"These mountains, whose peaks rise above the reign of the clouds are made up of different species of rocks...Their prolongation leads to the formation of sharp points, broken crests and jagged angles that characterize and indicate from afar mountains known as primitive." -Déodat de Dolomieu (1750-1801)
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| A breathtaking view of the vineyards in the Trentino/Alto Adige |
The ground beneath geologist Déodat de Dolomieu's feet was illustrating a significant part of a major chapter in the Earth's history. His research of this unique and complex mountain range led to the discovery of a new mineral and subsequently some of the founding principles of Earth science were proposed here. This "pale mountain" as he described it was actually once at the bottom of a sea and is in fact an ancient coral reef. The Dolomites now bear his name and are recognized as a
UNESCO world heritage site. The vines we'll be exploring are planted between the Dolomites and another equally impressive though dramatically different mountain chain.
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| The super continent of Pangea |
The European Alps stretch roughly 750 miles across 8 different countries. The mountain range was formed as a result of plate tectonics as the Eurasian and African continents collided with one another during the breakup of the super continent of Pangea
over 100 million years ago. There are 22 peaks that reach heights greater than 13,000 feet above sea level with Mont Blanc being the highest Alpine point (15,781 ft). Given the cold climate, the mountain tops are covered in snow and were once dominated by glaciers. There are currently conservation efforts in place to protect the oldest alpine glaciers, which have nearly all melted away as a result of global warming. Due to snow and glacial melting, fluvial deposits and moraine debris have settled into the soil found in the wine growing areas along the Adige river and its tributaries. Granite, slate and porphyry rocks are also present in the soil, as a result of early volcanic activity, as well as the magnesium rich limestone rocks aptly named Dolomite. The roots from the vines of the Trentino/Alto Adige draw their energy from these various soil types.
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| Trentino/Alto Adige DOC zones |
The Trentino/Alto Adige is the northernmost wine region of Italy sharing its border with Switzerland and Austria. It is nestled between the southern end of the European Alps and the Dolomites. Its 32,000 acres of vineyards ranks 16th among Italy's 20 wine growing regions, however nearly 80% of the wines produced fall under the
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) appellation classification, which ranks it #1 in overall regional Italian DOC production. There are a total of 8 DOC's within this region and various subregions that we'll use to guide us through the wines. Although this is ski country and some vineyards are planted as high as 3,300 feet above sea level, there are plenty of diverse climate and soil variations throughout the region. As the name suggests it is comprised of 2 autonomous regions. The Alto Adige is also known as the South Tyrol or Südtirol. The majority of the population is of Austro-Bavarian descent and German is the more common language spoken here. But before we explore Italy's Germanic side, let's begin our hike in the southern alpine vineyards of Trentino.
TRENTINO DOC
The Trentino DOC stretches across roughly 40 miles between the communes of Avio in the south up to Mezzocorono in the north. Most of its vines are planted in the valleys alongside the Adige river, which runs north to south, and its tributaries. The Trentino DOC refers to the entire region; there are also 4 DOC's within its borders along with an additional 2 DOC's that it shares with the Alto Adige region. Each of these DOC's exist to authorize the grapes used and to regulate the style of wines produced by the villages for their respective provinces. Although local varietals and blends can be found in Trentino, it is dominated by international varietals due to the large cooperatives and wine estates that own most of the vineyard plantings. These international varietals can be found in bottles of Trentino DOC wines that are simply titled Trentino Rosso for reds and Trentino Bianco for the whites. Trentino Rosso's are not restricted to the percentages of grape varieties used and are basically Bordeaux blends made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Merlot. Also, unrestricted are the Trentino Bianco's which blend Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Müller Thurgau, and Manzoni Bianco. Nosiola, Moscato Giallo are native white varieties; while Teroldego, Schiava, Moscato Rosa, Marzemino, Enantio, Casetta, and Lagrein make up the native reds. In order to find these varieties, a deeper trek within the Trentino DOC is in order.
