Atypical Italians

By Helena & John Baker

FOR THE POST

The attractive northern Italian town of Trento - the splendidum municipium of Tridentum to the Romans - in the foothills of the Alps is the capital of the province of Trentino, which, together with its predominantly German-speaking neighbor Alto Adige (or Südtirol) to the north, only became part of the Italian Republic in 1918, as part of the  fallout from World War I.  The autonomous Trentino-Alto Adige pairing was later granted powers over areas, normally the responsibility of the national government, such as health, education and roads.  

The town of Trento itself occupies a key position on the route linking Italy to the north of Europe, and for this very reason was chosen by Pope Paul II in 1545 as the venue for the famous council of the Roman Catholic Church intended to bring in reforms in response to the rise of Protestantism.

The Adige River has carved a dramatic north-south corridor snaking through the Alps, the main artery leading from the Brenner Pass on the Austrian border down to Lake Garda. Vineyards are piled up every available slope along the sides of the river and its tributaries, making a peaceful contrast to the teeming traffic on the roads below. To the west and east, the mountainous terrain is unsuited to viticulture. The valley floor, though, is mostly given over to orchard plantations as this area is important as Italy's main source of apples.    

Wine production rests at around 700,000 hectoliters, with an exceptionally high 70 percent registered as DOC quality wine. Although at an ever-rising altitude and lying astride the 46th parallel, the region is not cool, with intense heat building up during the summer, especially in the lower elevations.   

The catch-all regional Trentino DOC plays the main role here, supported by a number of tiny side appellations. The autochthonous red variety Teroldego gives its best coming from the gravel soil of the Rotaliano Plain near the northern end of the region. And thanks to the untiring efforts of Elisabetta Foradori, who single-handedly sought over the past 20 years to improve the quality of the clones planted, this grape now deserves a respect it has traditionally shunned in favor of quantity and has established itself as the benchmark Trentino red, with firmly structured forest-fruit flavoured wines with robust acidity. Marzemino, which received a mention in Mozart's Don Giovanni, is also another local favorite well-suited to daily quaffing, especially when coming from Vallagarina near Rovereto in the south, though it too has suffered from over-cropping.

But the region is now noted principally for its whites, which comprise more than 60 percent of all plantings, offering fresh varietal character with a more penetratingly perfumed scent than the average Italian wine. These could arguably be even more fragrant, but to the Italian way of thinking such wines would be unsuitable to go with food, the occasion when wine is usually consumed. Chardonnay is now the mainstay, along with such staples as Pinot Gris and a superior Müller-Thurgau from Faedo and the delightful Valle di Cembra, on a northeast tributary of the main river.  

Another appellation, confusingly called Trento DOC, applies only to local spumante, invented by the Ferrari winery in 1902, when Trentino was still part of Austria-Hungary.  This company bears no relation to the racecar marque but still produces some of the best examples, alongside those of the Rotari range from Italy's largest wine producer Mezzacorona and the CaVit cooperative, on par certainly with the best sparklers in Italy.  

Winery of the month:  Žernosecké Vinařství

The founders of the Žernoseky winery were most probably the Cistercian monks who established themselves in the area in the year 1251, carving out the vast cellars that exist to this day as part of the chateau. The vineyards are situated in the north of the Czech lands, rising on the right bank of the valley of the Labe (Elbe) River on the foothills of the Lovoš and Radobýl mountains. This is predominantly white-grape land, white wine accounting for around 80 percent of production, with excellent Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Gewurztraminer and Moravian Muscat. Wines are made under the aegis of the well-known, if crusty, head winemaker František Kupsa and are much sought after by top restaurants in Prague and elsewhere.

Wines of the month:

Sparkling: Ferrari Perlé Rosé  

Producer: Ferrari F.lli Lunelli, Trento, Italy     

This sparkler from a producer dedicated entirely to spumante has spent at least five years maturing and is a deeper shade of rosé. It is made from 80 percent Pinot Noir with Chardonnay making up the rest and comes from grapes hand-harvested in late September.  The bouquet is intensely fruity, finely poised with even a hint of eastern spice. The palate is typically fruity with delicate Pinot Noir characteristics, evoking soft-red summer fruit with, as in champagne, pronounced yeasty notes. (670 Kč)  

Red: "Mastri Vernacoli" Teroldego Rotaliano DOC 2009   

Producer: CaVit, Trento, Italy  

The name of this autochthonous grape variety comes from the local German dialect meaning Tyrolean gold and has its origins in the Trentino's Piana Rotaliana valley lying between the Adige and Noce rivers. This example displays a beautifully deep, crimson color. It is intense yet refined, of generous structure, delightfully rich with an exceptional balance between acidity, sweetness and tannins, plus a touch of spice and a nice long finish. Very food-friendly wine, especially great with red meat dishes. (Around 300 Kč)  

Events diary

On Tuesday, Aug. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m., there will be an informal tasting of Greek wines (six samples, including one organic) accompanied by Greek small eats at Symbiosa kavárna, Jindřicha Plachty 28, Prague 5-Smíchov, near the Anděl metro station. This interesting venue is actually a small café that is home to a library of books of poetry, while from 6 p.m. the downstairs area opens as a nonsmoking wine bar. Here one can find a selection of wines in bottle from a reputable Moravian producer as well as several more southerly sources with, for those not wanting to consume a whole bottle, many available by the glass. See Symbiosa.cz.     

The writers can be reached at features@praguepost.com