Teroldego is a grape variety with a fascinating history that originates in the Trentino region, particularly in the renowned plains of the “Piana Rotaliana.” It is here, in the heart of the Adige Valley north of the city of Trento, where lies 'the most beautiful vineyard garden in Europe,' as defined by Goethe and Cesare Battisti.
As a border region, the Rotaliana Plain has been a crossroads of cultures and traditions for millennia. The Teroldego vine has found its ideal environment in this context—a land where it has always yielded generous fruit and produced renowned fine wines, so memorable that they have been talked about throughout Europe. The name itself seems to have Tyrolean origins, from 'Tiroler Gold' or 'gold of the Tyrol,' although other sources trace its origin to a local toponym: there is a locality called 'Teroldeghe,' and the wine is mentioned in numerous notary deeds dating back to as early as 1480.
The uniqueness of the Piana Rotaliana lies in its very origin: a cone-shaped valley formed by alluvial sediments dragged downstream by the Noce River at the point where it once flowed into the Adige River. The reclaimed alluvium of the Noce River created the particular pedological formation, made up of a very fertile topsoil of sand and silt, under which lies a deep drainage layer of gravel and pebbles, making the soil very permeable, dry, and well-ventilated. For these reasons, the Piana Rotaliana has been a notoriously suitable territory for Teroldego for centuries, and today, Teroldego is its symbolic wine. It was the first D.O.C. varietal recognized in Trentino with the appellation 'Rotaliano' back in 1971, and it is defined as 'the Prince of Trentino wines.'
