Trento is an Italian wine Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) region producing white and rosé sparkling wine made in Trentino. The sparkling wines of Trento are produced using the same production method as Champagne, and the Champagne grape varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier with Pinot Blanc also being a permitted variety.[1]
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Chardonnay grapes were first brought to the region from France around 1900 by Giulio Ferrari when Trento was still part of the Habsburg Empire. After graduating from the Forschungsanstalt für Garten- und Weinbau in Geisenheim/Rheingau, Germany, Ferrari gained winemaking experince in the French Champagne producing village of Épernay.
There are currently more than twenty vineyards producing Trento DOC, including Cavit, the largest cooperative in the province with some 65% of production and whose Pinot Grigio is widely exported but produced under a different DOC designation in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol wine region.
According to DOC regulations, irrigation is allowed only as an emergency measure. Harvest yields are restricted to a maximum of 12 tonnes/hectare.[1]
As with Méthode Champenoise, the second fermentation for sparkling Trento must occur in the bottle, which is riddled in the same way as champagne and then disgorged by freezing a small amount of wine in the neck of the bottle and removing the plug of ice containing the lees.
While there are no DOC restrictions on the exact proportions of the blend, the grape varieties used in Trento DOC are limited to Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot blanc. After secondary fermentation, the wines must rest on their lees for a minimum of 15 months for non-vintage wines, 24 months for vintage wines and 36 months for wines labeled as Riserva. The alcohol level for the finished wines must be a minimum of 11.5% for non-vintage and vintage wines and 12% for Riserva wines.[1]