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Trentino-Alto Adige

Population: 924.281
Surface (Kmq): 13607
Density (Ab/Kmq.): 68
Main city: Trento (TN)
Other towns: Bolzano (BZ)

The name Trentino-Alto Adige conceals a hybrid region - two regions forcibly and sometimes unhappily welded together. This is where Italy meets Germany, where the Mediterranean south meets Germanic northern Europe, and you'll see evidence in the food, the architecture, the manners, and in the bilingual road signs. The main towns of Trentino-Alto Adige are Trento and Bolzano (or Bozen to give it its German name) the capital of Alto Adige. Trento (Roman Tridentum) lies at the neck of the Adige Valley and in the shadow of the mighty Monte Bondone, while Bolzano is a lovely market town up in the Dolomites. To the north of Bolzano, the Alpe di Siusi grasslands form the largest Alpine plateau in Europe, stretching over 60km². There is excellent skiing of course, with the resorts of Val Gardena (Grodnertal) and Cortina d’Ampezzo, venue for the 1956 Winter Olympiad. And the hiking season fills the rest of the year from midsummer to the autumn. 


Pane e vino fanno un bel bambino or "bread and wine make a beautiful baby". This saying tells a lot about the importance and consideration given to wine in this Alpine region. The expression reflects the widespread belief that bread and wine are fundamental sources of nourishment and growth, both physically and emotionally. That said, consider that Trentino-Alto Adige produces less than 1% of the national wine production, but accounts for about 10% of grappa production. Grappa is a vodka-like traditional Italian drink, made from the leftover skins and seeds of grapes used for wine.

There are three grapes native to this region, one is the white Nosiola and the other two are the red Teroldego Rotaliano and the Marzemino. In addition to the native grapes, well known international grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Moscato, Pinot Nero and Pinot Grigio, as well as Müller-Thurgau, are grown throughout the region.

One main distinction between Trentino and Alto Adige production is the fact that in the northern area the wines are produced mostly by small family-owned and managed wineries that sell their product locally with limited exports to Germany and Austria. Trentino on the other hand counts on a large number of growers who joined into large cooperatives, such as Ca'vit, Vivallis and Mezzacorona, which produce wines that have consistent taste and characteristics year after year. These popular wines have found their niche, both in Italy and abroad, among wine drinkers who look for reasonably good and affordable wines for daily enjoyment.

The DOC wines from Trentino are:
Alto Adige (Südtirol)  
Casteller  
Lago di Caldaro (Kalterersee)  
Teroldego Rotaliano  
Trentino  
Trento  
Valdadige (Etschtaler)