Gruppo Mezzacorona - Commitment to quality and sustainability in Italy

Mezzacorona.pinot_lifestyle_feat.jpg — (Image credit: Credit Unknown)

published 5 August 2022

In 1904, a group of 11 families came together in the village of Mezzocorona, at the centre of the Piana Rotaliana, to found one of Trentino’s first modern cooperative wineries. From that humble beginning, Mezzacorona grew to become one of the region’s key stakeholders with a total of 2,800 ha under vine, 1,600 members and an annual production of 48 million bottles.

Piana Rotaliana, an outstanding terroir

The Piana Rotaliana is an area of alluvial plain, covering around 450 ha on the right of the River Adige in the north of Trentino. Below a layer of fertile, silty topsoil, the Piana sits on pebble and gravel beds, over 30 metres deep in places, deposited by the River Noce at the end of its course from the high Dolomites to its confluence with the Adige. Protected on three sides by mountains, the area enjoys a privileged mesoclimate characterised by wide diurnal temperature range, well-distributed rainfall and the continual circulation of air from the surrounding valleys. Albeit an alluvial plain, the growing conditions of this singular terroir are remarkably similar to those of a premium hillside site.

The vines of the Piana Rotaliana, which charmed Goethe on his travels in Italy and were once described by Cesari Battisti as ‘Europe’s most beautiful vineyard garden’, are all trained on traditional Trentino pergole. This training system in high overhead arches has been used in northern Italy for centuries, but in the face of today’s accelerating climate change it is as contemporary as ever. It maintains better sugar-acid balance than densely planted, low trained systems and, in the ever more frequent hot vintages, the position of the canopy protects the grapes from scorching. Small plots (an average 1.5ha per grower) allow for precision, hands-on vineyard management, coordinated at every stage by Mezzacorona’s team of agronomists. Everything on the Piana is done manually, guaranteeing premium fruit quality and high sustainability standards. Pest control and disease management follow strict protocols which drastically reduce the use of chemical products in the vineyard. In the ultra-modern cellars, the key to managing the growing conditions of this singular terroir are remarkably similar to those of a premium hillside site.

The vines of the Piana Rotaliana, which charmed Goethe on his travels in Italy and were once described by Cesari Battisti as ‘Europe’s most beautiful vineyard garden’, are all trained on traditional Trentino pergole. This training system in high overhead arches has been used in northern Italy for centuries, but in the face of today’s accelerating climate change it is as contemporary as ever. It maintains better sugar-acid balance than densely planted, low trained systems and, in the ever more frequent hot vintages, the position of the canopy protects the grapes from scorching. Small plots (an average 1.5ha per grower) allow for precision, hands-on vineyard management, coordinated at every stage by Mezzacorona’s team of agronomists. Everything on the Piana is done manually, guaranteeing premium fruit quality and high sustainability standards. Pest control and disease management follow strict protocols which drastically reduce the use of chemical products in the vineyard. In the ultra-modern cellars, the key to managing the quality of the significant volumes vinified by Mezzacorona is attention to detail and micro-monitoring at every level from grape selection to bottling, with the aim of preserving the quality and character of the grapes in the final products.

Building a trademark style

Mezzacorona wines punch above their weight across price points, with an extensive range which includes outstanding Trento DOC Metodo Classico and a full selection of Trentino DOC monovarietals, including Teroldego, the iconic native red of the Piana Rotaliana. Around 80% of the production is white with a third of that comprised of Mezzacorona’s flagship Pinot Grigios. The variety was first introduced into the region under Austro-Hungarian rule (1815-1918) and has found an ideal habitat here, becoming Trentino’s most widely planted white grape and one of the varieties which best transmits the unique character of the region’s pre-Alpine terroirs.

That crisp, dry intensity, trademark of the Trentino style, emerges to the full in the first release of Mezzacorona’s new Trentino DOC Pinot Grigio Domenica 2021. Enticing herbal aromas prelude a palate which derives its breadth and tangy finish to long ageing on the lees, and make it an ideal partner to grilled fish dishes.

Demonstrating the versatility of the variety is another new release, the Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Pinot Grigio Castel Firmian Fildirose 2021, a delicately tinted rosé with great freshness on the nose and a satisfyingly dry, moreish palate with the signature tangy finish of the house style. Lightly chilled, it will pair perfectly with a chicken salad, or breaking with convention, with a bowl of fresh strawberries.

From the same premium Castel Firmian label comes the Trentino DOC Pinot Grigio Castel Firmian 2021, a special selection made from older, lower-yielding vines. Aged in stainless steel vats to highlight the subtle varietal aromas, it opens with typical Pinot Grigio pear and floral notes and follows through on the palate with vibrancy and a long juicy finish. An epicurean wine that will pair perfectly with Asian fusion dishes.

Also from Mezzacorona:

The Trentino DOC Pinot Grigio Castel Firmian Riserva 2020 is Mezzacorona’s top of the range Pinot. Made from selected, late-picked fruit and aged in part in wood it is a wine of character and complexity.

For more relaxed occasions, the Vigneti delle Dolomiti Pinot Grigio Forte Alto 2021 is a great value, everyday white with the zingy freshness that drinks equally well with food or as a summery aperitif.