Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/977771
may 2018 / the tasting panel / 67 may 2018 sting panel / 67 2018 / the tas rizzled wine professionals may be familiar with Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio, but even they can often over- look the pedigree of this crisp and bright white wine abundant in min- erality. Grown in Italy's Dolomites mountain range, the label's grapes hail from a high-elevation alpine region recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Site precisely for its phenomenal geology. The spectacu- lar peaks replete with limestone have raised up from coral reefs over a period of 250 million years. Beyond harnessing the distinctive terroir it calls home into its diverse portfolio of wines, Gruppo Mezzacorona also owes its achievements to an element that's decidedly human. Originally established in Italy's Trentino region in 1904 by just 20 growers, the cooper- ative has since expanded to more than 1,500 members, and the company's authenticity lies in the notion that it has always been owned and run by farmers. "These 1,600 growers cultivate their own vineyards, which average about three acres in size—some less than an acre, others as much as 15 acres," says Lucio Matricardi, Ph.D., Mezzacorona's widely-respected winemaker. "Many of them may have second jobs, but farming is their first calling, and in many cases, these are vineyards that have been in families for hundreds of years." Mezzacorona's Pinot Grigio is also still grown on traditional pergola trellises—not because of stubborn adherence, but because this method is scientifically proven to be among the most effective system for high-elevation viticulture. When wineries grow grapes in cool-climate alpine terroir, they need a canopy management system that spreads out the leaves in order to soak up every bit of sunlight while keeping clusters sufficiently apart to minimize rot. "In Trentino, what we consider 'mountain' vineyards are sites with up to 50 percent slopes and 400-meter [1,300-feet] altitude or more," says Matricardi. "The higher you go, the more difficult it is for the vine, which lowers the yield but heightens the quality. At higher altitudes you also get higher UV [ultraviolet light] radia- tion, which increases flavor, color, and anthocyanin." Matricardi describes Trentino's terroir as typical of continental climate regions. "In July and August, we average 27–28 degrees Celsius [80–82 degrees Fahrenheit] during the day and 14–16 degrees Celsius [57–60 degrees Fahrenheit] at night." Within this moderate diurnal range, grape ripening is optimized through a longer growing season. This means Mezzacorona's Pinot Grigio "is harvested at least 20 days later than Pinot Grigio grown at sea levels," Matricardi says. Lucio Matricardi, Ph.D, serves as Mezzacorona's Winemaker. "These are the most motivated, passionate farmers in the world—you have to be to work in these mountains, so when you taste their wines, you also find an unmistakable complexity of aroma and flavor. You taste the natural high acidity and also the unique minerality we get in the Dolomites."