VALDADIGE TERRA DEI FORTI DOC
Coming in from the south, the Valdadige Terra Dei Forti DOC is the first DOC encountered in the Trentino region and is probably the worst area to attempt to understand the wines of the entire Trentino/Alto Adige. It allows for the production of mostly varietal wines. The white wines produced are standard bianco and higher alcohol superiore versions of Pinot Grigio. Red wines are either standard rosso or aged riserva versions of Enantio and Casetta. If you've never heard of these grapes, you're not alone. Here in the U.S., finding bottles of Enantio or Casetta, which was on the brink of extinction just 10 years ago, is no easy task. Coming across more Pinot Grigio and discovering the existence of unicorn wines is not the most promising start towards understanding the wines of Trentino/Alto Adige DOC, but it is definitely a common hurdle when navigating through Italy's vineyards. This won't be the first time that obscure native grape varieties will be encountered in this region and up until the publication of the Native Wine Grapes Of Italy by Ian D'Agata in 2014, information about these grapes has been scarce at best.
A GLASS OF RED WINE BEFORE GOING TO HELL
Before arriving in Trento DOC there are 3 regions encountered on the way out of the Valdadige Terra Dei Forti. The wines produced in Castel Beseno, Ziresi, and Isera are of a superior quality and are recognized as sub-regions of the all encompassing Trentino DOC. Castel Beseno produces wines made from the indigenous white varietal Moscato Giallo. Ziresi and Isera each produce
superiore wines made from the native Marzemino grape. Marzemino wines reveal peppery, dark berried aromas, yet are more acid driven with dark hues and a light to medium body. Of these 2 subregions, it is the Marzemino produced from Isera that is the more renowned thanks in large part to the opera Don Giovanni. Mozart must've thought very highly of this wine, since he specifically wrote it into the final banquet scene of his opera. "Versa il vino! Eccellente Marzemino!" requested Don Giovanni just before his deliverance into hell.
TRENTO DOC
The capital of Trentino provides us with a refreshing break from tracking down obscure varietals and rewards us with a glass of bubbly for our troubles. The Trento DOC is sparkling wine territory and employs the Champagne method for its production. Some of the largest acres of Chardonnay vines in the Trentino/Alto Adige are planted within this DOC thanks to internationally popular estates like Ferrari, which is one of the largest producers of sparkling wines worldwide. It is highly regulated when it comes to grape production with strict rules in place for how the vines are planted, cultivated, pruned, and hand-harvested. Once produced, the wines must rest on their lees for a minimum of 15 months for non-vintage, 24 for vintage, and 36 for
riserva bottles. The rules are looser when it comes to the percentage of grapes used in the blends, however the wines must only be made from Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Bianco.
TEROLDEGO ROTALIANO DOC & CASTELLER DOC
The Teroldego Rotaliano DOC produces
rosato and
rosso wines from the Teroldego grape exclusively. There are minimum alcohol levels that must be achieved to meet superiore standards for labeling and aging requirements set for
riserva wines. As you would imagine, this is the DOC where the best examples of the Teroldego grape can be found. The soil types are sandy/gravelly with alluvial deposits scattered amongst the plain where the vines are planted. The color of these wines are usually dark purple with aromas of black fruits and tar. Normally, these traits are associated with tannin rich, fuller bodied wines; but this is not the case with Teroldego. The wines are acid forward with a very low tannin presence. They're light bodied and would benefit from being served at a slightly cooler temperature than most reds. Compensating for Trentino's lack of fuller bodied reds is the Casteller DOC. Wines labeled under this region must have a base of at least 50% Merlot with the remain half comprised of any combinations of Enantio, Schiava and/or Lagrein.
