North East Italy: Trentino & Alto Adige

Question 1

1) What are the styles produced?
2) What are the principal white varieties?
3) Principal black varieties?
4) Overall quality level and price?
5) Structure of the industry in terms of production?

Answer 1

1) Styles produced: white (mainly) and red
2) Principal white varieties: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Muller-Thurgau.
3) Principal black varieties: Teroldego, Merlot and Marzemimo
4) Wines tend to be good - v good and inexpensive to mid-priced.
5) Coops produce 80% of the volume in the region

Question 2

1) What’s the overal climate in the region?
2) What are the other factors influencing the climate in the region and their effects on viticulture?

Answer 2

1) Mod continental climate
2) Wide diurnal range due to:
a) Day time: high temperature due to the moderating influence of the Guarda Lake, protection from the mountains against cold wind and heat building up on the valley floor.
b) Night time: temp drop (cooling air coming down from the mountains) - prolongs growing season / retains acidity / intensifying flavours.

Question 3

1) What’s the proportion of plantings (white x black)?
2) How many white / red varieties are permitted in Trentino DOC?
3) Name the main international white varieties planted in the region?
4) Name the main international black varieties planted in the region?
5) What are the max yields?

Answer 3

1) Approx 75% is planted with white grapes
2) Trentino DOC: 10 white / 9 red varieties are permitted.
3) Pinot Grigio & Chardonnay: 50% of the area under vine
4) White international varieties: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sav Blanc.
5) Black International varieties: Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Merlot and Pinot Noir
6) Max yields: very high and dependant on variety: 100hL/ha for whites and 90hL/ha for reds.

Question 4

1) What are the black varieties permitted and their common characteristics?
2) Quality & price level?
3) Describe Teroldego
4) Describe Marzemimo
5) Describe Lagrein
6) Describe Moscato Rosato and style of wine made
7) Describe Nosiola and style of wine made

Answer 4

1) Teroldego, Marzemimo and Lagrein are closely related
2) All mid- late ripening, vigourous, deep coloured, med tannin wineS.
3) Good - v good; inexpensive to mid-priced
4) Teroldego: most common; less susceptible to mildews, suffers from drying of the stems; best wines come form Teroldego Rotaliano DOC (sandy/gravely soils)
5) Marzemimo: prone to botrytis / powdery mildew; best, ripe wines come from Ziresi (basalt/clay/calcareous soils) an full sun exposure.
6) Lagrein: needs warmth / plenty of sunshine to ripen fully; susceptible to poor fruit set (low yielding); bitterness / harsh finish can be addressed by shor maceration / oak ageing, due to colour can be used for rosato.
7) Moscato Rosa: from the moscato family; made into rose-scented (floral) sweet wines; poor fruit set / botrytis; wines are made by apassimento or late harvest.
8) Nosiola: grown in the valley of the Lakes, sub-continental and warm; wine has a distinct hazelnut flavour; semi-dried fruit version (Vino Santo); susceptible to sour rot, spring frost and mildew.

Question 5

1) General overview covering pressing, fermenters, temp and ageing?

Answer 5

1) Great majority: soft pressing
2) Stainless steel fermenters
3) Low temp: 12-16oC
4) May be briefly aged on the less and released for early consumption
5) Small vol can be aged in barrels (small proportion of new) for added vanilla and spices layers

Question 6

Describe the styles of red wines made in this region.

Answer 6

Red wine are made in two styles:

1) Fresh, fruity & early drinking: med tannins, med body; maceration on skins during ferment (up to 7 days), mod fermentaition temp; brief ageing in stainless steel or neutral oak.
2) Minority: maceration after alc fermentation (additional 7-14 days), warmer temp; typically aged in small oak barrels (small proportion of new); med(+) intensity with vanilla and spice notes.

Question 7

1) What’s the regulation for production of Bianco?
2) What’s the regulation for single variety wines?
3) What’s the regulationfor 2 varieties blend?

Answer 7

1) Bianco: min 70% chardonnay and / or Pinot Bianco
2) Single variety: min 85% of that variety
3) 2 variety blends: 50 - 75% of Chard, Pinots Bianco & Grigio and Sav Blanc + the remainder with one of those grapes.

Question 8

What’s the average holding, vineyard segmentation, importance of coops and the market for Trentino wines in the domestic market?

Answer 8

1) Many small growers
2) Average holding: 1.2ha
3) Coops: more than 80% of total production
4) Trentino wines have a very good penetration in the Italian hospitality sector

Question 9

1) Style of wines produced?
2) Common black grape varieties?
3) Common white grape varieties?
4) Overall quality & price (including top producers)?

Answer 9

1) 60% of wine produced is white
2) Reds: Schiava (pale red), Pinot Noir
3) Whites: Pinot Grigio, Gewurstraminer, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc
4) Overall quality: good to v good
5) Price: inexpensive to mid-priced
6) Some top quaility wines: v good to outstanding, mid-priced to premium (especially Pinot Noir)

Question 10

1) Climate?
2) Climatic influences particular to this region (geographic influence and exposure)?
3) Vineyard location?
4) Soil types?
5) Training systems?

Answer 10

1) Mild continental climate
2) Protected from northerly cold winds by mountains in the North
3) Vines typicall grown between 300 - 700m ASL
4) Nearly 300 days of sunshine / year
5) Wide diurnal range
6) Suficient rainfall throughout the year, very little in winter
7) Great variety of soils: volcanic, quartz, mica rocks and dolomitic limestone..
8) Training systems: traditional pergola or GuyoT

Question 11

1) Viticultural aspects?
2) Wine organoleptic aspects?

Answer 11

1) Also knows as Vernatsch or Black Hamburg in UK
2) 4 different varieties have been identified
3) Vigorous and high yielding
4) Usually trained in pergola to cope with vigour
5) Wines are usually pale ruby, ligh to med body, low tannins, strawberry and violet aromas.

Question 12

1) What does white winemaking in the region focus on and what are the techiniques used?

Answer 12

Emphasis on white winemaking.

1) Focus on preserving primary aromas: low temp fermentation / stainless steel or neutral vessels
2) Mid priced wines can be aged on their lees for 4-6 months, premium wines up to a year, to enrich body.
3) Top white & reds are aged on French barriques

Question 13

1) How much of the wine produced is of DOC level?
2) How are the DOC wines classified and what are the regulations?

Answer 13

1) 98% of wines produced are of DOC level
2) Wines in this DOC can be:
a) Bianco: min 75% of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio; 2 of these varieties must be present but cannot exceed 70% of the blend.
b) Single variety wine: must be at least 85% of the named variety
c) Dual variety blends: the named varieties must be at least 15% of the blend.

Question 14

1) What’s the size of the holdings in Alto Adige
2) What’s the importance of coops in the regions and how can they influence quality?
3) Domestic x International markets and most important local segment for wine placement?

Answer 14

1) Holdings are very small: about 1h per grower
2) Coops: very important and account for 70% of the wine produced, including some top quality wines
3) Top coops: work hard to keep quality and pay more for quality grapes to incentivise growers.
4) 75% of the production is consumed by the local market
5) Most important segment: hospitality

Question 15

1) General vineyard location?
2) Mostly blended or varietal wines?

Answer 15

1) The entire region is on the foothills of the Alpes
2) Viticulture takes place on the lower slopes of the hills
3) Both international and local varieties
4) Most of the wines are varietal.