Trentodoc: Italian Sparkling Wine

For those who enjoy the more sophisticated bubbles such as Champagne (meaning from Champagne, France) you have to try Trentodoc! This is a sparkling wine from the Trentino region of northern Italy, as if you’re heading towards Austria. In fact the Dolomites mountainous region where the vineyards are located reminds me of the landscape in Innsbruck. Stunning beauty!

Trentodoc is made only in the Metodo Classico method (also known as the Champagne/ Traditional Method). This means that the second fermentation takes place in each individual bottle, as compared to the large stainless steel vats, and as a result, you get those fine, elegant bubbles that Champagne is famous for.

This particular Trentodoc made by the winery Rotari, uses 100% Chardonnay grapes, same as Blanc de Blancs in France’s Champagne region, but at a fraction of the cost.  If you like drier style well-balanced sparkling wines with some weight,  you will love this!  To me it is so much nicer than Prosecco and it costs about the same if not cheaper. This is probably because many people outside of Italy still are not familiar with Trentodoc and the demand is low. In fact, the salesperson at the store did not even realize that this was an Italian sparkling wine and it was shelved in the ¨other¨ section of the store and not with the Italian bubblies.

Definitely if you are a Champagne lover, give this a try. It is available at Total Wine for $13.99! Be sure to call and ask ahead of time because only certain Total Wine stores carry it.  I found this one at the Total Wine in Perimeter/Dunwoody (Atlanta).