VIGNETTI DELLE DOLOMITI
Although DOC's are helpful in finding quality wines from a region, you'll often find that they only tell part of the
terroir story. Wines categorized under the
IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) classification should never be overlooked and in some cases, the best examples of
terroir expression come from wines labeled as such. Under the IGT Vignetti Delle Dolomiti (Dolomite Vineyards) there are excellent examples of the native grapes Teroldego, and Nosiola to be found along with Manzoni Bianco. Manzoni Bianco is one of those rare instances where genetic crossings have proven to be a success. It is the offspring of Riesling and Chardonnay and produces crisp, lightly aromatic floral wines on top of a medium body. While Manzoni Bianco has been adopted by the region and is growing in popularity, Nosiola is very much a native and one of the best storytellers of the entire Trentino/Alto Adige. A Nosiola wine is normally characterized by hazelnut aromas and a rich, waxy texture that sits on a light acid driven body. There's a slight effervescent quality at the end of its crisp mineral finish. In a region with fairly straight forward wines, Nosiola's are among the most complex. And speaking of complex, prepare for a tower of babel effect heading out of Trentino and into the higher altitude vineyards of the Alto Adige. Here, Moscato Giallo is called Goldenmuskateller, Schiava is now Vernatsch and the Alto Adige becomes the Südtirol.
ALTO ADIGE/SÜDTIROL DOC
While plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and erosion played their role in shaping the ground below; war, dictatorships, and geopolitics are responsible for shaping the land above. The Südtirol's Bavarian roots can be traced back to the Holy Roman Empire from the 8th century when it was a part of the Kingdom Of Germany. The Treaty of Paris of 1810 signed in the midst of the Napoleonic wars, resulted in a border division between the Austrian governed Südtirol, and the Trentino region controlled by Napoleon's Kingdom Of Italy. This border division lasted until Südtirol's annexation by Italy in the aftermath of World War I. Under the Mussolini dictatorship (1922-1943), the local German population underwent a program of Italianization and were banned from speaking their native language. German wasn't officially recognized again until the aftermath of World War II, which is also when the current border lines were drawn up along with the official Italian name for both regions: Trentino/Alto Adige.
The vineyards of the Alto Adige/Südtirol DOC stretch roughly 36 miles and are steeper than those of Trentino, ranging from 650-3,300 feet above sea level. Its high elevation and cool climate are ideal for the production of crisp white wines. The Germanic culture's love of rules and order are reflected in the fact that nearly all of the wines produced adhere to DOC law. As expected, the white varietals used are normally associated with Germany and Austria. These include Riesling, Sylvaner and the genetically crossed Müller Thurgau (Riesling/Madeleine Royale) and Kerner (Riesling/Vernatsch). Gewürztraminer is also grown and though it got its name from the town of Traminer located near the capital city of Bolzano, it is unclear if it is in fact native to the region. Südtirol bottles are labeled with the varietal name written in German and some may even specify the ripeness levels, which is a labeling rule not used anywhere else in Italy. International varietals such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are also widely planted as well as Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Moscato Giallo.
Rosenmuskateller (Moscato Rosa), Vernatsch (Schiava), and Lagrein are the native red varietals found throughout the Südtirol. Rosenmuskateller wine is another bottle we can add to our growing unicorn wine cellar, however examples of Vernatsch and Lagrein from various producers are fairly easy to sample. Vernatsch wines can easily be mistaken for a rosé since they are incredibly light in color. They're basically white wines disguised as reds since they are light bodied, acid driven and virtually tannin free. Delicate aromas of strawberries, red roses and an occasional pepper note are normally associated with Vernatsch. Lagrein is mostly grown around the capital city of Bolzano. Due to the orientation of the vineyards and the unique microclimate, the grapes take in a lot of sunshine with temperatures hitting well over 100℉ in the summertime. Combined with its natural properties, Lagrein produces wines that are medium bodied with a more composed tannin structure. The fruit aromas are more on the jammier side and the wines are usually characterized by a slightly bitter aftertaste.
SNOWBLIND TASTING NOTES
If there were a single word I would use to describe the wines of Trentino/Alto Adige it would be: unpretentious. These are straightforward, high quality, honest wines that have an air of freshness, provided not only by the alpine winds, but by its unique melting pot of 2 vastly different cultures. Throughout its history, these 2 regions have been occupied together, been a part of separate empires, and currently coexist, all while not even speaking the same language. Yet, despite the differences, the Adige River has always been there, giving life to the vineyards of both the Trentino and Südtirol. And that's what it's all about really: finding more things we have in common with one another. At least that's my view from the top of these mountains.
