Giuseppe Pedrotti of the Gino Pedrotti winery on the Cavendine lake in the Trentino region tells to #vinoumano the story of their Vino Santo and the grape Nosiola, a locally grown variety of white grapes that thrives in the lake area of Valle dei Laghi.
The long process to make the Vino Santo of the Trentino region starts with harvesting the Nosiola grape, which is then taken to a drying room and lies on the grids until the Holy week – and that is the where the wine got its name. The grapes dry and lose a third of their weight due to the botrytis cinerea, a noble rot developing on the grapes and leading to water dispersion and increasing sugar concentration.
The specific temperature, the presence of several small water basins and the ventilation by Ora del Garda – an afternoon wind blowing from the lake to the inland – create a temperate microclimate in the Valle del Laghi region that greatly contributes to the noble rot’s activity.
Dried grapes are then pressed, obtaining a little must, which is left to slowly ferment; fermentation is stopped before all sugar is transformed in alcohol. A long aging period follows. According to this wine’s specifications, the aging period should last at least four years, but many wine producers wait for seven, eight, even ten years. At that point, the wine is bottled. If well stored, the Vino Santo can enjoy endless refinement and reveal itself as a gratifying experience even after decades.
The Gino Pedrotti winery is a certified organic producer that carries out biodynamic treatments and operates respecting and protecting the harmony of the environment.
