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www.buyersandcellars.ca Cellar Profile
Nestled at the foot of Castel Madruzzo, in the foothills of the Dolomites, sits Agricola Pravis. The winery started in the 1970s, as a partnership between three friends. Now, second-generation vintner sisters, Giulia and Erika Pedrini, have taken over the responsibility of running Pravis. Surrounded by stone outcroppings, their small, ecologically-farmed vineyards are scattered throughout the hills, each planted in calcareous stone, according to unique microclimates, with altitudes ranging from 300 to 600 masl. Working with both international as well as indigenous varieties (such as their noteworthy Nosiola), Pravis uses a minimal intervention philosophy that includes a strict gravity flow process. The cooling breeze that whips through the mountain passes from nearby Lake Garda, called the “Ora” by locals, minimizes the risk of mildew and keeps temperatures moderate during the hottest parts of summer, ensuring that these mineral-driven wines retain plenty of elegance. Interestingly, the winery works with the Freiburg Institute in the development of “zero impact” clone varieties that would leave no ecological footprint and would grow in otherwise inhospitable environments for agriculture.
Region
The region of Trentino-Alto Adige is bordered by East and North Tyrol (Austria) to the north-east and north respectively, by Graubünden (Switzerland) to the north-west and by the Italian regions of Lombardy to the west and Veneto to the south and south-east. It covers 13,607 square kilometres and is extremely mountainous, covering a large part of the Dolomites and the southern Alps. Südtirol (where Cantina Kurtatsch is located) has an area of 7,398 square kilometres, all of it mountainous land and covered by vast forests. The climate here is Mediterranean (hot summer and cold winters) owing to the influence of the many mountain ranges, which stand at over 3,000 metres above sea level, and the wide valleys through which flows (from north to south) the main river, the Adige, and its numerous tributaries.
Vineyard
Covered slopes surrounded by slabs of stone, crystal blue lakes and the steep walls of the Dolomites, gently swept by the Mediterranean wind: this is where Pravis wines are produced. Numerous small vineyards are scattered on the sunny slopes of the mountains that separate Trento from the lower Sarca Valley, between the Brenta Dolomites and Lake Garda. This wine is sourced from the Sort’Magre Vineyard, planted in limestone.
Varieties
Schiava is an Italian name used to refer to several grape varieties common to the Trentino and Alto Adige regions of northern Italy. It is not unusual for a group of unrelated vine varieties to bear the same name; evidence of this is easily found in relation to the various Malvasia and Muscat vines that are found all around the Mediterranean, and even the interesting case of the four Bonarda varieties.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested Schiava grapes are given a short maceration on their skins to extract a brilliant salmon colour. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel, to preserve primary fruit and freshness.
Tasting Notes
Brilliant salmon-pink hue. The nose is dominated by red berries and a whiff of spun sugar. The palate is almost spritzy, with bright acidity and flavours of pink grapefruit, honeydew, cranberry and raspberry. With just a touch of residual sweetness, this would pair well with stir-fry or chicken satay. Or chill and enjoy on its own.