Food & Tradition

In October, when the wine rests in the barrel and the chestnuts are ripe, Törggelen begins in the Adige Valley. The custom originated in the Eisacktal, where farmers thanked their helpers after the harvest with a feast and tasted the new wine together; it's just as much at home along the Wine Road and in the Unterland. The name comes from the Torggl, the wooden wine press, whose word derives from the Latin torquere, meaning to turn.

The table is set with roasted chestnuts, called Keschtn in South Tyrol, along with Nuien, the young, still cloudy wine, and Siaße, sweet grape must. There are Schlutzkrapfen, pasta pockets filled with spinach and curd cheese, plus dumplings, farmhouse sausage with sauerkraut, and something sweet to finish. Törggelen also means hiking, as the trails lead through chestnut groves and vineyards from farmstead to farmstead.

Why do grappa and fruit brandy suit such dishes so well? Speck, sausage and sauerkraut are rich, spicy and hearty, and a clear brandy sets freshness and sharpness against them. Obstler, with its broad fruitiness, pairs with the farmhouse sausage, while the Lagrein Grappa, with its dark, spicy notes, matches the chestnuts.

Apples also appear on the plate: apple strudel with cinnamon and raisins is one of the region's best-known desserts. A brandy made from Golden Delicious pairs apple with apple here, without overpowering the sugar or pastry. The guiding principle helps: answer sweetness with sweetness or fruit.

Through all of this, brandies remain an accompaniment, not the main event. A small glass after the meal, savored unhurriedly, belongs to the table culture of the Adige Valley, just as Törggelen itself belongs to autumn—but it's never the point of the evening.