Is your summer half empty or half full?  Recently, I overheard several people lament that, following the Fourth of July, the summer season “is all but over.” Blasphemy! If things need perking up, do what I do: Turn to Trentino (generally called Trento), a high-altitude autonomous province in northeast Italy where some of the best sparkling wines refresh Alpine skiers and hikers all year round.

For centuries, Europeans have vacationed here against the breathtaking backdrop of the Swiss Alps and Dolomites. They’ve also come to eat the local cuisine, marked by Austrian, German and Italian influences, and to drink the “mountain” wines — chilled, sassy whites and silky bubblies  that rival the elegance of French Champagne.