Trentino is an autonomous wine-producing province in the far north of Italy, bordering Lombardy to the west and Veneto to the south and east. The province forms the southern half of the Trentino-Alto Adige region, the other half being Alto Adige (Sudtirol to its largely German-speaking population).
Trentino-Alto Adige's terroir is very similar to that of Alto Adige, although 500ft lower down the valley and slightly less dominated by the mountains above. Nonetheless, it remains characterized by the alpine peaks which soar for many thousands of feet above the Adige Valley floor. The peaks and ridges bring protection from the elements, casting a rain shadow over the valley and channeling warm air currents through it as the land heats up and cools down over the course of the day. This reliable mountain breeze keeps vineyards free from undesirable rot and fungal diseases.
The region follows the Adige river along its north-south course down from the Alps towards the plains, winding past various valleys and lakes. Across its 40-mile (65km) length, the region straddles the 46th northern parallel and the valley floor falls from 700ft to 400ft above sea-level. Given Trentino's high altitude, northern latitude and alpine scenery, it comes as a surprise to many to find that the provincial capital Trento is one of Italy's warmest cities in summer. The valley floor here heats up rapidly on summer mornings, regularly lifting July temperatures to 104F (40C).
The DOC structure in Trentino consists of one large regional DOC (entitled Trentino, and granted in 1971), and several smaller DOCs which focus on specific areas and styles. These are Teroldego Rotaliano, Caldaro (Kalderer in German), Casteller and Valdadige (Etschtaler). Almost three-quarters of wine produced here qualifies for one of these DOCs, a proportion much higher than other Italian regions and second only to neighboring Alto Adige.
The Trentino DOC covers the Adige valley from Avio in the south to Mezzocorono in the north, as well as several side valleys such as those belonging to the Sarca and Avisio rivers. Its portfolio is based on a wide range of varietal wines: 20 are specified, made from a combination of the classic Trentino-Alto Adige varieties Schiava, Teroldego and Lagrein, and international varieties, of which Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the most widely used. Cabernet varietals made under this title can be made from any combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Carmenere. Although this rather defeats the object of varietal labeling (which Italy is now increasingly employing in response to consumer trends), it does give winemakers increased freedom to experiment with blends of these three grapes without losing the marketability of the Cabernet name.
The standard red Trentino Rosso is made from the Cabernet grapes, with Merlot also thrown in to make it a near-complete Bordeaux Blend. Its white Trentino Bianco counterpart has Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco as its base, with Sauvignon Blanc, Muller-Thurgau and Manzoni Bianco as permitted auxiliaries.
