DISCOVERING TRENTINO’S FLAVOURS AND LOCAL INGREDIENTS

Spring also sees a number of exciting food and drink events arrive in Trentino. Authentic flavours of local wine, chocolate and fresh meats are showcased at each event which brings together both locals and visitors alike.

TRENTINO’S SPRING FOOD & DRINK EVENTS

1st – 30th April

DiVinNosiola

The DiVinNosiola festival showcases the Nosiola and Vino Santo, Trentino’s traditional wines, to discover their cultural heritage, natural flavours and traditional production methods. Staged in different locations in the Valle dei Laghi and in the city of Trento, this festival provides guests with a true flavour of Trentino’s vineyards and wineries.

www.visittrentino.info/en/guide/events/divinnosiola_e_958136

7th – 28th April

Asparagus, from the field to the table

Zambana white asparagus is one of Trentino’s top gastronomic products and therefore the focus of its very own festival, ‘Asparagus, from the field to the table’ which takes place in Zambana. Each session allows guests to harvest their own asparagus with the help of a local asparagus farmer, who will demonstrate how to grow, cultivate and clean Zambana white asparagus ready for cooking.

www.visittrentino.info/en/guide/events/asparagus-from-the-field-to-the-table_e_3727971

19th – 22nd April

CHOCOMUSIC

The Cesare Battisti square in Riva del Garda is transformed into a social hotspot during the CHOCOMUSIC festival, which boasts cooking shows, tasting sessions, chocolate lessons, workshops for kids and an exhibition market with chocolate delicacies from all over the world, all set to the upbeat rhythms of the Riva del Garda brass band.

www.gardatrentino.it/en/Chocomusic-Riva-del-Garda-Lake-Garda

24th – 26th May

Cerevisia

Cerevisia festival is dedicated to craft beers and the art of craft brewing in Trentino. The best brewers in Trentino gather in the town of Fondo in the upper Val di Non to greet visitors with their high quality beers and to unveil some of the secrets behind the fascinating world of brewing.

www.cerevisiafestival.com


TRENTINO’S LOCAL DELICACIES

Trentino is one of Europe’s natural frontiers, and its rich mix of traditions, terrain and microclimates creates a diverse food culture. Organic fruit and vegetables, fine wines, craft beer, olive oil, pasta, fresh fish, venison, beef, and several unique kinds of cheese are all harvested and made in Trentino, giving every dish a local flavour that is unique to the region.

Highlights include the light, fruity olive oils from Garda Trentino; speck from local artisan butchers; and trout and char from the many lakes and rivers. Many local cheeses are made only with hay-milk, produced by cows fed exclusively on grass or hay. Puzzone di Moena, Vezzena and Trentingrana DOP are three names to look for.


THREE NATIVE GRAPE VARIETIES AND AN AWARD-WINNING SPARKLING WINE

In Trentino, centuries of wine-making tradition are reflected by the region’s three indigenous grape varieties, helping to secure Trentino’s wines as some of the best in the world. In 1993 Trentino’s Trentodoc Spumante was the first traditional method sparkling wine outside Champagne to win D.O.C status, and the wine now boasts a number of international awards. In 2015, Trentodoc wine-maker Ferrari was named Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year, ahead of two French Champagne houses.

Nosiola, Marzemino and Teroldego are the three native grapes, but other grapes grow exceptionally well in Trentino too. Müller-Thurgau, for example, is producing spectacular results on the steep-sided hills of the Val di Cembra, thanks to the region’s warm days, cool nights and well-drained soils. The valley even has its own festival dedicated to the grape.

Wine aficionados will want to visit the cellars themselves, but for the quickest introduction to Trentino’s 500 D.O.C. wines, a tour of the Palazzo Roccabruna in Trento is a must. Here, the sommeliers of the Enoteca Provinciale run regular tasting nights, which will guide visitors to the very best wine-makers, vintages and flavours of the territory.

TRENTINO’S SEVEN MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS

Seven of Trentino’s restaurants now have Michelin stars, with the region’s most talented and ambitious chefs making the most of Trentino’s rich mix of ingredients and culinary traditions. One of the Michelin starred chefs is Alfio Ghezzi at Locanda Margon, just south of Trento, who was the first chef in Trentino to be awarded a second Michelin star in November 2016. In each of these highly acclaimed restaurants, visitors can expect a warm welcome as well as a gastronomic adventure. Among the many standout dishes in the region is Stefano Ghetta’s Uovo Soffice di Tamion at ‘L Chimpl in Val di Fassa. A soft-egg confection of rich, deep flavours, it incorporates wild spinach from the elds next to the restaurant, local Cuor di Fassa cheese and black truffles from Monte Baldo above Lake Garda.

Madonna di Campiglio, the Michelin starred restaurants are Dolomieu with chef Davide Rangoni, Gallo Cedrone at Hotel Bertelli with chef Sabino Fortunato and Stube dell'Hermitage with chef Giovanni D'Alitta. Val di Fiemme, there is El Molin in Cavalese with chef Alessandro Gilmozzi. Moena, Val di Fassa, there is Malga Panna with chef Paolo Donei.


THE MILK FESTIVAL

Fresh grass from mountain pastures, wild flowers, fresh air and spring water: these are the ingredients that make fresh Alpine milk special. Local farmers use this milk to create extremely high-quality butter, cheese, and other dairy products. The ‘Latte in Festa’ (The Milk Festival) returns in summer 2019, with 11 events taking place across Trentino. Each event is unique, but visitors can expect walks, guided hikes, excursions, games and workshops for children, shows and plenty of tastings.

www.visittrentino.info/en/articles/food-and-wine/milk-festival

CHEESENIC

CHEESENIC is an organic picnic basket available from restaurants, farms, mountain huts and hotels participating in the Dolomites Cheese Route. An entire calendar of organic picnics in the Dolomites, in Val di Fiemme and Primiero, are taking place from June to September 2019.

There are many places to pick up a basket and begin a walk or cycling route: for example, at the Malga Civertaghe restaurant in San Martino di Castrozza every day from June to September, there will be a picnic basket containing a platter of cheeses

and cold meats, or warm sandwiches with local products, Strudel or homemade cakes, local organic beer or apple juice.

There is also ‘Cheesenic with show cooking’ with Chef Fabio, who will demonstrate how to make the traditional Primiero-style melted cheese to be enjoyed with other local products, such as local “Bionoc’” craft beer.

SPECIAL DINING SPOTS

In the middle of a lake, in a castle or in the forest: a meal in Trentino is never just a meal! For those who prefer an unusual dining experience, full of flavours, experiences and stories, Trentino has plenty to offer this summer.

At the end of August, diners can enjoy dinner in a rowing boat on Lake Lavarone. Live music is performed in the candelight, as a three-course meal is served in the gentle bobbing of the rowboat.

Castel Pergine in Valsugana - this mediaeval castle has been charmingly converted into an elegant hotel and restaurant within historic grounds and walled gardens.

In the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, at Malga Nambi, be the guest of Gianni, a mountain hut manager and international artist. Sitting at a table outside his restaurant surrounds guests in a natural forest environment, as woodland creatures roam nearby.

For further info: www.visittrentino.info/en/taste/food-wine

For more information visit www.visittrentino.info/en/Food-Wine_pd_1995769