Piana Rotaliana Königsberg: a journey through the authentic products and flavors of Trentino

Ph. Iuri Niccolai

If you love food and wine, the Piana Rotaliana Königsberg in the heart of Trentino is certainly a destination to consider for your next vacation. Here you will find a variety of local products of the highest quality that tell the story of an area, and you will be able to satisfy your palate and your senses with unique aromas and flavors of Trentino’s culinary and wine traditions. Here is an overview of the main products, food and wine experiences offered by local producers, and events that celebrate these productions:

White asparagus of Zambana

The White Asparagus of Zambana, certified De.Co. (communal denomination) and recognized by Slow Food, has been cultivated since the early 1800s in the village of the same name at the foot of the Paganella Mountains, where the meeting of the Adige River and the Noce stream creates ideal soil conditions. Harvested strictly by hand in April and May, it is a genuine product of the highest quality, characterized by its delicacy, tenderness and lack of fiber. You can enjoy its freshness by buying it directly from our local producers: at the two local associations established to enhance this product, the Consorzio Asparago Bianco di Zambana De.Co. and AS.T.A. Asparagicoltori Trentini Associati, or from the small farm Maso Rosabel. In addition to fresh asparagus available in the spring, you can find tasty asparagus product lines for consumption throughout the year, such as creamy spreads or sweet and sour asparagus.

Ph. Alfredo Croce

Recommended Experience:

participates in the “Festival of the White Asparagus of Zambana,” a gastronomic event held every year between April and May that takes you on a journey of discovery through tastings accompanied by local wines, asparagus dishes to enjoy at the stands, cooking shows, panel discussions, and visits to the fields and the township. On the other hand, if you also want to put your hands in the soil, we recommend the “Asparagus, from the land to the table“: you can try your hand at picking asparagus under the guidance of experienced asparagus farmers, learn all the secrets and finally enjoy it in sweet and sour sauce or in risotto paired with a good glass of wine or tasty apple juice.

Apples and derivatives

Apples from Piana Rotaliana Königsberg, grown along Integrated Production lines, bear the PGI label “Trentino Apples.” The main varieties include Golden, Red Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith and Fuji, then also used to create apple juice, cider, compote and dried apple chips, giving continuity to the production chain. In the area you will find several producers where you can taste and buy different reinterpretations of this product: Maso del Gusto (apple juice, perseche, cider, fresh apples), Apple Blood Cider (siderale), La Mela Vispa (apple juice, perseche and jams) and La Trentina (mele fresche).

Ph. Nicola Cagol

Recommended Experience: sand you are curious to discover the world of cider, a beverage with ancient origins obtained from the fermentation of apple juice, slightly alcoholic but extremely light and fresh, the ideal experience for you is “Dal melo al calice” Apple Blood Cider’s cider house. You’ll tour the small business, from the environmentally cultivated apple orchard to the workshop where magic comes to life, via the Cider house, the perfect place to taste artisanal ciders. You’ll be amazed to see that in addition to the best-known or ancient apple varieties, the cider house is also experimenting with different crops in search of the most authentic flavors for its cider.

Wine

For more than two millennia, the cultivation of vines has characterized the territory of Piana Rotaliana Königsberg as one of the most vocated in Trentino. Vineyards are not only a peculiar feature of the landscape, but also a precious resource thanks to which fine wines with surprising qualities are produced, first of all Teroldego Rotaliano, the “prince” red wine of the area. Other reds of the area are Lagrein, Rebo, Pinot noir, Merlot and Cabernet, while among the whites we find the native Nosiola, Chardonnay, Pinot grigio, Pinot bianco, Müller Thurgau, Sauvignon, Riesling and aromatic Traminer. Impossible not to mention the sparkling wine Metodo Classico Trento Doc, true excellence of Trentino and among the most awarded bubbles in the world, which in Piana Rotaliana Königsberg finds maximum expression thanks to the mastery of the many sparkling wine houses that boast a centuries-old history. Here, moreover, there is the most important concentration of wineries at the provincial level (about 50 or so in only 6 municipalities), all of them of great quality and many of them still family-run.

