Far from the mainstream: wine from unusual islands

class=”sc-29f61514-0 jbwksb”>

Islands have always fascinated people. Heavens are places of retreat but also places of exile. The following islands have a remarkable wine tradition.

The Frescobaldi family’s reputation is based on coveted Tuscan wines such as Chianti Rufina or Montesodi. In their 700-year history as winery owners, the noble family left the mainland to run a social project on the Tuscan coast. On Gorgona, the last prison island in Europe, inmates cultivate two and a half hectares of vineyards. The assortment includes the red wine grapes Sangiovese and Vermentino nero and the two white wine grapes Vermentino and Ansonica. Working in the vineyard, the prisoners prepare for a free life before they are released. The fruits of their labor can be seen. The white tub, called Gorgona Rosso and Gorgona for short, displays a beautiful Mediterranean character.

A popular sightseeing destination on Lake Zurich is the idyllic Ufenau. The green oasis is the largest Swiss island not connected to the mainland by a bridge. It is also home to one of the Einsiedeln Abbey’s four vineyards. Pinot noir grows on 60 acres and the white specialty Räuschling grows on 40 acres. Drops of paradise can be enjoyed in the island economy. Wine labels provide a wink. The sprayer Harald Nageli, not the hand of God, was involved in the design. He spontaneously decided to decorate the monastery church with two distinctive garbage figures. Fish, flamingos and other creatures came to bottles more planned. The artist appropriately donated the cost of this to animal welfare.

One of the smallest and most magical individual vineyards in the world: Heyles’en Werth. The river island is only 150 meters wide and 800 meters long. It is located in the middle of the Rhine, in a secluded place between Koblenz (DE) and Mainz (DE). A piece of land where fairies and elves will definitely feel at home. And if they do get island fever, the floodplain is their best antidote. Raised on 2 hectares of vineyards by the winemaker Friedrich Bastian, Rieslings flow down your throat like a river.

Source : Blick