Historical introduction
The name comes from the Swiss Hermann Müller, an oenologist in search of perfection. After much study and effort, he found it in 1882 when he created the famous MüIller Thurgau, a perfect cross between two grape varieties: Riesling and Madeleine Royale. In Trentino, the first information on Müller Thurgau was reported in 1950 in the fortnightly "Agricoltura Trentina" of the Provincial Agriculture Inspectorate, edited by Dr. Gino Salvaterra. The note refers to an experiment with the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige lasting about 10 years that led to positive judgements on this new variety, provided that preference was given to areas between 1.640 and 2.460 feet above sea level, and for altitudes between 1.640 and 1.804 feet, to less sunny exposures.
The soils of Müller Thurgau
The vineyards suitable for the production of Müller Thurgau are located near the villages of Cembra and Ville di Giovo, in the Cembra Valley. Here the soils tend to be sandy or loamy, often rich in rounded skeleton with limited water reserves that enhance the productive characteristics of this variety. Vineyard terraces supported by dry-stone walls on the slopes formed by porphyritic rocks characterize this area.