IN BREVE
- The ‘Sylvaner and Valle Isarco’ initiative promotes dishes created specifically for Valle Isarco Sylvaner.
- 17 producers and 14 restaurants are participating, each presenting a dish paired with a selected Sylvaner.
- The project aims to showcase the versatility of Sylvaner, highlighting the link between viticulture and gastronomy.
- Chefs draw inspiration from the wine’s characteristics to develop dishes that reflect it rather than just accompanying it.
- Sylvaner is a symbol of Valle Isarco, cultivated for 160 years, and represents a strong territorial identity.
Valle Isarco Sylvaner is changing perspective. It is no longer just the wine accompanying the dish, but the dish being born from the wine. This is the principle behind “Sylvaner and Valle Isarco,” an initiative promoted by the EisacktalWein association, involving 17 producers and 14 local restaurants.
Until the end of June, each participating venue offers a dish tailored to a selected Sylvaner on its menu. Each proposal is accompanied by its pairing recommendation, with the goal of promoting the grape variety and its connection to the valley’s cuisine.
VALLE ISARCO SYLVANER: WINE AS THE STARTING POINT
«We want to showcase the strengths of Sylvaner as a pairing wine and strengthen the link between viticulture and gastronomy,» explains Peter Wachtler, president of the EisacktalWein association.
The project aims to bring Sylvaner back into the spotlight, telling the story of its versatility through the dining experience. It is not just a gastronomic initiative, but a change in perspective. In this case, the wine becomes the creative matrix.
The chefs do not start from a predefined culinary idea, but from the analysis of the glass: acidity, structure, aromatic profile, minerality. The dish is built to reflect the wine, not just to accompany it.
ARMIN MAIRHOFER’S INTUITION AND THE DISH BUILT ON WINE
The principle behind the project was born 26 years ago from an intuition by chef Armin Mairhofer. In a context where pairing followed more codified rules, Mairhofer flipped the paradigm: no longer the wine chosen to accompany a dish, but the dish conceived starting from the wine.
His idea was to translate what happens in the glass into food. The flavors, aromas, and structure of the dish had to reflect those of the wine. Not a simple pairing, but a continuity between the kitchen and the glass.
From this vision, “Sylvaner and Valle Isarco” takes shape today, bringing a territorial approach capable of strengthening the relationship between producers, restaurateurs, and the land.
VALLE ISARCO RESTAURANTS AND DISHES DEDICATED TO SYLVANER
«Sylvaner is elegant, never intrusive. It requires a dish that doesn’t overpower it,» says Florian Fink of the namesake restaurant in Brixen. His potato rösti with Brixen vegetables works on continuity: the wine’s minerality is found in the vegetal notes, while the freshness cleanses the palate of the fatty component.
At Finsterwirt, the proposal focuses on seasonality with asparagus ravioli, smoked ricotta, and Sylvaner foam. «It wasn’t difficult: this wine enhances without covering. With asparagus, it’s a classic,» the restaurant explains.
Kircherhof instead chose to deconstruct the wine into its elements. Apricot for the fruity component, fermented tomato broth for the minerality, and smoked burrata for the structure. The result is a dish that interprets Sylvaner as a sensory map.
At the Elephant, the dialogue between wine and cuisine is defined as «a journey through aromas, pure pleasure.» At Sunnegg, the central theme is balance, with the wine not just accompanying but «continuing the story on the plate.»
At Boutique Hotel Pachers, the starting point was twofold: Sylvaner and the territory. Organic flour from Val di Funes, dairy products, and spinach are worked for texture to reflect the balance between the wine’s fruit and minerality.
SYLVANER IN VALLE ISARCO: HISTORY, TERRACING, AND MINERALITY
Sylvaner has a historical presence in Valle Isarco. The grape variety has been cultivated in the area for about 160 years and is today one of the symbols of the local production of fresh and mineral white wines.
Production is limited but identity-driven: about 450,000 bottles per year. The wine’s profile reflects the valley’s landscape, with terraced vineyards, lean soils, and high altitudes.
Sylvaner is often described as an “honest” wine, capable of delivering the character of its place of origin in the glass. Its versatility makes it suitable for many pairings, from spring asparagus to fish, and even more structured dishes.
EISACKTALWEIN, PRODUCERS, AND RESTAURATEURS FOR THE LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN
The value of the initiative goes beyond the single dining experience. “Sylvaner and Valle Isarco” aims to build a stable dialogue between viticulture and dining, strengthening the local supply chain and offering guests and residents a key to interpreting the territory.
«A dish without origin is just food,» says chef Philipp Gietl of Löwenhof. In this project, the origin is recognizable: in the vineyards, the farmhouses, the kitchens, and the work of the producers.
Sylvaner thus becomes a lens through which to read Valle Isarco. One sip and one bite at a time, the project tells the story of a territory without forcing it, focusing on consistency, precision, and identity.
