Trentino’s Val di Cembra hosts the 39th Müller Thurgau: Vino di Montagna exhibition from July 2 to 5, 2026. Visitors can enjoy wine tastings at Palazzo Maffei, guided competition awards, masterclasses, guided treks, e-bike tours and themed dinners celebrating local wine culture.
The 39th edition of the Müller Thurgau: Vino di Montagna exhibition is about to begin, organized by the Comitato Mostra Valle di Cembra in collaboration with the Val di Cembra Tourist Board, ApT Fiemme Cembra, Trentino Marketing, the Trentino Wine Consortium, and with the participation of the Strada del Vino e dei Sapori del Trentino and the Institute for the Protection of Trentino Grappa.
This edition brings with it two important developments. First, a renewed organizing committee, which sees local wineries and distilleries taking an active role alongside volunteers, the tourist board and institutions. Second, the promotional boost of the new project “Vini e Montagna,” which the event joins together with Divin Nosiola, Mostra del Teroldego and La Vigna Eccellente.
This is a major innovation, which also includes coordinated imagery and communication, conceived and promoted by the Autonomous Province of Trento to network the four events dedicated to Trentino’s signature grape varieties, as part of the plan to make Trentino one of the top wine destinations over the next ten years.
The heart of the event will be, as usual, Palazzo Maffei, where from Thursday to Sunday evening it will be possible to taste 63 Müller Thurgau wines from different areas of Trentino, including Val di Cembra, Piana Rotaliana, Valsugana, Vallagarina, Garda and Valle dei Laghi, as well as from Alto Adige, Sicily and abroad. In particular, 11 wines come from Germany and two from the Czech Republic.
For those who love spirits, six Müller Thurgau grappas will also be available. Visitors will be welcomed by AIS sommeliers offering information and tasting advice, supported by a group of young people from the local area.
The rich and varied program officially kicks off on Thursday, July 2, at 6:30 pm, with the opening ceremony at Parco Tre Maestri, followed by the awards ceremony for the winners of the 23rd International Müller Thurgau Wine Competition, whose tasting panel was held on June 19.
Nineteen labels in particular will be awarded, five with Gold Medal, five with Silver Medal and nine with Bronze Medal, in compliance with the limit of 30% of medal winners and 10% of Gold Medals out of the total 64 participants, as required by the regulations, net of ties.
The evening will continue in the Fuori di Taste area, set up outside Palazzo Maffei, with music from the duo Afterclap, food from the King Tortel food truck and wines from Valle di Cembra.
The first event of Friday, July 3 is the guided tasting of the International Competition’s winning wines, scheduled for 5:00 pm at Palazzo Maffei. Three tasting stations, Gold, Silver and Bronze, will allow visitors to discover, together with AIS sommeliers, the productions that achieved the highest scores.
At 7:00 pm the event moves to Parco Tre Maestri for “Il giro del mondo in 80 Müller,” an ethnic showcooking event highlighting the versatility, international character and contemporary spirit of Müller Thurgau. This year Nigerian cuisine takes center stage thanks to the presence of Tracy Eboigdobin, winner of MasterChef Italia 11. Visitors will be able to taste plantain and avocado chips, meat pie and puff puff, embarking on a flavor journey toward the African continent.
This is followed, at 8:30 pm at Fuori di Taste, by the masterclass “Questione di spirito,” in which international bartender Leonardo Veronesi will reveal some secrets of mixology with grappa and guide participants in creating a personalized cocktail, in collaboration with the Strada del Vino e dei Sapori del Trentino and the Institute for the Protection of Trentino Grappa.
During the evening, the bartender will also offer the audience a series of cocktails to taste for “La grappa si fa cocktail,” accompanied by vinyl music from Ale Soul Dj and tasty food from Paolo Betti Slow Truck.
For those who want to enjoy a moment of laughter and relaxation, Loredana Cont takes the stage in Piazzetta Maffei with her show “Ironicamente vino, Vim bon per tuti,” best enjoyed with a glass of wine in hand.
On Saturday, July 4, the “Heroes” trek returns. From 10:00 am to 2:00 pm it leads, at a slow pace, along a loop trail through the heroic vineyards of Rorè di Altavalle and along the Avisio stream, with views of the Segonzano Pyramids. It is an immersive experience in the vine covered landscape of Val di Cembra, accompanied by a mountain guide and a wine expert, with a midway aperitif stop and a final barbecue.
