Vineyard cultivation is the first step in producing quality wine; at this stage there is the closest link with the land.
For many of our members, growing grapes is a family tradition that has been carried out with great sacrifice for generations. This is one of the reasons the Cantina Sociale chose to start bottling wine alongside bulk wine production to create ranges that express the soul of our region.
The winery has 400 members each of which cultivates on average a hectare and a half of vineyards: a limited amount that allows for a careful approach to viniculture and expresses a deep and direct relationship with the local area.
Growing grapes for passion but with rigour
Sustainable farming has to set up its production process by using natural resources in a way that nature itself can regenerate without impacting on the environment and public health, and guaranteeing the necessary food safety. All members of the Cantina Sociale di Trento have followed a rigid discipline of integrated production for years that is common to Trentino winemakers.
The Cantina Sociale di Trento promotes organic farming that represents a steadily rising share of its wine production and they are also interested in experimentation in the field of “genetic improvement” that focuses on research into plants that are more resistant to fungal diseases.
All members share the same production guidelines that allows them to comply with the rigorous quality standards imposed by the winery.
To safeguard the health of consumers and producers all parasitic treatments are governed by a Corporate Governance Protocol that the wine sector in Trentino imposed.
For several years the fight against codling moths in our Province has adopted an organic mating disruption practice ; this practice has allowed us to reduce the number of programmed insecticide treatments to practically zero.
The Trentino Pergola and the Guyot
The most widespread cultivation system is the
Trentino pergola with an average density of 3,000-4,000 vines per hectare. Recently many members have set up new high density installations by opting for a
Guyot farming system. In certain areas depending on the variety the installations are made using trellis systems such as the Guyot one.
The
Trentino pergola is more suitable for white grapes which given their organoleptic properties need a framing system that exposes the grapes to less sunlight while the Guyot system is suitable for grapes for more structured white wines and for red grapes in general.
Vines usually live 20 years on average.
Total production is composed of 70% white wines (Chardonnay DOC, Pinot Grigio DOC, Müller Thurgau DOC, Sauvignon Bianco DOC, Gewürztraminer DOC and Riesling DOC) and the remaining 30% red wines (Merlot DOC, Cabernet DOC, Teroldego DOC, Marzemino DOC, Pinot Nero DOC, Lagrein DOC).