Local
Products
Apples
along with white and red wines, sparkling
wines and grappa are the best-known
and most characteristic products of Trentino, a mountainous province
whose attraction lies not only in its peaks but also in its aromas
and flavours. For many years now farming has concentrated on both
the quality and the healthiness of its produce, following self-regulatory
codes defined and set out by the farmers themselves and which
reject the indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
In addition to its fruit and wine, other typical products from
Trentino include about twenty different types of cheeses
plus sausages, smoked meats, soft fruits
(strawberries, raspberries, cherries, black currants and red currants,
etc.) and cultivated mushrooms, plums, chestnuts, vegetables,
trout, honey and oil.
Apples
All
fruit is highly nutritious but apples have special features and
are particularly recommended for our well-being and health.
Since they are grown on hillsides and in the mountains and because
of the intrinsic features of the soil, water and climate, apples
from Trentino are rich in nutritious ingredients.
Apples are grown in many areas in Trentino but the most famous
zone is the Valle di Non. The main varieties are Canadian Reinette,
a typically Trentino apple which represents one of the oldest
rustic varieties, Golden Delicious, now the most famous variety
in Europe, and Red Delicious, suitable for diabetics. Apples from
the mountains are crunchier, tastier and keep longer. They are
also subject to particularly strict quality controls, ensured
by specific self-regulatory codes approved by the local government.
The farmers undertake to follow the most natural means of production
through all the stages of apple-growing, in order to safeguard
the quality of the product and the health of the consumer and
the environment. Only those apples which have satisfied the quality
requirements checked on-site, during processing and at the sales-points
throughout Italy, may bear the brand-name "Mele del Trentino"
(apples from Trentino), which ensures the quality, origin and
wholesomeness of the apple.
Wines
In
Trentino almost all the varieties of wine are named after the
grape from which they are produced.. Currently more than 50% of
all white grapes grown in Trentino are Chardonnay. As well as
producing a white, dry wine, the Chardonnay Trentino Doc, the
grapes are used in the production of the Spumante Trento Classico
sparkling wine.
In the Valle dei Laghi Nosiola is also used to produce Vino Santo
Trentino Doc, a special dessert wine produced following old wine-making
techniques. Other dessert wines include Moscato giallo and Moscato
rosa Trentino Doc white and rosé muscatel wines, made from
the Muscat grape.
The most commonly grown red grape in Trentino is the Schiava,
which produces a special, light table wine and is often made into
a rosé. Among the red wines, a special mention must go
to Teroldego Rotaliano Doc, called the "prince" of Trentino
wines, and Marzemino Trentino Doc, two wines that symbolise wine-making
in Trentino and which are made from vines of the same name, both
native to the province. Teroldego grapes are cultivated on the
Rotaliana plain in the Valle dell'Adige to the north of Trento
and Marzemino is typical of the Vallagarina area. Merlot and Cabernet
are two varieties that were introduced into Trentino towards the
end of the last century.
When used singly, the grapes give their name to the wine, while
their "twinning" produces Trentino rosso Doc red wine,
a name which includes a wide range of blends of grape varieties.
Sparkling
wines
With
more than five million bottles sold in 1995 production of Trentino's
sparkling wines has almost tripled over the last decade. Trentino,
currently the foremost province in Italy for Champenois method
sparkling wine, is one of the areas that has enabled Italy to
compete on equal terms with other countries in the production
of spumante.
In Trentino wine-growing flourishes at between 300 and 800 metres
above sea level. Many vineyards lie on steep slopes where Chardonnay,
Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero grapes can slowly mature and develop
those qualities required for producing excellent spumante.
Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco form the basis of the
Trento Classic Method spumante.
The grape harvest is regulated by "harvest announcements"
which establish the time and means. The process of transforming
the grapes into spumante is carried out according to the strict
regulations of the Champenois Method. These stages are carefully
monitored by the Consortium's Technical Commission, whose job
it is to carry out periodic inspections at the member businesses.
Ferrari, Rotari and Firmato are the best-known brand-names for
Trento Classico spumante. Alongside these big names, other small
businesses also produce high quality spumante: Abate Nero, Cesarini
Sforza, Equipe 5, Concilio, Arcade, Aldeno, Le Brul, Terrazze
della Luna, Masetto, San Michele and Pisoni.
