Apple and Pear Juice

Kohl Cuvée Apple Juice with Pear, velvety and round

Two orchard fruits in one bottle: Kohl Cuvée Apple Juice with Pear brings together naturally cloudy mountain apple juice from Ritten and the purée of sun-ripened pears. Velvety, smooth, round – each lets the other take center stage.

Apple juice with pear is Thomas Kohl's gentlest cuvée: a velvety, smooth, round juice made from hand-picked mountain apples and pear purée. In this bottle, the two orchard fruits show what they can achieve together.

The sun-ripened mountain apples contribute elegance and acidity, while the pear purée adds sweetness and creaminess. And although the pear is elegantly restrained, its fragrance is clearly evident to the nose – even before you have taken the first sip. On the palate follows the round fullness for which pears are famous – velvety, smooth, gentle. A mild juice that still brings enough aroma for bold pairings.

With smoked foods, spicy cheese, and dark chocolate

Apple juice with pear finds its match in savory dishes, smoked meat, spicy cheeses, and dark chocolate.

It accompanies bold foods and enjoys being paired with something salty or spicy – its sweetness holds its own without being intrusive. With a slice of smoked ham on dark bread, the pear takes the edge off the smoke and allows the spice to remain. It is also a fine companion to a piece of bitter chocolate in the evening because its creaminess carries the cocoa.

When apple and pear complement each other

Apples and pears are botanically close relatives – both pome fruits, both at home in the Alps for centuries, both with a very distinct character.

That is exactly what makes this cuvée so appealing: the apple provides the structure that the pear would lack on its own; the pear provides the creaminess that the apple lacks. Thomas Kohl has chosen the mixing ratio so that the pear remains restrained yet still defines the juice; if the proportion were too high, it would overpower the apple.

The art of affinage at 1,000 meters

The mountain apples for this cuvée grow around the Troidner Hof, which is located at a good 900 meters above Bolzano – the family's highest orchards reach nearly 1,000 meters. Warm days and cold nights alternate there.

The greater this difference, the more acidity the fruit retains – and exactly this acidity is needed so that the pear does not veer into being cloyingly sweet. Both partners benefit, as Thomas believes for all his cuvées: he can rightly call himself Italy's first apple juice affineur.

Harvesting is done by hand in several passes, each variety individually, and goes to the press the very next morning. Served at 8 to 10 degrees in a stemmed glass, this cuvée then shows what it is made of – a recommendation that Thomas makes for all his juices.

Ripeness is decisive: every fruit is processed only when it is ready, and it is preserved afterwards solely by gentle pasteurization. The vegan label from the European Vegetarian Union is also included.

In a stemmed glass, the pear fragrance emerges

Serve chilled, 8 to 10 degrees, and please use a stemmed glass – that is where the pear fragrance is most clearly perceived. Once opened, the bottle should be refrigerated and remains good for 6 days; unopened, it keeps for at least a year in a cool, dark place. Things get fruitier with Apple Juice with Apricot, and varietal and soft with the Jonagold; the remaining blends are waiting in the Kohl Cuvées.