Pojer e Sandri’s vineyards are nestled high in the peaks of the Dolomite Mountains, a range of the Alps. The wine-making region here is Trentino-Alto Adige; Pojer e Sandri is located in the northern part of the region, Trentino, just barely over the border from Austria. This proximity to Austria and the historic political, cultural, and migratory exchanges between various empires (ranging from the Holy Roman Empire to the Napoleonic Republic of Italy and the Austrian Empire) has resulted in a region quite distinct from the rest of Italy. Today, a full 30% of the region’s 1,000,000+ inhabitants speak German as their native tongue. In recognition of this unique identity and history, Trentino-Alto Adige is technically an autonomous region within Italy - imbued with self-governing rights spanning most legislative and administrative powers.

 

If you’re thinking - an interesting history lesson, but I’m here to read about wine. Bear with me for a moment. I’m getting there. Ultimately, wine is a cultural product - shaped by politics, migratory patterns, and history. The French, Austro-Hungarian, and German influences in Trentino-Alto Adige set the region on a particular course in its winemaking trajectory. For hundreds of years, grapes that we think of as typically Austrian or German have been grown in the region - Muller Thurgau, Riesling - alongside indigenous northeast Italian varietals - Lagrein, Nosiola, etc. The grapes and the people of Trentino-Alto Adige do not readily conform to the modern constructs of political borders.

 

As crucial as geopolitics are to the region, so are topography, geography, and climate. The Dolomites climb well over 3000 meters and are snow-capped for much of the year. Vineyards are high-elevation, steep and demand intensive, non-mechanized cultivation and care. The soils have been shaped by glacial movements and are extremely varied. The orientation of slopes (south and south-east facing for the best vineyards), the ability of certain soils to retain heat overnight, the moderating influence of the not-too-distant Lago di Garda and the careful selection of grapes suited to a challenging alpine climate are vital for winemaking success. It’s certainly not an easy place to make wine. However, in the hands of a capable winemaker, it is a terroir capable of producing extremely elegant, age-worthy examples.

 

Pojer e Sandri was founded by two young friends, Mario Pojer and Fiorentino Sandri, in 1975. Today, the progeny of Mario and Fiorentino run the estate alongside their fathers. They are champions of their local varietals and tireless advocates of progress and improvement - always seeking to minimize their intervention to better express the terroir and beauty of the fruit. Pojer e Sandri’s wines are complex, pristine, and crystalline. They are driven by structure, minerality, and acidity. They reflect their mountain pedigree and their Austro-Italian mixed heritage. Chill a bottle, open when the sun sets and accompany it with a spread of speck and alpine cheese. You will not be disappointed.