Trentino viticulture boasts ancient and noble traditions. Its origins date back to pre-Roman times, as documented by the “Etruscan situla” found about a century ago in Cembra, in the center of the valley of the same name. However, it was only later, during the reign of Augustus, as Pliny attests, that the wines of Trentino, then called “Rhaetian,” became famous.
In the Middle Ages, Trentino, due to its geographical position, ideally located as a bridge between the Italian peninsula and the populations north of the Brenner Pass, had the best vine growers in the monks and the most effective promoters of wines in the merchants.
A wealth of literature documents the strict discipline to which local viticulture and wine trade were subject from that time onwards, and after 1100, as reported in the statutes of the cities of Trento, Rovereto, and Riva.
In the 17th century, Michelangelo Mariani, author of the literary work “Historia del Concilio di Trento” (History of the Council of Trent), dedicated an entire chapter to the wines of Trentino, whose fundamental characteristics, he wrote, were: “to make them without study, as they are born and without adulterating them, and … ‘going outside Trentino to acquire new form and goodness’.”
Subsequently, far from fading, the wine-making tradition became deeply rooted, intertwining intimately with the historical events that have accompanied the development of “wine-growing Trentino” to the present day.
In keeping with these historical traditions, the Provincial Agricultural Institute of San Michele all’Adige, now the Edmund Mach Foundation, was established in 1874. At that time, it was divided into two sections: the Agricultural Experimental Station and the renowned School of Specialization in Viticulture and Oenology. It undoubtedly deserves credit for laying the technical and scientific foundations that ensured the progressive improvement in the quality of Trentino wines.
From that date onwards, they began a brilliant career, reaping success in national and international competitions with clear and coveted awards, which still honor local viticulture and oenology today.
The creation in Trento in 1948, following the French example, of the Trentino Wine Committee, as an interprofessional body of producers and traders with the aim of protecting the product and promoting a gradual “quality policy,” led to the creation of the “Trentino Wine Charter,” the first document of its kind in Italy at the time, which served as an inventory of wine stocks and, at the same time, a development plan for local viticulture.
This work was not only approved by the technical bodies and supported by the Region, but also saw the active participation of winegrowers in the implementation of technical guidelines, developed with the aim of determining the gradual transition from “mass” viticulture to “quality” viticulture.
Subsequent developments led to further organization of the territory, culminating in the creation of the Trentino Wine Institute in December 1994, established with “the aim of promoting and stimulating the technical and economic development of the wine-growing activities of its members and related and derivative sectors by protecting their interests, achieved mainly through the joint organization of information, documentation, commercial promotion, and improvement and enhancement of Trentino products.”
The experience of the Trentino Wine Institute came to an end with the introduction of new national legislation relating to the agri-food sector, particularly wine production, and the establishment in October 2011 of the Trentino Wine Protection Consortium, which is still fully operational today and carries out functions relating to the protection, enhancement, and promotion of wine products.
Viticulture in Trentino reached its maximum territorial extent (approximately 18,000 hectares) during the period when our province (then known as Welsch Tirol) was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, i.e. until 1918, when Austria, a country notoriously lacking in wine production, fully exploited the potential of the terroir. Subsequently, with the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, the largest wine-producing country in Europe, the area under vine in Trentino was reduced to around 10,000 hectares, which still remain today.
The environment in which Trentino viticulture has been practiced for thousands of years offers the vine an ideal habitat, whose primary importance lies in distinctive and unique factors such as the soil, which is extremely diverse and unique in terms of its origin, nature, and geological composition. The climatic conditions are also characterized by a dry continental climate, moderate temperatures, and a wide range of temperatures. This is an ideal soil and climate for viticulture, which has encouraged the fragmentation of vineyards and now allows for the cultivation of around twenty different grape varieties, including the main international varieties, alongside native Trentino varieties such as the white Nosiola and the red Marzemino and Teroldego.
It was precisely in this favorable environment that the Trentino Wine Exhibition was conceived. Its first edition dates back to 1874, and today it is still a specialized event for professionals and lovers of wine, where, in addition to tastings of Trentino producers’ wines, meetings, conferences, seminars, and cultural initiatives are organized.
There have been 80 editions held at prestigious venues in the city of Trento and, in recent years, at the Provincial Wine Shop in Palazzo Roccabruna in collaboration with the Trento Chamber of Commerce.
Palazzo Roccabruna is a Renaissance residence located in the historic center of Trento. It became part of the Chamber of Commerce’s real estate portfolio in 2004 and has since been used as the headquarters for the Chamber’s regional promotion activities. Its origins date back to the Council of Trent (1545-1563), when it hosted the Spanish delegation led by Claudio Fernandez de Quignones, Count of Luna and ambassador of King Philip II of Spain. Beautifully decorated with heraldic motifs and plant motifs, the large hall on the first floor stands out above the others, a true masterpiece of the late Trentino Renaissance.
The ground floor houses the Trentino Provincial Wine Cellar, a facility created by the Chamber of Commerce to promote Trentino’s food and wine and open to the public for tastings from Thursday to Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Here, assisted by expert staff, you can choose from an extensive list of Trentino wines by the glass (around sixty different labels each week) to pair with local gastronomic specialties (cheeses, especially from mountain dairies, and cured meats). In summer, don’t miss a stop in the beautiful internal courtyard, where you can spend a pleasant evening enjoying the flavors of the region, perhaps after visiting one of the exhibitions hosted by the Palazzo on the main floor.
The fervent activity that has characterized the Trentino wine industry over the years has given rise to a particular convergence of interests and enthusiasm, which has led to the creation of a unique institution, an expression of the conviction with which the province’s community has followed economic progress in the field of viticulture.
This is the Confraternita della vite e del vino di Trento (Trento Vine and Wine Brotherhood), founded in 1958, which, showing constant interest in various issues relating to Trentino wine culture, has sought to spread and enhance the taste and education in the enjoyment of wines of exceptional quality, promoting themed events, exhibitions, and social initiatives. The Confraternity includes winegrowers, journalists, technicians, and professionals, all united by a genuine passion for Trentino wine culture and tradition.
The offices of Vini del Trentino will be closed
from December 24 to January 6.
We will be back in operation on January 7.