Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/977771
may 2018 / the tasting panel / 69 New Label, Higher Standards Mezzacorona continues to shine a spotlight on its heritage with a new label that rolled out early this year for the 2017 Pinot Grigio Trentino DOC. Each bottle depicts one of the brand's 1,600 wine growers hand-harvesting its estate grapes. "Our new label is designed to communicate who we are, where we come from, and what our wines offer," explains CEO Fabio Macari. In addition to honoring the growers themselves, the new label features the SQNPI Qualita Sostenibile certification. This seal of sustainability—from Italy's national system for integrated produc- tion quality—is earned by following strict protocols that include a guarantee of perfect traceability of each batch and bottle, as well as an assurance that the wine comes from the grapes that have been controlled and certified by the SQNPI. "The SQNPI certification is a clear indicator of our commitment to sustainability, and in highlighting the families of growers on our new labels, we are telling our story of authenticity, beauty, and value," says Macari. red fruit aroma and natural acidity," prompting Mezzacorona to expand cultivation of the grape to make its own mark on the burgeoning category. "Our newest plantings are in even higher elevation sites at more than 400 meters [1,300 feet]," he adds. According to Matricardi, Teroldego draws part of its lineage from Lagrein and "probably emerged as a separate selection sometime in the 14th or 15th century." The family tree only expands from there, as "Lagrein itself is a cousin of Syrah, and is even more difficult to grow than Teroldego, since it prefers hillsides with rockier soils," Matricardi explains. "It has been cultivated here since the days of the monks and Romans. As a red wine, Lagrein has less color but more flesh and most of the tannin level found in Teroldego." And because the grape thrives in "cool mountain climates," Matricardi says Pinot Noir has proved another valuable addition to the Gruppo Mezzacorona portfolio. "We began to produce Pinot Noir shortly after I arrived in 2004, although every year we have been improving our site selection: removing about 50 acres, and replanting another 50 in more ideal, cooler-climate areas," Matricardi explains. Pinot Noir is also com- bined with Chardonnay to produce Mezzacorona's méthode champenoise– style Rotari Brut. Matricardi admits that few winer- ies can channel terroir quite like Mezzacorona can, considering the "250 million years of geology that lives on in [its] rocks." But he reiterates that what truly drives Matricardi's winemaking is the company's relationship with the surrogates who help translate this terroir into its portfolio. "These are the most motivated, passionate farmers in the world—you have to be to work in these mountains," Matricardi adds. "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." Mezzacorona's Pinot Grigio grapes are still grown on traditional pergola trellises, proven to be one of the most effective methods for high-elevation viticulture.