Italy - Trentino-Alto Adige

Question 1

What is the general climate of Trentino?

Answer 1

While being in the North of the country and in sight of the Alps, it still has a moderate continental climate, but with cooling influences.
Day time summer temperatures can be high due to mountains providing protection from cold Northern winds, the moderating influence of Lake Garda in the south and heat building up on the valley floor during the growing season.
There’s a wide diurnal range due to cold air descending from the mountains at night. The cold nights enable the grapes to retain acidity and prolong the growing season, allowing flavours to intensify.

Question 2

What does the topography of Trentino mean for viticulture?

Answer 2

Vineyards on the higher, steeper slopes require working by hand.

Question 3

What is the general climate of Alto-Adige?

Answer 3

Mild Alpine continental.
Protected from cold winds by the mountains to the north.
Warm air currents in the valleys, nearly 300 days of sunshine a year and a wide diurnal range create very good conditions for ripening grapes and retaining acidity.

Question 4

What is the general topography of Alto Adige? What soil types can be found here?

Answer 4

Vines are grown 300-700m.
A large variety: volcanic porphyry, quartz and mica rock and Dolomitic limestone, giving producers a range of soil types suitable for a range of varieties.

Question 5

What is rainfall like in Alto Adige?

Answer 5

There is sufficient, but spread throughout the year. Can sometimes be a concern at harvest.

Question 6

What are typical training systems and vineyard management techniques of Alto-Adige?

Answer 6

Traditionally, Pergola or Guyot.
Leaf picking to encourage exposed bunches to ripen has been widely practiced, but now with rising temperatures this has to be done carefully to avoid the risk of fruit burning or drying out.
Vineyards on higher or steeper slopes require working by hand.

Question 7

How are growing zones differentiated in Alto-Adige? What are the biggest two?

Answer 7

There are a number, though they’re not technically sub zones within the DOC, in the province according to topography, climate and soils. The two largest are:
• Bassa Atesina in the south of the province with the warmer climate. All main varieties are grown except Schiava. Müller-Thurgau is grown at high altitudes.
• Oltradige, including the Lake Caldaro area for Schiava, with Merlot and Cab Sauv in the valleys and Pinot Noir and white varieties at higher altitudes.

Question 8

What is the division of plantings by colour in Trentino?

Answer 8

75% white, 25% black.

Question 9

What are max yields of Trentino?

Answer 9

Depends on variety, but roughly 100 for whites and 90 for reds.

Question 10

What varieties are permitted in Trentino?

Answer 10

A wide variety. The overarching Trentino DOC allows 10 whites and 9 reds to be bottled as single varieties.

White international:
Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau, Gewurz, Pinot Bianco, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc

Red international:
Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Pinot Noir.

White local:
Moscato Rosa, Nosiola

Red local:
Teroldego, Marzemino and Lagrein

Question 11

What is the commonality between the local Red varieties of Trentino?

Answer 11

They’re all closely related to each other.
All vigorous, mid to late ripening making deeply coloured, medium tannin wines.
Mostly good to very good and inexpensive to mid.

Question 12

What is the breakdown of the top 6 varieties of Trentino, as a percentage of total plantings?

Answer 12

Pinot Grigio 31%
Chardonnay 28%
Müller-Thurgau 10%
Teroldego 7%
Merlot 5%
Marzemino 3%

Question 13

What is the breakdown of the top 10 varieties of Alto-Adige, as a percentage of total plantings?

Answer 13

Schiava 14%
Pinot Grigio 12%
Gewurz 11%
Pinot Bianco 10%
Chardonnay 10%
Lagrein 9%
Pinot Noir 8%
Sauvignon Blanc 8%

Question 14

Where are the key areas for Teroldego?

Answer 14

Best quality wines come from Teroldego Rotaliano DOC on sandy and gravelly soils in the far north of Trentino.
Outside of that geographical area it cannot be labelled as Trentino DOC, despite being the most grown black grape. Instead it can be labelled as Vini delle Dolomiti IGT (which covers both Trentino and Alto-Adige).

Question 15

Where are the key areas for Marzemino?

Answer 15

The best, ripest wines come from the Ziresi subzone of Trentino DOC due to full sun exposure and rich calcerous/clay and basalt soils.

Question 16

What can Lagrein be labelled as?

Answer 16

In either Italian or German as red or rosé:
Lagrein rubino/dunkel and Lagrein rosato/kretzer.

Question 17

What is the key area for Nosiola?

Answer 17

The Valley of the Lakes, the warmest area of Trentino with a sub-continental climate.

Question 18

What is the key area for Schiava?

Answer 18

Santander Magdalena DOC, where it can be blended with up to 15% Lagrein to produce a deeper coloured, fuller bodied wine.

Question 19

What is the alternative name for Schiava, and what are common viticultural practices? Profile?

Answer 19

German name Vernatsch. While four separate varieties have been identified, they are normally grown and vinified together. The vines are typically grown on a pergola to cope with their natural vigour and the vines produce high yields. The wine is typically a pale ruby wine with perfumed violet and strawberry aromas with a medium to light body and low tannins.