Drink In Life

One day in Trento was all it took to change the way I looked at mountain wines. To understand the wines of Trento, you first have to understand that the grapes here are basically Olympic athletes. They don’t spend their days basking on gentle, rolling hillsides like grapes in many other wine regions. They’re clinging to the sides of the Italian Alps, getting a daily vertical workout.

To stand on the floor of the Adige Valley and look upward is to appreciate just how dramatic this landscape really is. Here, the vineyards don’t simply grow; they climb. Centuries-old stone terraces carve their way across the limestone slopes like giant green staircases, each one a reminder that growing grapes here has never been the easy option.

Down on the valley floor, the vineyards sit sheltered beneath towering cliffs that capture the day’s warmth. The scent of ripe fruit and warm earth fills the air, while the mountains never let you forget they’re there, rising above the vines in every direction.

The real perspective came when we followed the winding roads up to Pressano. From these higher vineyards, the valley unfolds below like a patchwork quilt stitched together with vineyards and villages, while the Adige River winds through the middle like a silver ribbon. The air is noticeably cooler, the sunlight brighter, and the contrast between the warm valley below and the alpine peaks above suddenly makes perfect sense. It’s here that you begin to understand why these wines taste the way they do.

What makes this landscape even more remarkable is the way the vines are grown. Throughout the valley and the surrounding hillsides, you’ll find the traditional Pergola Trentina training system. Instead of neat rows of low vines, they’re trained overhead on wooden frames that create long, leafy canopies. Walking beneath them, with bunches of grapes hanging just overhead and sunlight filtering through the leaves, feels less like walking through a vineyard and more like wandering beneath a living green ceiling.

Here’s the quick, textbook-free breakdown of what makes this region so special.

A Quick History: Thanks, Romans (and a Guy Named Giulio)

People have been growing grapes in this valley since the Bronze Age, and the ancient Romans were huge fans of the local juice. For centuries, though, the region was mostly known for making light, easy-drinking wines for thirsty mountain travelers making their way through the Alpine passes.

Everything changed in 1902 thanks to a local trailblazer named Giulio Ferrari. He looked at the jagged limestone cliffs surrounding Trento and realized the cool mountain climate was remarkably similar to Champagne. Convinced the region could produce exceptional sparkling wine, he brought Chardonnay vines across the border and proved they could thrive here. That decision laid the foundation for Trento’s modern sparkling wine identity.

Today, those wines carry the prestigious Trentodoc designation, proving that some of Italy’s finest sparkling wines come not from rolling hills, but from vineyards that seem determined to defy gravity.

The Terroir: Nature’s Air Conditioner

Wine people love to throw around the word terroir, but in Trento it really comes down to geography.

The vineyards sit in a deep glacial valley surrounded by towering rock faces. During the summer, the valley soaks up the Italian sun, helping the grapes ripen. Then, almost like someone flips a switch, cold alpine air rushes down from the surrounding peaks, slamming the brakes on that ripening process.

From My Notebook

One of the invisible influences on Trentino’s vineyards is something called the Ora del Garda.

Almost every afternoon, warm air from nearby Lake Garda flows north through the valley while cooler alpine air descends from the mountains. This daily breeze helps dry the vineyards after the morning dew, reducing disease pressure and helping preserve the bright acidity that gives Trentino wines so much freshness.

It’s one of those things you can’t see, but once you know it’s there, you begin to understand why the wines taste the way they do

That dramatic swing between warm days and cool nights acts like nature’s air conditioner. It allows the grapes to develop rich flavors while holding onto the bright, mouthwatering acidity that gives Trentino’s wines their freshness and energy. Whether it’s a crisp white, an elegant red, or a glass of Trentodoc sparkling wine, you can taste the mountains in every sip.

The Grapes to Know (Beyond the Usual Suspects)

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir may have put Trento’s sparkling wines on the world stage, but some of the region’s most interesting bottles come from grapes that have quietly called these mountains home for centuries.

Nosiola is Trentino’s only native white grape. Its name is believed to come from the Italian word nocciola, meaning hazelnut, thanks to the subtle nutty character that often appears on the finish. Crisp, refreshing, and unmistakably local, it’s a wonderful introduction to the region.

Teroldego Rotaliano, often called the “Prince of Trentino,” couldn’t be more different. This deeply colored red grape thrives on the gravelly plains north of Trento, producing wines full of dark berry fruit, gentle spice, and surprisingly soft tannin’s. It’s rich without feeling heavy, making it just as comfortable on a summer table as a winter one.

Then there’s Marzemino, a historic red that earned an unexpected place in history when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gave it a mention in Don Giovanni. Any wine that finds its way into an opera is worth getting to know.

