From the heights of the snowcapped Dolomites to the verdant Valle del Cibo, I recently had the delicious pleasure of visiting a number of the finest food and drink producers in northern Italy, taking in lots of pretty countryside along the way and getting to known some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.
After an all too short sojourn in Friuli (God, I hope I make it back there before too long), I hit the autostrada heading west to the region of Trentino for an overnight stay to see what sort of wonders the scenic city of Trento had to offer. With a newly opened museum designed by a star architect; a distinctive sparkling wine with a rich tradition behind it; and an exquisite regional gastronomy that’s big on flavour, locally sourced ingredients and seasonality – the answer I soon discovered was A LOT!
MuSe
Designed by Renzo Piano (yep, the same dude who did The Shard), the open-planned MuSe Science Museum transforms the long disused site of an old tire factory into what’s shaping up to be an attractive new neighborhood for Trento. The museum itself – which takes visitors on an interactive multi-storey journey “from the glacier to the forest” always with the actual Alps within view from gigantic windows – is a great hands-on place to play and learn. Only open since the summer, it’s well worth checking out, especially (but by no means necessarily) if you’ve got kids.
Find out loads more at muse.it.
Trentodoc
Trentodoc is the local bubbly. It’s made in the methodo classico style which means it’s produced the same way as Champagne. I got to sample an enviable amount of Trentodoc while in Trento, both at the facilities of one of Trentino’s biggest wine producers and at a specially arranged tasting during the start of a festival celebrating this sparkling wine.
Keen to enjoy a good value sparkling wine that’s a little different than the usual fizz and pairs well with a range of dishes? Keep an eye out for Trentodoc. And try to go for a bottle with reserva on the label if you want to sip the really fine stuff.
For a better taste of Trentodoc go to trentodoc.com.
Cantine Ferrari
Probably the best known Trentodoc label is Ferrari (no relation to the car manufacturer). Named after Giulio Ferrari, the man who brought champenoise practice to Trentino, the label produces a range of sparkling wines for pretty much any budget and for most tastes – from a brut priced around £25 to vintage Giulio Ferrari Collezione going for nearly ten times that. Personally, I found Ferrari’s Perlé Nero Pinot Noir vintage Blanc de Noirs wine to be a unique and unusual treat.
Visit Cantine Ferrari online at cantineferrari.it.
Palazzo Roccabruna
Lucky me. Not only was I able to score a wander round the Ferrari cellars, but I also happened to have arrived in Trento just in time for the launch of the city’s annual Bollicine su Trento (“Bubbles in Trento”) wine festival.
If you consider yourself to be even remotely into food and wine be sure to look into a visit to Palazzo Roccabruna when in Trento. Basically, the place is run by the city’s chamber of commerce and is “devoted to the development and promotion of local culture, traditions and products”. I was amazed by its kitchen, the range of events taking place there and its collection of more than 600 Trentino wines.
It was here, I had the pleasure of sampling a range of Trentodocs. A few quaffs that grabbed my attention include Methius (probably my fave), Mach and Bellaveder.
For more about what’s on at the Palazzo along with info about the currently running Bollicine su Trento festival go to palazzoroccabruna.it.
Eat
Like so many Italian cities, Trento is a great foodie destination with strong appreciation for fresh and seasonal ingredients that have been sourced locally. To only have a population of 100,000, it has a rather dynamic dining scene. Here’s a look at three Trento restaurants worth keeping in mind.
Al Vo’: Family run tavern with a history dating back to 1345, Al Vo’ served up one of the best meals of my trip and presented a delicious introduction to the region’s Alpine delights: rye dumplings, truffled up polenta with cream, trout with radicchio and chestnuts … ristorantealvo.it
Antica Birreria Pedavena: I enjoyed the people watching as much as my meal at this budget-friendly pizzeria and microbrewery with a fun and fairly kitsch atmosphere and a strong local yocal vibe. My Pedavena pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, peperoni, mushrooms, wurstel and speck) was hardly the best pizza I’ve had in Italy, but it was good nonetheless and nicely priced (€7.80). The beer – a crisp Lager Chiara – totally hit the spot. birreriapedavena.com
Locanda Margon: I didn’t actually eat at this Michelin starred restaurant outside of town and owned by the same family behind Ferrari wines. However, I had the pleasure of sampling a few items from the menu while at Cantine Ferrari … and couldn’t get enough of them. Olive muffins? Steak tartare sliders? Oh yeah. Chef Alfio Ghezzi uses the best local produce to create a modern and inventive menu at this gourmet mountain retreat. locandamargon.it
Stay
I spent a comfortable night at the centrally located three star Hotel America. Folks working there were friendly and helpful. WiFi was free. The snowy mountain views from my room were gorgeous. And everywhere in town that I wanted to check out was just an easy stroll away including the train station and the grandiose Castello del Buonconsiglio. I’d stay there again. Recommend!
Find out more at hotelamerica.it.
For more about Trento and the region of Trentino go to visittrentino.it.
I would like to thank the fine folks at boutique digital agency, The 7th Chamber, for helping sponsor this trip.
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