Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/490558
{ SOMMjournal.com } 57 Long time Cavit winemaker Anselmo Martini oversees the Bottega Vinaia project. They say necessity is the mother of all invention, and if you've ever had the chance to explore the stunning mountainous region of Trentino–Alto Adige—either in person or through study—it will come as no surprise that this complex northeastern Italian locale is the birthplace of a cutting-edge technology that is changing the grape growing and winemaking game. With altitudes ranging from 262 to 2,624 feet above sea level, three distinct climate zones and soil types ranging from dolomitic and volcanic to glacial and alluvial, this is not a region for trial and error vineyard practices. "Only 5% of Trentino's land is below 500 meters (1640 ft.), and only 15% of our land is available to be planted, making it crucial that we devote time and resources to planting the correct varieties in the most optimal parcels," explains Anselmo Martini, longtime winemaker for Cavit, a cooperative wine grower and driving force in Trentino's wine industry. Born and raised in Trentino, Martini has long been dedicated to making wine that reflects the true character of his region's diverse terroir. "From selection and planting of the vineyards, to cultivation and vinification of the grapes," explains Martini, "my aim is to create a wine that accurately expresses the soil from which it originates." PIONEERING PICA So what happens when you combine a challenging growing region, a determined winemaker and cutting edge technology? You end up with Piattaforma Integrata Cartografica Agri-viticola or "PICA" for short. The name literally translates to Integrated Vineyard Mapping Platform in English, but is simply high tech lingo for quality and sustainability. As a former student of the renowned Istituto Agrario San Michele all'Adige, an agricultural school and research center founded in 1874, it was only natural that Martini and Cavit would partner with two of the region's leading research institutes, the Edmund Mach Foundation (formerly the Istituto Agrario di San Michele) and the Bruno Kessler Foundation. Together they provide objective data from approximately 30,000 individual vineyard parcels to the cooperative's 11 cellars and 4,500 member growers, making PICA an invaluable, unparalleled tool in vineyard management, placement and practices. "PICA is a powerful tool that can be used to examine the entire Trentino region and identify those areas which are ideally suited to specific grape varieties and styles of wine," explains Martini. "Using PICA, agronomists are able to obtain extremely detailed, real-time information about climate, soil type, slope, exposure and daylight hours all from one integrated platform. They can also closely monitor and immediately transmit information about weather conditions and grape maturation to the winemaker via email or text messaging, allowing them to accurately pinpoint ideal harvest times." PHOTO COURTESY OF CAVIT PHOTO COURTESY OF CAVIT "We aim to allow the terroir to resonate in the glass, adding dimension and passion to the tasting experience." —Anselmo Martini