Trentino: Two wineries, one vision of identity

There is one specific thing that two Trentino wineries—which seem quite different in terms of history, size, and style—have in common: the belief that a wine’s identity is not forged in the winery, but listen to it out in the open—in the vineyards, among the rocks, and in the hands of those who have been working the land for generations. The press tour in early June in Trentino illustrated this idea through two very different, yet complementary, experiences.

Cantina La-Vis: The return of the Ritratti line

The first stop was Lavis, in the heart of the Rotaliana Plain, where Cantina La-Vis presented the relaunch of its Ritratti line. Launched in 1988 as part of a pioneering land-zoning project—one of the first in Trentino to focus on reducing yields and meticulously selecting grapes—the line returns today with six new labels, a new artistic project, and, above all, a renewed agronomic vision.

Labels: From Giovanni Segantini to Margherita Paoletti

The original labels featured images by Giovanni Segantini. The new ones are designed by Margherita Paoletti, contemporary artist selected in collaboration with ADAC—the Trentino Archive of Contemporary Artists—thanks to the work of Gabriele Lorenzoni, curator of the Mart in Rovereto and director of the Civic Gallery of Trento. Six original paintings depicting female figures set in natural settings, which visually convey the the connection between humans and the land. The winery acquired the works, thereby making a tangible contribution to the promotion of the local artistic heritage.

But the project isn’t just about aesthetics. The Technical Director and Winemaker Ezio Dallagiacoma was clear: “This isn’t just a cosmetic change, but an evolution that renews that spirit to tackle today’s challenges.” The wines in the line—Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lagrein, and Pinot Nero —come from the most promising plots of the Avisian Hills, with updated vineyard protocols, in part in response to climate change. Distribution is intended exclusively for the Horeca channel, featuring a Bordeaux-style bottle that deliberately evokes those of the 1980s: a gesture of stylistic consistency, not nostalgia.

A new way to talk about wine

There is, however, one detail that deserves to be mentioned separately, because it reveals something specific about how La-Vis is rethinking its relationship with the public. The technical sheets for the Ritratti wines will feature an unusual question: “If it were a person, what would it be like?” Answer isn’t based on scores or textbook vocabulary, but on character descriptors — adjectives, images, glimpses of character — that evoke wine without explaining it. An interesting attempt to reach those who don’t yet have a wine vocabulary but are already curious about it. In an industry that often speaks to those who already know, this is a choice that goes in the opposite direction.

Let’s move on to the tastings from the Ritratti line:

Trentino Sauvignon Ritratti 2024

Score: 94/100
Company online store price: €17.60

100% Sauvignon. 65% aged in stainless steel and 35% in barriques. Straw-yellow in color. On the nose, notes of passion fruit, tomato leaf, sage, and flint. On the palate, it is fresh, savory, and has good length.

Trentino Chardonnay Ritratti 2024

Score: 95/100
Company online store price: €17.60

100% Chardonnay. Barrique. Pale gold. On the nose, notes of cedar, lime, papaya, aromatic herbs, helichrysum, almond paste, and a hint of smokiness. On the palate, it is fresh, savory, and full-bodied. Excellent length and an elegant finish.

Trentino Gewürztraminer Ritratti 2024

Score: 91/100
Company online store price: €19.80

100% Gewürztraminer. Aged in stainless steel with a brief stint in a large oak barrel. Intense golden color. Aromas of yellow rose, medlar, papaya, sage, and acacia honey stand out. On the palate, it is warm, intense, full-bodied, and has good length.

Trentino Pinot Nero Ritratti 2023

Score: 93/100
Company online store price: €19.80

100% Pinot Noir. Barrique. Intense ruby red. On the nose, aromas of red fruits, lavender, cut grass, and a slight hint of umami. On the palate, it is light, fresh, and elegant. Good length.

Trentino Lagrein Ritratti 2023

Score: 91/100
Company online store price: €17.60

100% Lagrein. Aged in large barrels and barriques. Purple-red. On the nose, notes of blackberry, cherry, lemon balm, and mineral hints. On the palate, it is fresh, pleasantly tannic, and easy to drink.

Trentino Cabernet Sauvignon Ritratti 2023

Score: 94/100
Company online store price: €17.60

100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in barriques for 18 months. Intense ruby red. The nose offers aromas of black cherry, licorice, green pepper, cardamom, and violet. On the palate, it is full-bodied, fresh, and lively, with excellent length.

Cembra Cantina di Montagna, the new TrentoDoc made from Pinot Nero

On the second day, we went to Val di Cembra, one of the most fascinating and challenging wine-growing regions in Trentino. Here Cembra Cantina di Montagna — a winery that symbolizes heroic high-altitude viticulture — has unveiled its new TrentoDoc Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Riserva Oro Rosso, first vintage 2019, made from 100% Pinot Nero grapes.

The name immediately brings to mind porphyry: Oro Rosso is a tribute to this igneous rock of volcanic origin, with its characteristic reddish hues, which have shaped this valley for millennia. This is not a poetic choice for its own sake: Porphyry is the terroir, and it is so in a tangible, everyday way.

Dry-stone walls: a living heritage

The 750 kilometers of dry stone walls that crisscross the slopes of the Val di Cembra are not merely a scenic detail: they are an agricultural infrastructure built and maintained over time, stone by stone, that controls erosion, retains moisture, and allows for cultivation on slopes that would otherwise be impractical.

Cembra has made the preserving this heritage an integral part of their identity: maintaining the low walls is an ongoing commitment that involves the contracted growers and is actively supported by the winery, which recognizes that without them there would be neither vineyards nor wine. It is quiet work, invisible in the glass but crucial to everything that ends up inside it.

And it is precisely from these porphyritic soils that the distinct flavor that characterizes every wine from the valley.

In the glass

The Oro Rosso Blanc de Noirs comes from vineyards at altitudes between 500 and 700 meters, with strictly manual harvesting. Wide range of altitudes allows us to select the best expressions of each vintage every year.

The harvest takes place in late August, and the cuvée consists of 85% from 2019 and 15% from older vintages, followed by a dosage of 4.5 g/L after disgorgement.

In this first vintage, 3,500 bottles were produced, with production expected to reach 10,000 bottles once operations are fully up and running. The winemaker Stefano Rossi sums it up well: “Pinot Noir, grown at these altitudes, manages to retain its freshness, precision, and elegance.”

This new addition strengthens the Oro Rosso line, joining the TrentoDoc Dosaggio Zero made from Chardonnay, which is already part of the lineup.

TrentoDoc Blanc de Noirs Riserva Extra Brut Oro Rosso 2019

Score: 94/100
Company online store price: €32

100% Pinot Nero. Classic method, 48 months. Coppery gold. On the nose: blackcurrant, wild strawberries, herbaceous notes, shortcrust pastry, wet slate, and walnut. On the palate, it is full-bodied, creamy, lively, fresh, and has good length.

Two Stories, One Region

What remains after this tour of Trentino is the feeling that the most interesting work being done in this region today is precisely this: not chasing trends, but delving into the unique character of each place.

La-Vis does this by showcasing historic vineyards with new agronomic techniques, a contemporary visual language, and a desire to connect even with those who know little about wine. Cembra does this by bringing into the glass the very rock that nourishes the vineyards, and by keeping – literally – the walls that make all of this possible standing.

In both cases, the wine comes later. Listening comes first.