Grappa
In
Trentino the distillation of grappa is an old tradition, but one
that has kept up with the times by changing with consumer tastes.
Today it is characterised by its aromas and its lightness, which
give a different and truer picture of this distillate. In the
distilleries the principles of traditional distillation - an indirect
heat source, slow processing and the constant supervision and
intervention of man - have remained unaltered. At the same time
more modern production techniques have been introduced: the marc
is distilled fresh, when it is softer, rather than when it is
aged as once happened, thus obtaining a better quality grappa.
The
production of grappa in Trentino constitutes 2.5% of the quantity
produced in Italy and it is one of the leading provinces in terms
of quality, which is recognised both inside and outside Italy.
As a further guarantee of the quality of its grappa, Trentino
has applied for the right to use the letters "DOC" (Appellation
d'Origine Controlée); the DOC label ensures the origin
and quality of the distillate. The variations, which partly depend
on where the product comes from, have led to diversification within
Italy. But Trentino distillates do not just mean grappas; fruit
distillates are also produced and those made from grapes, apricots
and quinces stand out in particular.
Cheeses
Cheese
is divided into various categories according to its fat content,
its consistency and how long it is left to mature. In Trentino
Grana (parmesan), Asiago, Vezzena, Fontal and Taleggio are the
best known, along with "stringy" cheeses such as mozzarella.
Ricotta and mascarpone are also fairly widespread. Grana Trentino,
marketed as Trentingrana, belongs to the family of Grana Padano
parmesan cheeses and from the point of view of its quality, is
on a level with the famous Parmigiano Reggiano that is produced
in the dairies of Emilia Romagna. Another common cheese is Asiago,
originally from the area of the same name but which has been made
in the valleys of Trentino for many years. Ricotta, called "poina"
in the local dialect, has been made for centuries in Trentino.
In the alpine pasture huts where it was produced, it was often
smoked and seasoned and thus acquired a dark skin which hid a
greenish-white centre. In some valleys people used to make ricotta
biscuits by toasting the "poina" in the hearth.
Cold
meats and salami from Trentino
The
cold meats and salami produced in Trentino represent the best
of the tradition of delicious food products from Trentino. The
range of cold meats and salami from Trentino includes speck, carne
salada, garlic salami, cacciatore sausage and lard with herbs.
Today speck is produced in every valley in Trentino. The features
of a good piece of speck to take home for tasting are: it must
be seasoned, so that it is firm to the touch; the ratio of lean
meat to fat is about 2/3 lean meat and 1/3 fat, and it should
not be over-salted or over-smoked. Lastly, the colour should be
dark red to brown for the lean meat and bright white for the fat
with a hint of pink.
Carne salada has only recently been used for the preparation of
the delicious carpaccio dish (slices of meat in olive oil, with
thin slices of grana cheese) but it is already extremely popular
with Italians. It originated in Western Trentino, the first mention
dates back to the early 1700s, and "carpaccio di carne salada"
is now a common item on Italian menus thanks to its unmistakable
flavour, its tenderness and its very low fat content.
Garlic salami and cacciatore (seasoned sausage) come from the
Val Rendena which boasts a long tradition in the production and
seasoning of these sausages; only the best mature pork is used,
to which are added salt, pepper and, of course, the garlic which
gives the sausages their unmistakable flavour.
Recently rediscovered by Italians, lard has an unmistakable and
mouth-watering taste and is to be found on the menus of the best
restaurants and as part of everyday hors-d'oeuvres. Preservative-free,
rich in vitamins and flavoured with herbs, lard can be eaten with
good fresh bread or used in cooking to add flavour to the best
dishes.
Oil
Oil
is another product which has reached a high level of quality in
Trentino but weather conditions in this mountainous province mean
that olive trees can only be grown along the temperate shores
of Lake Garda. The great frost in the winter of 1985 caused enormous
damage to the olive groves and forced local farmers to carry out
a thorough survey into the best site for planting new olive trees
and for producing the true Trentino olive oil with its superior
features. Currently the production of olive oil ranges from 1,000
to 7,000 metric quintals, depending on the yearly harvest. A part
of the olives harvested are pressed with stone mill and the oil
obtained is leaf-green in colour with golden tints and has a very
distinct flavour and aroma. Trentino olive oil is sold in 70 cl
bottles only, is much sought after and very hard to find.