Fortunately, you don’t need weeks to discover what makes these wines so distinctive.

History, Bubbles, and One Very Unexpected First Impression

Just a few minutes north of Trento, the small town of Lavis is home to two wineries that couldn’t be more different. We began our morning at Cantine Monfort, a family winery that has been producing wines here since 1945.

Before I tell you about the wines, I should probably tell you about our arrival.

Pulling into the parking lot, I had one of those moments every traveler has experienced. I looked at the building, looked back at the GPS, and wondered if we’d somehow arrived at the wrong address. From the street, Cantine Monfort looks more like a working warehouse than a winery. It certainly wasn’t the romantic stone farmhouse surrounded by vineyards I had imagined. Fortunately, we trusted the GPS.

Stepping inside, the industrial exterior gave way to a warm, welcoming tasting room and historic cellars, a reminder that first impressions rarely tell the whole story. That idea, as it turned out, described the wines just as well.

Founded by the Simoni family in 1945 and now guided by the fourth generation, Cantine Monfort has spent decades showcasing what makes Trentino unique. Their vineyards stretch across the Adige Valley, the Cembra Valley, and the surrounding hillsides, where steep slopes, varied soils, and dramatic shifts between warm days and cool alpine nights shape every bottle they produce.

As our tasting began, one thing I quickly learned about Cantine Monfort is that sparkling wine isn’t simply one part of what they do; it’s woven into the winery’s identity. In 1985, Lorenzo Simoni recognized the remarkable potential of Trentino’s cool mountain climate and set out to master the traditional method. That same year, Monfort released its first sparkling wine, a decision that helped establish the winery as one of the region’s respected producers of Trentodoc.

Beyond their classic Trentodoc wines, Monfort continues to explore Trentino’s mountain vineyards through the De Sers project. High on steep terraces between 550 and 700 meters above sea level, the Simoni family has revived nearly forgotten native grape varieties, transforming them into sparkling wines that are as distinctive as the landscape where they’re grown.

The Blanc de Sers Brut Nature, made from Valderbara, Vernaza, and Nosiola, was wonderfully fresh and mineral-driven, with notes of green apple, wildflowers, and a crisp finish that reflected its high-altitude origins. The Rosé de Sers Extra Brut was equally memorable. Made entirely from the rare Pavana grape, it offered delicate berry fruit, wild rose aromas, and an elegance that proved just how much character these nearly forgotten varieties still have to offer.

While Monfort is best known for its Trentodoc sparkling wines, the tasting quickly reminded me that there is far more to discover here than bubbles alone.

The tasting also introduced us to several of Trentino’s still wines, each offering its own perspective on the region. The Teroldego Rotaliano showed exactly why it’s often called the Prince of Trentino, with generous blackberry fruit, gentle spice, and remarkably soft tannin’s that made it feel rich without becoming heavy. The Corylus Nosiola, Trentino’s only native white grape, was fresh and beautifully crisp, with delicate citrus notes and the subtle hazelnut character that inspired its name. We also tasted the Maso Cantanghel Pinot Nero, an elegant expression of mountain Pinot Noir with bright red fruit, lively acidity, and a freshness that reflected the cool alpine vineyards where it was grown.

As each glass was poured, it became easier to connect what we’d seen that morning with what we were tasting. The altitude, the cool nights, the steep vineyards, and the dramatic landscape weren’t simply beautiful scenery. They were present in every wine.

Cantine Monfort wasn’t trying to impress us with elaborate architecture or polished tourism experiences. Instead, it quietly demonstrated something even more memorable: that generations of careful farming, respect for the land, and a deep understanding of Trentino’s mountain vineyards can speak for themselves. I was so impressed that before we left, we arranged to have a case shipped home, and somehow a bottle of their sparkling wine found its way into my backpack to enjoy during the rest of our trip.

Sky-High Views and Native Grapes at Maso Poli

After spending the morning exploring the valley floor, it was time to climb. The drive to Maso Poli takes only a few minutes, but the scenery changes quickly as the road winds into the hills above Lavis. With every turn, the vineyards stretch a little farther across the slopes, the mountains rise a little higher, and the Adige Valley slowly unfolds below.

We arrived a few minutes before our appointment, which gave me exactly enough time to do what I almost always do when beautiful scenery gets in the way of my schedule: wander off with my camera.

The vineyards surrounding the estate were impossible to resist. Cyclists glided quietly along the country roads, a tractor worked its way between the vines, and every turn seemed to reveal another view across the valley that was somehow even better than the last.

From My Notebook

One of the details that fascinated me throughout Trentino was the Pergola Trentina training system. Instead of growing on low trellises, the vines are trained overhead on wooden frames that create long, leafy canopies.

