Buona Notte 'Mortadella' 2022

The vibe: This "white" is a skinsy, textured, acid-driven feisty little thing with lots of tension and fun mouthfeel. But also, don’t overthink it. ‘Mortadella’ is a hodgepodge blend of all of the white grapes Buona Notte works with, and they all see 1-2 weeks of skin contact, lending some great aromatics and minerality. The extended extraction from macerating the grapes really showcases what I think makes the Columbia Gorge such an exciting microclimate for natural growers. You get this incredible minerality from the varied soil types which include volcanic, lahar, loess, silt and sand. It’s also much cooler compared to even a few miles east, which elongates the ripening period and allows complex flavors to mature and acid to remain high. Yes yes yes!

The winemaker: Graham Markel learned how to cook at his mother’s Tuscan culinary school at an early age, lending an Italian influence to his wines. For seven years he worked at the acclaimed Antica Terra Winery under Maggie Harrison and Hiyu Wine Farm’s Nate Ready. He learned many things from them, number one being to think deeply about winemaking and how to add beauty to every step of the process. 

The geeky details: A blend of Organic Gruner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Moscato, all between one and two weeks of skin contact. Grapes sourced from multiple sites in the Columbia Gorge AVA. Aged in neutral French oak before bottling. 

Serve: Chilled

Food pairing: I meann… Mortadella anyone? Grab some Italian meats like prosciutto, Calabrese salami, Capicola, get together a whole smorgasbord and see what pairs best. I’d even pair this with an Italian sausage hotdog. Being acid-driven, this wine will pair great with anything higher in fat like cheese and pastries. And of course seafood pairings would go excellent with this.

Album pairing: Kano - New York Cake