Gino Pedrotti

Gino Pedrotti works Valle dei Laghi, the narrow corridor between Lake Garda and the Adige, on the slopes above the small Lago di Cavedine. The family has been growing vines here for generations; the modern cantina traces to Giuseppe Pedrotti, who began vinifying his own grapes shortly after the First World War. Today the estate is run by Gino's three children - Giuseppe as winemaker, with his sisters Tullia and Clara - so the common "Pedrotti brothers" framing is misleading; it is siblings.

Around 8 hectares total, 6 under vine, scattered across small plots (fratte) with vines between fifteen and forty years old. Roughly 24,000-25,000 bottles a year. ICEA-certified organic, biodynamic in practice without formal Demeter certification; no irrigation despite what the DOC permits.

Varieties are the usual Trentino set for this zone, with Nosiola as the identity grape: Nosiola itself; Chardonnay; Schiava Nera; Merlot and Cabernet Franc; and Rebo, the local crossing of Merlot and Teroldego made by Rebo Rigotti in 1948.

Two wines matter most. The Nosiola Vigneti delle Dolomiti is the varietal dry, finishing on the almond and bruised-hazelnut note that gave Nosiola its name. Vino Santo Trentino DOC is the historical speciality of Valle dei Laghi and what Pedrotti is best known for: hand-selected Nosiola bunches laid on arele mats and dried until mid-April, losing more than a third of their weight, then pressed and aged in small casks for a minimum of six years (plus a year in bottle) and often eight or more. Production is tiny - around 3,600 bottles. Around them sit L'Aura (a Nosiola-Chardonnay blend), L'Auro (Cabernet Franc-Merlot), Schiava Nera, Rebo, Merlot and Chardonnay.

Traditional, low-intervention Valle dei Laghi. Pedrotti is one of only six estates inside the Associazione Vignaioli Vino Santo Trentino DOC, alongside Francesco Poli, Giovanni Poli, Maxentia, Pisoni and Pravis.