Few Italian wineries have shaped their region as thoroughly as Pojer e Sandri. Since Mario Pojer and Fiorentino Sandri founded the estate in 1975 in the village of Faedo, high above the Adige valley in Trentino, they have been a pole of innovation — pioneering sulfur-free production, reviving forgotten indigenous varieties, and proving to a sceptical world that mountain Trentino could produce wines of international distinction.
Backstory
The partnership began when Fiorentino Sandri, heir to two hectares of family vineyards in Faedo, joined forces with his friend Mario Pojer, a freshly graduated enologist from the prestigious school of San Michele all'Adige. Their first wine, a 1975 Müller-Thurgau called Palai, drew immediate attention from the Italian wine press and earned a score from critic Luigi Veronelli that no one expected from an unproven alpine estate. From two hectares the operation grew to 35, and the founding spirit — prove that Trentino belongs in the top tier — has remained constant through five decades.
The Region
Faedo is a small, ancient village on the eastern wall of the Adige canyon in Trentino, at the southern edge of the Alps. The vineyards lie between 550 and 600 metres above sea level on porphyry, werfen schist, and dolomitic soils. The Ora del Garda, a daily thermal wind off Lake Garda, sweeps up the valley and cools the vineyards each afternoon, preserving acidity and allowing the long, gradual ripening that distinguishes mountain wine from its lowland counterparts.
Vineyards and Farming
The estate spans 35 hectares across six municipalities, all on steep terraced slopes that demand hand work throughout the season. Nineteen grape varieties are grown, ranging from indigenous rarities like Nosiola — a white variety on the brink of extinction when Mario and Fiorentino began championing it — to international varieties planted here long before they became fashionable. Farming is sustainably managed, with organic protocols and non-oxidative pressing under inert gas to protect the fruit at every stage.
Winemaking
The cellar philosophy is rooted in precision and restraint. Classic whites are fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel without malolactic fermentation, preserving the natural freshness of alpine fruit. The estate was among the first in Italy to develop sulphur-free production and to pioneer non-oxidative pressing with CO2 — techniques now widespread but radical when first employed here in the 1970s. The operation also produces grappa, fruit brandies, and aged wine vinegars, all made with the same meticulous care as the wines.
The Wines
The range spans still whites and reds, sparkling wines, dessert wines, and spirits. The Palai Müller-Thurgau remains a signature: nervy, mineral, and unlike any Müller-Thurgau made in warmer climates. Nosiola, the estate's proudest indigenous revival, shows white-pepper aromatics and laser acidity. The Rosso Faye, a blend built around Lagrein and Cabernet, and the Zero Infinito pétillant naturel represent the more contemporary face of the portfolio. Across the board the wines share an alpine precision that is unmistakably Trentino.