At 5:30 pm, at Parco Tre Maestri, wine lovers should not miss the masterclass “Roccia e sale. Quando il paesaggio si fa vino: territori, tempo e identità,” led by well known journalist and sommelier Giuseppe Carrus.
At 8:00 pm, guests will sit down along the tree lined avenue of Cembra for “Cenando con le stelle,” an event in which the cuisine of Val di Fiemme meets the food and wine excellence of Val di Cembra in a convivial experience accompanied by dance performances from the Ritmomisto dance school.
The tasting menu includes an appetizer of Val di Fiemme cheeses, Fontal di Cavalese with raspberry jam, aged Caprino Cavalese with red onion compote and Rebel de Fiemme with wildflower honey, followed by an organic river carbonara made with Pasta Felicetti and wild greens paired with Müller Thurgau, and a heifer roast beef with aromatic herbs, vegetable ratatouille and potato chips. A vegetarian alternative is also available.
The dinner, by reservation and with table service, can be paired with a selection of Val di Cembra wines: Trento Doc Blanc de Blanc Extra Brut for the appetizer, Müller Thurgau for the first course and Pinot Nero for the second.
Afterward, the evening moves to Parco Tre Maestri with 70s, 80s and 90s music by Dj Max T and wines from Val di Cembra.
On Sunday morning, starting at 10:00 am, the e-bike tour “Cantine in sella” returns, with a stop at Cantina Zanotelli and among the vineyards of Tenuta Gottardi and Tenute Novei. At each stop, an in depth look at the winery is accompanied by a small tasting.
Also of great interest is “Le cantine si raccontano,” scheduled Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at local wineries: Cantina Pelz, Cantina Simoni, Cembra cantina di montagna, Corvée, La Campirlota, Distilleria Pilzer, Tenuta Gottardi, Tenute Novei, Villa Corniole and Zanotelli Wines.
For those who want to try local recipes, from Friday evening to Sunday lunch the Donne Rurali kitchen will also be operating. Depending on the day, it will offer plenta gnocchi with gorgonzola, tagliatelle with rabbit sauce, “oseleti scampadi,” farmer style risotto, pork loin with seasonal vegetables, gnocchi made with “formenton” flour, macaroni with mushrooms, “patugo” polenta with rabbit and a variety of desserts.
This truly important program has been made possible thanks to the valuable contribution of the Autonomous Province of Trento, the Trentino Wine Consortium, the Trentino Alto Adige Region, APT Fiemme Cembra, the Val di Cembra Tourist Board, the Comunità della Valle di Cembra, the municipalities of Cembra Lisignago, Giovo, Altavalle and Segonzano, BIM dell’Adige, the Institute for the Protection of Trentino Grappa, Cassa Rurale Val di Non, Rotaliana e Giovo, and BTS Banca Trentino Südtirol.
It was also supported by as many as 30 private companies in the wine sector that strongly believed in the event: Filtertechnik Willmes, which joined the project as platinum sponsor, alongside ten gold sponsors (Bertolin Imballaggi, Molinas, Oenofrance, Si&Gi, Sistemi/Vecomp, Svariep, Tiefenthaler, Unionvetro).
Thirteen silver sponsors (Bioenologia, Cartotrentina, CMA Fornaser Fabiano, Cork Supply, Ellegi, Enolmestri Euroglass, Ever, Lafal, ML Macchine, Pellegrini Natale, Vivai Somadossi) and seven bronze sponsors (Amorim, Corimpex, Enartis, Enologica Vason, Enoservizi, Ma Silva/Enocons Rothoblaas) also took part. Alongside them, trade agreements were made with Acqua Cedea, Cucine Cova and Pastificio Felicetti.
Key points
- Palazzo Maffei hosts tastings of 63 Müller Thurgau wines from Trentino and abroad, July 2 to 5.
- The International Competition awarded nineteen labels, including five Gold and five Silver medals.
- Guided activities include the Heroes trek, an e-bike tour and cellar visits across the valley.
- Giuseppe Carrus leads a masterclass on landscape, terroir and wine identity on Saturday afternoon.
- Local cuisine events, including Cenando con le Stelle and the Donne Rurali kitchen, complete the program.