It isn’t just beautiful. The canopy helps protect the grape clusters from the intense summer sun, offers some shelter from mountain hail, and allows air to circulate through the vines. It’s a centuries-old solution that still makes perfect sense on these steep alpine slopes.

Standing among the pergola-trained vines and looking across the patchwork of vineyards, orchards, villages, and the winding Adige River below, I finally understood something that had been difficult to appreciate from the valley floor. This landscape wasn’t simply the backdrop to Trentino’s wines—it was one of their defining ingredients.

Reluctantly, I put the camera away and headed inside to meet our hosts. The vineyards had captured my attention, but now it was time to discover the wines they produced.

Owned by the Togn family, Maso Poli is a wonderful example of a traditional maso, the independent family farmsteads that have shaped Trentino’s agricultural heritage for generations.

The estate covers fifteen hectares, ten of them planted to vineyards that cling to the slopes above Pressano. From here, the views extend across the Piana Rotaliana and the Adige Valley, and it becomes easy to understand why this has been considered such a special place to grow grapes for centuries. The vineyards enjoy long hours of sunshine while remaining protected by the surrounding mountains.

Before our tasting, we were taken through the cellar, where modern gravity-fed wine making quietly continues the work that begins in those steep vineyards. The contrast between the contemporary cellar below and the centuries-old farmhouse above reflected the same balance we had been seeing throughout Trentino: tradition and innovation existing comfortably side by side.

Back upstairs, the tasting room seemed almost secondary to the view beyond its windows. Even the estate’s large wooden sculpture, Earth and Sky, felt perfectly placed, reminding visitors of the close relationship between these mountains, the vineyards, and the people who have farmed them for generations.

Wines That Captured the Hillside

The Pinot Grigio was another pleasant surprise. Forget the light, forgettable versions that often fill supermarket shelves. This

Rich and creamy on the palate, it never lost the bright alpine freshness that had become the signature of every wine we tasted in Trentino.

Of course, I couldn’t leave without another glass of Nosiola. Having spent the morning learning about Trentino’s only native white grape, it was rewarding to taste another interpretation of it. Dry, mineral-driven, and finishing with that unmistakable hint of hazelnut, it continued to prove why this little-known variety deserves far more attention than it receives.

We finished with Marmoram, a deeply colored red blend that offered an entirely different expression of the valley. Layers of blackberry, forest fruit, and gentle spice made for a fitting finale, showing that Trentino’s mountain landscapes are capable of producing far more than exceptional sparkling wines.

The Big Realization: Why This Day Matters

By the end of the afternoon, I realized these two wineries had given me far more than an introduction to Trentino wines. Together, they had given me a deeper understanding of the region itself.

At Cantine Monfort, I discovered the traditions that have shaped Trentino’s wine making for generations. At Maso Poli, I stood among the vineyards overlooking the Adige Valley and saw how altitude, climate, and landscape continue to shape the wines being made today. Each winery told a different part of the story, and together they painted a remarkably complete picture.

Before visiting Trentino, I had tasted many of these wines while studying for my wine certifications. I knew the grape varieties, understood the appellations, and could explain why the region was respected by wine professionals. But standing in the vineyards where those wines begin, feeling the cool mountain air, and looking across the steep slopes where the grapes struggle to grow added a completely different dimension to what I thought I already knew.

Travel has a way of turning knowledge into understanding. That’s one of the things I love most about exploring wine regions. A wine can teach you a great deal from a textbook or a tasting room thousands of miles from where it was produced. But tasting it where it was grown, surrounded by the people and landscapes that shaped it, brings everything you’ve learned to life.

If you’re looking for a single day that captures the character of Trentino’s wines, I can’t imagine a better introduction than these two neighboring wineries in Lavis. One honors the traditions that built the region. The other looks confidently toward its future. Together, they tell a story that’s every bit as memorable as the wines themselves.

If Trentino wasn’t already on your travel list, I hope it is now. It certainly earned a permanent place on mine. Between the mountain vineyards, welcoming wineries, and wines that so beautifully reflect their surroundings, it became one of the highlights of our journey through northern Italy.

Thank you for reading. In the next article, we’ll continue north as the vineyards give way to soaring peaks on one of Italy’s most scenic drives through the Dolomites.

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About Elaine

Elaine is an international award-winning travel writer, wine writer, photographer, and WSET Level 3 wine professional who believes every destination has a story worth telling. Through Drink In Life, she explores wine, travel, gardens, books, food, and the quiet moments that make a life well lived.

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All text and images © 2017–2026 Elaine Luxton and Drink In Life LLC. Photography by Elaine Luxton / Drink In Nature Photography. International French 75 Day™ and French 75 Day™ are trademarks of Elaine Luxton. All rights reserved.