Trentino-South Tyrol

A double region with a huge variety.

South Tyrol and Trentino form a common region with the autonomous provinces of Trento in the south and Bolzano in the north. While in Trentino Italian is spoken predominantly, in South Tyrol German is the main language. In Trentino it is warmer and drier than in South Tyrol, Lake Garda provides a milder climate. Small family businesses dominate in South Tyrol, large cooperatives in Trenino. There are also clear differences between the grape varieties. In Trentino red grape varieties dominate, in South Tyrol white ones.

In Trentino, there are almost 10,000 hectares of vineyards - mainly in the Adige and Sarca valleys - about 70% of which are DOC wines. Around the picturesque city of Trento, fruity wines from the Schiava grape (Vernatsch), from Lambrusco, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling Italico (Welschriesling), Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay thrive, which - just like in South Tyrol and part of Veneto - are labelled under the collective name Valdadige DOC. Other DOC areas are Trentino DOC, Teroldego Rotaliano (for the excellent red wines from the Teroldego grape), Caldaro/Kalterersee DOC, in which Trentino also has a share, and Casteller DOC (primarily for red wines from Vernatsch, Merlot and Lambrusco).

Not only sparkling wines in the Trento DOC.

A northern Italian speciality (also in Veneto) is the red grape variety Marzemino, praised in Mozart's Don Giovannis, which produces a red wine full of character, velvety and full-bodied. A rarity are the elegant white wines from the Nosiola vine (e.g. Elisabetta Foradori) grown only in Trentino.

In addition to these still wines, Trento DOC also produces numerous fine sparkling wines according to the traditional method of bottle fermentation (Spumante Metodo Classico). Very fine mousseaux and mineral spice make the TrentoDOC, as it is now called, very expressive. A separate institute monitors the qualities of the now 45 producers, above all the successors of Giulio Ferrari, who began producing sparkling wines from Chardonnay in 1902 following the models of Champagne. Ferrari (today family Lunelli) is one of the best Italian sparkling wines and is also internationally highly successful.

Some of the best wines from Trentino, however, are virtually unknown to us because they come from small family vineyards with only a few hectares of cultivation in the side valleys, such as the bizarrely beautiful Val di Cembra. Probably one of the next DOC or DOCG regions with famous mineral and elegant wines.

South Tyrol: Variety of vines on steep slopes. Mountain and Pergl.

In South Tyrol, the approximately 5,500 hectares of vineyards are located almost without exception at an altitude of over 500 metres, in some areas even up to almost 1,000 metres above sea level. Almost all the way on steep slopes and hills in the Adige Valley between Meran and Salurn, as well as in the Eisack Valley between Bolzano and Bressanone, with smaller cultivated areas in the Vintschgau. The climate, like the soils, is quite different. Alpine growing regions with extreme temperature differences in the north and an almost moderate climate with Mediterranean influence alternate. Rocky, barren primary rock soils, volcanic porphyry soils, calcareous plateaus and alluvial plains of the wide river valleys, in which almost all rock formations have been mixed over the centuries by constant erosion, make the cultivation of a variety of grape varieties possible. Many vineyards are planted in traditional pergola (in South Tyrolean dialect: Pergl) education. 98% of all South Tyrolean wines have DOC status. This makes South Tyrol by far the region with the highest proportion of DOC in Italy.

The number one grape variety in South Tyrol is the Vernatsch (Schiava) with around 1,300 hectares, which has experienced a true renaissance in recent years. North of Bolzano he is also called "St. Magdalene"around Kaltern he is also known as a "Lake Kaltern" is called. It's identical to the German Trollinger, which probably came from "Tirolinger" and so actually the origin Tirol contained. Behind it follow the Traminer (Gewürztraminer) - the small South Tyrolean town of Tramin, situated between Trento and Bolzano, is regarded as the home of the Gewürztraminer (Traminer Aromatico) - and the Lagrein, which is cared for and cultivated around Bolzano, with about 500 hectares each. From it the Lagrein Kretzer, a sparkling rosé wine, as well as the tannin-rich Lagrein Dunkel are produced.

Among the DOC vine variety wines are also full-bodied Chardonnays, fine Rieslings and occasionally even Grüner Veltliner as well as excellent red wines from Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) but also Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Also Weißburgunder (Pinot Bianco), Grauburgunder (Pinot Grigio) and Sauvignon Bianco are widespread - some of them are among the best white wines in Italy - some even mature internationally because they are extremely storable. The old Müller-Thurgau variety, which we regard as rather boring, also produces racy, mineral white wines that are on the menu in almost every good restaurant throughout Italy.

A distinction must be made between these DOC varietal wines and the classic geographical DOC wines. The most famous DOC to be mentioned here is Lake Caldaro (Lago di Caldaro). As in the DOC areas of Bolzano Leiten (Colli di Bolzano), Merano Hills (Meranese di Collina) and Santa Maddalena (Sankt Magdalener), almost only Vernatsch is cultivated here. The red wines are popular because of their freshness, lightness and simplicity. Many plants that do not wish to use DOC designations are sold under the common DOC Etschtaler (Italian: Valdadige), as in Trentino. SUPERIORE.DE