Ph. Paolo Cipriani

Recommended Experiences: participates in the “Wine&Grappa Experience”, where you can taste local produce, come in contact with rural tradition and culture, and immerse yourself in this world with multi-sensory experiences. Panoramic treks through the vineyards, unusual pairings, blind tastings, art and fun family activities-each winery will amaze you!

Artisan coffee

As is well known, coffee is certainly not a Trentino product, but the art of roasting is! It is the choice of raw material, careful study and know-how that make it possible to obtain high quality artisanal coffee that satisfies even the most demanding palates.

Adler Caffè – Ph. Nicola Cagol

Recommended Experience: discover the art of roasting with experience “From the grain to the cup” at the historic Caffè Adler coffee roastery in Lavis. A visit will allow you to discover more about this still little-known art and why that “simple” bean was chosen. In a short tour of the roasting facility, intoxicated by the aroma of coffee, you will witness the process of roasting and extracting the famous beverage. You will learn about the history of the company, still family-owned today, and at the end of this experience you will feel more qualified in a world, that of coffee, still in some ways unknown and unexplored.

Craft beer

After years of interruption throughout the region, since 2013 the tradition of craft beer has been reborn in Piana Rotaliana Königsberg as well, with breweries experimenting with novel combinations and bringing to life products that are entirely unique and of great quality. The craft beers are zero km and inspired by nature, which is a constant presence here in Trentino. The best-known breweries present in the area are Birra del Bosco, in Grumo di San Michele all’Adige and Nerobrigante, on the Avisian Hills.

Recommended Experience: if you love beer and want to learn the secrets of brewing, we recommend the experience “Master Brewers” at Birra del Bosco Brewery, where you can “touch” the production process and learn about this amazing world through the expert eyes of the master brewers, who will tell you how this great passion was born and how they turned it into a real job. The colorful labels and names of the beers are sure to arouse your curiosity, and after visiting the production facilities, you can taste them at the end of the visit in the tap-room.

Grappa

The Piana Rotaliana Königsberg is also one of the most important areas for the production of Trentino grappa, hosting historic and renowned distillery. The production of grappa goes back to an ancient Trentino family tradition, still carried on from father to son using traditional methods, albeit with an eye toward innovation. Grappa owes its name to the word by which grape skins were called in Trentino, “la graspa.” It is precisely these skins that are rigorously sourced from local vineyards and give rise to a delicious nectar with a crystal-clear color and a rich, distinctive aroma. The technical expertise of distillers, the use of discontinuous bain-marie stills and the use of rich, fresh pomace are the ingredients that make it possible to produce high-quality grappa.

Recommended Experience: we recommend a visit to two important and historic local businesses, Bertagnolli and Villa de Varda, to discover all the quality and tradition behind this authentic Trentino product. The tours begin by tracing the family history of the company, then moving on to the distillery, running or off depending on the time of year, where the stages of distillation are explained. The most exciting moment will then be the descent into the barrique cellar, where the grappa rests and where aging and refining techniques will be discussed, ending with a tasting of the best expressions. Try novel combinations such as “Grappa and Macaron”, or stay on more traditional experiences such as the “Grappino Experience” or “VdV Experience”.

Meats and cold cuts

The fresh meats and cured meats produced in Piana Rotaliana Königsberg reflect the authentic taste of Trentino, from pasture and barn to table. Our producers raise and feed animals with care and respect, following established knowledge and traditions. A healthy environment and sustainable practices guarantee wholesome meats, cold cuts and sausages of the highest quality, including the ever-present speck, lucanica, pancetta, coppa and carne salada, true local gastronomic prides. These delicacies are perfect to pair with a glass of wine during dinners or aperitifs.

Aneghe Taneghe – Ph. Nicola Cagol

Recommended Experience: visit Aneghe Taneghe in San Michele all’Adige and its educational farm or do your shopping at the historic butcher shop Troier in the historic center of Lavis.

Trout

Rainbow trout, caught in the Noce and Avisio streams or raised by Trentino trout farmers according to quality standards, is one of the best-known and most popular freshwater fish. Astro trout are the only trout in Italy to bear the PGI label and are characterized by a low fat content and firm, firm and tender flesh due to climatic conditions with low winter temperatures and abundant water availability, which favor the slow growth of trout.

Ph. Nicola Cagol