's not just Pinot Grigio country up there. Schiava is a relatively unknown variety that has a lot of parallels to Gamay in Beaujolais, in that it produces a fairly soft and pale wine which doesn't make for earth-shattering high end wines, but is perfect for easy drinking everyday purposes. Transparent ruby and cherry colors in the glass with lots of dark cherry and violet flowers on the nose, as well as a (Gamay-esque) tone of wild game and smoke. On the palate the cool tones and higher acidity/lower abv takes the fruit into more tart cranberry and berry skins, while the powder fine tannins give the flavors and finish a very easy and enjoyable feel. Very quenching with light meals and charcuterie, something that doesn't need a lot of pomp and circumstance around it.

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