Download Complete Production Notes

An Italian masterpiece, this opulent dessert wine was first created by winemakers in northern Italy's Trentino region over 200 years ago. By the late 1800s it had become the toast of the royal courts of central Europe. Rare and exceptionally long-lived, Vino Santo Trentino is vinified in the spring, traditionally around the time of Holy Week, which led to it being hailed as the Holy Wine of Trentino. This wine demonstrates an exceptional capacity for aging and will mature in the bottle for at least 20 years and often longer.

Production Area
Obtained from grapes grown on the steep slopes of the Valle dei Laghi (Valley of Lakes), near Toblino in the Dolomite Alps.

Grape Varieties
100% Nosiola (Trentino’s only indigenous white grape variety)

Vinification
Fully-ripened grapes are handpicked in October and left to dry on traditional screens, known in the local dialect as arèle, directly below the rafters of the winery at Toblino – the warmest and best ventilated part of the building. Five to six months elapse, after which the grapes, touched with Botrytis cinerea ("noble rot") are crushed and fermented. The resulting wine is aged a further 6-7 years in small, old oak barrels, during which it acquires a sensational richness and bouquet.

Color
A luminous antique gold

Bouquet
Its stately bouquet and rich, complex flavors recall caramelized fruit, honey and almonds.

Taste
Arèle shows great balance between alcohol and residual sugar.

Alcohol
13%

Serving Suggestions
Ideal with patés, foie gras, matured soft cheeses, biscotti and cream-filled desserts.