The soaring growth of Italian sparkling wines, especially Prosecco from Veneto, made by the transfer process, has been steady for more than a decade. The sparkling wines of Trento, made in the more demanding, slower French champenoise method, are garnering increased interest. Now, with the appointment of a French wine maker, Cyril Brun, at Ferrari Trento in northeastern Italy, has raised speculation that there will be a shift in style and composition of the company’s wines. I interviewed Matteo Lunelli, President and CEO, Ferrari Trento, and the new French winemaker Cyril Brun about what to expect.
How did this appointment come about in terms of choosing Cyril Brun over an Italian winemaker?
The search for a new Chef de Caves, after many years with Ruben Larentis, has been tough. We got in contact with both Italian and foreign candidates, as our aim for continuous and positive growth is to attract talents and share knowledge. After many interviews, our choice was Cyril Brun due to his incredible experience and renowned talent for sparkling wines.
We are positive he will fully express the potential and the unique style of Trentino mountain viticulture while introducing some innovations. Cyril’s arrival presents a tremendous learning opportunity for the Ferrari Trento team; they will have the chance to grow to their best potential under his tutelage. On the other side, the support of a team from Trentino will be key to Cyril gaining knowledge of the local terroir.
Did Gruppo Lunelli search for a new chef de Caves among Italians? How long before they decided?
Yes, most of the candidates were Italian. At the same time, I’m a true believer in the EU and in the circulation of capital, including human capital. Exchange of culture, wine culture in this case, can be the right approach to widen views and grow business. We were looking for the best, most talented and most suitable candidate, independently of nationality. Overall, it took us almost two years between the selection, scouting and arrival.
Will production increase? Acreage?
Our main objective will not be increasing production but to further improve the quality of our Trentodoc, while introducing some innovation. Having said that, we continuously invest to grow in the future, without compromising the excellence of our sparkling wines.
We have already started a cellar expansion to enlarge our production and aging capacities, but our main focus remains on excellence and positioning rather than on growing volumes.
In terms of land, in addition to our estate vineyards, we now work with 130 family-owned hectares; we buy grapes from over 700 families of small growers with whom we have been working for many years. We are always looking for the best-positioned vineyards within the Trentodoc appellation, and we will buy if we find land with the best potential. At the same time, we are looking for new winegrowers in suitable areas.
How has climate change affected the vineyards of the region?
Climate change has affected vineyards insofar as those on the valley floor are no longer as good for the production of sparkling wines. This is why we go higher, looking for more acidity, longevity, and complexity.
Ferrari Trento’s long-term goal is to increase the average altitude of the vineyards. Trentino, with its mountain viticulture, is an extraordinarily well-suited area to producing sparkling wines that combine great elegance and complexity: during the day our vineyards are kissed by the Mediterranean sun, but during the night the cold air comes down form the top of the mountains.
The diurnal shift adds quality to the grapes, enriching them with an abundance of different flavors and fragrances. We planted vineyards up to 700 mt asl; at higher altitudes one can have greater potential for acidity and complexity. By planting higher we try to compensate for global warming. At the same time, we are working with new growers with high altitude vineyards.
What is the legacy that Former Chef de Caves Ruben Larentis leaves behind? And how will Cyril continue to build on this legacy?
Ruben has been with Ferrari Trento for over 37 years. His incredible attention to NV products such as Brut, and in the development of new labels such as Ferrari Perlé Zero and Giulio Ferrari Rosé, made a great contribution to the continuous quest for excellence in our winery.
Thanks to his work, Ferrari Trento won Producer of the Year five times at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.
First of all, Cyril wants to listen, observe, analyze and assimilate the information that he will collect from the team in order to better understand the characteristics of Trentino mountain viticulture. Winemaking is a matter of details, where small changes can have a really big impact. As Cyril said, he won’t make Ferrari Trento taste like a Champagne, but he wants to respect the identity of the territory and the tradition of our winery.
Isn’t the market for Italian sparkling wines saturated?
Different markets have different levels of Italian sparkling wine distribution. In the United States, for example, we’re seeing double-digit growth in sales. Some of this may be due to sparkling wine enthusiasts starting to choose Trentodoc (such as Ferrari) over other categories, but surely some of this growth is due to the market getting bigger.
Has the distinction between Trentino sparkling wines and Prosecco been made clear to the consumer?
We still have work to do in building awareness of the unique characteristics of Trentodoc wines, which combine the traditional method of secondary fermentation with mountainous terroirs.
Sparkling wine opinion leaders and lovers know the distinction pretty well, but we still have work to do with the final consumer by building awareness. This is very important because Trentodoc and Prosecco are different in terms of grapes, production and consumption. Inside of Gruppo Lunelli we represent both of these denominations, Ferrari is the leading brand for Metodo Classico in Italy and Bisol1542 is a historical and well-established winery of Valdobbiadene that aims to be a reference for Prosecco Superiore.
Q&A with Cyril Brun, Chef de Caves, Ferrari Trento
Would an Italian winemaker ever be considered for such a job in a Champagne house?
If we observe the current situation, there is no Italian (or any other citizenship other than French) playing a major role in Champagne winemaking, whether as Chef de Caves or assistant Chef de Caves. There are still many genuine “champenoise,” and the other fraction is made of native French. Probably the “champenoise” are more conservative and less audacious than the Italians. Nowadays, there are great talents everywhere. I hope my moving to Italy will encourage that kind of transalpine transfers in the other direction.
What is your opinion of Italian wines in general and the wines of Trentino specifically?
I consider Italian wines to be excellent ones: there are amazing terroirs, huge diversity of varieties and a lot of passionate people to make that magic work. Alongside France, Italy has been a historical cradle of viticulture for centuries.
I discovered Italian wines about 20 years ago while travelling in Italy and visiting Vinitaly several times. Since then, I became an absolute fan. I started with the classics (Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera) and started to pay attention to the white wines and the sparkling wines. I discovered the Trentodoc wines about 15 years ago with Ferrari: I was very impressed by the delicacy and finesse as well as ageing potential. The first seed was planted in my mind,
How can they be improved?
I am about to begin my first harvest at Ferrari Trento. I will primarily focus on observation for now. Over time, we may start looking at small changes, but it’s too early to comment on what these could be.
How have you adapted to the Italian lifestyle and mentality?
Italy has long been a place I’ve enjoyed visiting. There is a beautiful quality of life here, where the culture involves a deep respect for others, for family and for tradition. That said, I moved here only a month ago. I’m learning the Italian language and starting to pick up on the nuances of life here in Trentino. Ask me again in a year’s time!
Ferrari makes many “lines”—Classic, Maximum, etc. Is it a good idea to have so many different iterations of a label? Will they be cut back or expanded?
We have different wines that best express the characteristics of their terroirs. In some cases, different lines serve different geographical markets and/or points of sale. For example, our Ferrari Maximum line is dedicated only to bars and restaurants, while our classic Ferrari Brut NV Trentodoc is for the off-premise market. Our range goes from Blanc de Blancs to Blanc de Noirs, from Pas Dosé to Demi-Sec, from younger non-vintage Trentodoc aged for months (a minimum of 15) on the lees to great reserves that age for over a decade in the darkness of our cellar. Over more than a century, Ferrari Trento has created labels with specific characteristics and style, dedicated to different occasions and different pairings.