Apple and apricot juice

Kohl Cuvée apple juice with apricot, bright orange

Sun-ripened Vinschgau apricots and hand-picked mountain apples from the Ritten: Kohl Cuvée apple juice with apricot is a bright orange, intensely fruity juice creation – awarded silver at the "Mostbarkeiten 2019" competition.

Apple juice with apricot is a cuvée by Thomas Kohl from the South Tyrolean Ritten: hand-picked mountain apples meet the sweet-tart aroma of the apricot, which is usually called "Aprikose" outside of Austria and South Tyrol. The fine acidity of the mountain apple juice provides summery freshness, while the apricot puree defines the color and mouthfeel.

The apricot shines bright orange in the glass – lush, velvety, sunny. Ripe stone fruit greets the nose, followed on the palate by that sweet-tart interplay that defines good apricots, carried by the sweetness of the mountain apple. Thomas Kohl experimented until he found the perfect mixing ratio: not too much and not too little of either, allowing them space to unfold. The apple and the apricot complement each other exceptionally well.

For chicken curry, panna cotta, and apricot dumplings

The apricot likes sweet dishes, egg-based dishes, soufflés, chocolate, and mild sliced cheese – and it can also hold its own against hearty meals.

It likes things salty or sweet and can also keep up with spicy heat. The apricot takes center stage with chicken curry, panna cotta, or apricot dumplings. If you are expecting guests and need to find something non-alcoholic that can keep up even with dessert: This is it. For a Sunday breakfast egg, it is in no way inferior to the single-varietal Jonagold.

120 hectares of apricots between 500 and 1,100 meters

South Tyrol is home to far more than just vines and apples: around 120 hectares are planted with apricot trees, at mountain altitudes between 500 and 1,100 meters.

Mainly the Vinschgau apricot is harvested, alongside the Goldrich, Hargrand, and Orange Red varieties. The Vinschgau valley offers the ideal climate for this – just like the apples on the Ritten, the apricots experience strong temperature fluctuations between day and night, intense sunlight, and little precipitation. The greater the difference between the warm day and the cool night, the more full-bodied the fruit’s aroma develops. This is precisely what makes the large, sweet Vinschgau apricots so precious for this cuvée.

Silver at the "Mostbarkeiten" and the art of refining

At the Alpe-Adria "Mostbarkeiten 2019" tasting in Carinthia, the mountain apple juice with apricot scored 17 out of 20 points, earning it silver, documented in Kohl's tasting report.

Both fruits benefit in the process – Thomas Kohl holds the title of Italy's first apple juice "affineur" for this very reason. The mountain apple used grows at nearly 1,000 meters around the Troidner Hof, while the apricot comes from the Vinschgau: two South Tyrolean valleys in one bottle. By the way: If you still know these juices as Kohl Essence, you are looking in the right place. That was the name of the line in the past; today, it simply says Cuvée on the label – the art behind it has remained the same.

Every ingredient goes into the press at full maturity, preserved thereafter solely by gentle pasteurization. It carries the Vegan label of the European Vegetarian Union.

Six chilled days, one unopened year

Chilled to 8 to 10 degrees and poured into a stemmed glass, the apricot gets the same treatment as a wine. Once opened, it keeps for about 6 days in the refrigerator; stored cool and dark, it is ready to be enjoyed for a year when unopened. The tone becomes more berry-like with the apple juice with wild blueberry; the rest of the range can be found under the Kohl Cuvées.