The wines of Trentino

Put your best coat on, as we are heading to the Dolomites for a trip around some of the highest and most elegant vineyards of Italy. You might have already heard about the small skiing region in the north of the country called Trentino-Alto Adige, but whenever we talk about this area you should be aware that we are talking about two distinct territories that once were politically separated and only during recent times became a single unit.

I will focus on Trentino-Alto Adige as if it was still divided, respecting the identities and traditions regarding folklore and language but most of all the winemaking and food of both areas. One thing that’s common to both areas is the importance of the Adige river and the lakes that create spectacular microclimates, as well as the natural landscape and healthy lifestyle of the locals.

Once you reach the top of one of the mountains that make up Trentino's landscape, you will be enraptured by the pure sunlight that covers everything – a sunlight that moves around the panorama hand-in-hand with the amazing silence, interrupted only by the sound of the ‘Peler’ wind in the morning and the ‘Ora’ wind during the afternoon.

You might not know that Trentino is home to what many call Italian Champagne, as some of the bottles coming from this region are made following the metodo classico and considered among the best in the world. Just rush to your favourite wine bar and get yourself a bottle of Giulio Ferrari or Riserva del Fondatore – now you can start dreaming of Trentino while reading about its mountains, vineyards, colourful forests and fresh rivers.

You would think that the wine production of such an enchanting and complex region would need to be protected with an adequate number of denominations, but surprisingly there are no DOCG wines at all. However, the eight DOC appellations cover around two-thirds of the total wine production. Some of the DOCs like Trento, Teroldego, Rotaliano and Casteller are quite well known while others like Terradeiforti don't have a huge appeal on international markets because it can be hard to find bottles outside of the local area.