Where tradition meets innovation in the Italian Alps, innovative and forward-thinking Trentino cooperative Mezzacorona marks its 120th milestone this year. With over a century of history and experience on its shoulders, the winery’s founding values and unique approach to sustainably building a winemaking community still resonate to this day, as exciting future projects come to fruition.
In partnership with ANGELINI WINES & ESTATES
Founded in 1904, Mezzacorona is situated in the Piana Rotaliana in Northern Italy, a 450ha area of alluvial plane which charmed Goethe with its alpine beauty on his travels – a terroir boasting unique growing conditions comparable to a premium hillside site. The first modern cooperative winery of its kind in Trentino, the cooperative started from small beginnings with around a dozen vintners in the village of Mezzocorona. Today, it boasts more than 1500 members, who cultivate approximately 2800 hectares of vineyards in Trentino. Its impressive growth has led to the ownership of several well established and successful wine brands, including Sicilian wineries Feudo Arancio and Stemmari.
Mezzacorona
- Celebrating 120 years
Historical steps
In 1993, Mezzacorona launched the Cittadella del Vino project, a major undertaking which involved repurposing an ex-industrial redevelopment in the Piana Rotaliana. The project was completed in 2010 and over the years has seen a state of the art winery come to fruition, as well as ultra-modern bottling, storage and shipping facilities.
Designed to remain in tune with its surroundings and natural environment, the Cittadella del Vino was built in harmony with the local Trentino architecture. Developed by architect and urban planner Alberto Cecchetto, the Cittadella boasts an eye-catching wave shaped roof, conceived to harmoniously mirror the pattern of the pergola-trained vineyards.
The Cittadella serves as a meeting point for the local community, and hosts local events, concert performances and guided historical visits which recount the culture and tradition of wine in the Piana Rotaliana.
In this milestone year for historic Trentino cooperative Mezzacorona, sustainability, innovation and celebration of local varieties continues to be an important focus, as the winery Group builds on its strong foundation of 120 years of history.
La Cittadella del Vino
Developments in winemaking and vineyard techniques over the last 120 years have seen the vineyards of the Piana Rotaliana grow to showcase a plethora of different varieties and styles. From indigenous Trentino-Alto Adige grapes to international varieties, these are wines that speak of the unique terroirs of Trentino. Vines are trained on traditional Trentino pergolas, a system of high overhead arches, with small plots averaging 1.5ha, all worked by hand.
Key red grapes include Teroldego Rotaliano, Marzemino, Pinot Nero, Lagrein and Merlot. For whites, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Moscato Giallo and Sauvignon Blanc take centre stage. Mezzacorona produces elegant, varietally led wines from sparkling traditional method Trento DOC to monovarietal Trentino DOC still wines.
A landmark moment for the winery was in 1971, when Teroldego Rotaliano was awarded DOC recognition. The first bottle of Teroldego Rotaliano DOC, one of the first in Trentino, was launched by Mezzacorona later that same year.
Innovation and indigenous grape varieties
To highlight but a few key wines, the Castel Firmian Riserva Pinot Grigio offers up a clean, approachable style. Crafted from a mosaic of different vineyard plots, the Pinot Grigio Musivum Trentino DOC Superiore, is considered the winery’s ‘cru blend’. Rich and rounded on the palate, it concludes on a long and saline finish.
Hallmark reds include the Dinotte Red Blend, crafted from Teroldego, Marzemino and Merlot, resulting in a soft, rounded full-bodied wine. Mezzacorona’s premium collection Teroldego Rotaliano Riserva Trentino DOC, meanwhile, is only produced in the best vintages and sees 24 months ageing, 12 of which in oak.
The unique wines of Trentino
Mezzacorona’s approach has been shaped by its future-looking commitment to sustainability and quality production, as well as its positive involvement with the local community and investment in innovation. Sustainability is understood in its most intrinsic sense – namely the importance of supporting and nurturing both cooperative members and the region’s natural environment, using sustainable production methods and considered consumption.
The Mezzacorona Group produces a biennial sustainability report which accounts for all processes from vineyard to bottling. There is a focus on continuous structural investments, for example water purification technology and adopting non-chemical solutions when tackling pests in the vineyard.
Values and sustainability
In partnership with mezzacorona
Musivum Pinot Grigio
Mezzacorona Dinotte
Mezzacorona
Teroldego Rotaliano
The Cittadella serves as a meeting point for the local community, and hosts local events, concert performances and
guided historical visits which recount
the culture and tradition of wine in the Piana Rotaliana.
In this milestone year for historic Trentino cooperative Mezzacorona, sustainability, innovation and celebration of local varieties continues to be an important focus, as the winery Group builds on its strong foundation of 120 years of history.