Wines of the Lake Garda Region

Bardolino

A ruby red, fruity wine with a cherry, sour cherry, strawberry, raspberry, red currant and spicy flavour that is produced from the grape varieties Corvina Veronese and Rondinella.
The labelling "Bardolino Classico" is exclusively reserved for the wines that are made from the grapes of the oldest area of origin. This core area comprises the municipalities of Affi, Bardolino, Cavaion Veronese, Costermano, Garda and Lazise. Bardolino wine is also popular because of its high drinkability and its possible pairing with various dishes.
ilbardolino.com

Chiaretto

Chiaretto is a rosé variant of the famous Bardolino wine and made from the same grapes. It has a delicate, wild berry and vanilla flavour. A fresh wine that lends itself to being consumed as an aperitif.
It can also be paired with light Mediterranean dishes, appetisers, fresh-water and marine fish, pizza and sushi. In 2013, the Mondial du Rosé prize was awarded to Chiaretto.
mondial-du-rose.com

Amarone

The red wine Amarone della Valpolicella is certainly one of the most famous Italian wines and can be stored for more than twenty years. Produced from grapes of the Corvina, Corvinone Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara varieties, but also the Forselina, Negrara or Oseleta varieties. Its aroma is due to the fact that its grapes are dried from 100 to 120 days in the so-called ‘straw wine method’. During this time, the sugar fermentation is completed. Amarone has a very intense red colour and its fruity and spicy flavour make it a full-bodied wine which can be paired with meat, mature cheese and game, but can also be drunk as a meditation wine.

Recioto

Recioto is another passito wine made from sun-dried grapes. The grapes are the same as the Amarone ones, Recioto, however, is sweeter. The growing area is located in the Valpolicella area (in the towns of Fumane, Marano di Valpolicella, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano and Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella) and in the Valpantena valley. The grapes from which Recioto is made, are left to dry in store rooms from 100 up to 120 days. The process of fermentation is then interrupted to stop the lowering of the sugar content. The result is a sweet wine. Recioto is deep red with a strong flavour. It tastes velvety, delicate and warm, making it an ideal pairing for desserts. Its flavour unfolds fully when enjoyed with chocolate.

Valpolicella

Valpolicella DOC is mainly cultivated from the grape varieties Corvina, Corvinone Veronese and Rondinella and in an area that comprises the municipalities of Marano, Fumane, Negrar, Sant’Ambrogio, San Pietro in Cariano, Dolcè, Verona, San Martino Buon Albergo, Lavagno, Mezzane, Tregnano, Illasi, Colognola ai Colli, Cazzano di Tramigna, Grezzana, Pescantina, Cerro Veronese, San Mauro di Saline and Montecchia di Crosara. The Valpolicella Superiore variant is characterised by the selected grapes it is made from. It needs to age for at least one year to obtain its ruby red colour and can be paired with meat dishes and mature cheese.
consorziovalpolicella.it

Custoza

A fresh, aromatic and highly drinkable white wine that can be paired with various dishes. Custoza is produced from the grape varieties Garganega, Trebbianello and Bianca Fernanda and these add the typical straw yellow colour to it. The wine-growing area of the Custoza includes only nine municipalities in the Province of Verona: Sommacampagna, Villafranca di Verona, Valeggio sul Mincio, Peschiera del Garda, Lazise, Castelnuovo del Garda, Pastrengo, Bussolengo and Sona. This wine can be enjoyed with fresh-water and marine fish, deep-fried dishes, vegetables such as broccoli from Custoza, tortellini di Valeggio or the Mantuan pumpkin tortellini.
vinocustoza.it

Lugana

This white wine is produced at the southern shores of Lake Garda. The grapes are grown in the special clay soil produced during the last ice age when glaciation formed Lake Garda. Lugana was the first Lombard DOC wine and one of the first wines to be assigned the status in Italy. The wine is extracted from the autochthonous grape variety Turbiana and can be classified as Superiore, Riserva, Spumante and Vendemmia tardiva (late vintage).
Ideally drunk as an aperitif, it can also be accompanied by pasta and rice dishes, pizza and cream cheese.
consorziolugana.it

Garda Classico Groppello

Groppello is a true wine rarity as it is only grown on the hills of the Valtènesi area near Lake Garda. It is a delicate and spicy red wine with a fruity flavour, that can be paired with seasoned dishes, meat and medium mature cheese.

Valtenesi DOC

Valtenesi is a new DOC wine of the region that has been registered as such since 2011. It is made from the Groppello grape variety. By law, the ruby red wine can only be sold from the 1st September onwards, when the grape harvest is over. The first ripe grapes are used to produce the Valtenesi Chiaretto.
consorziovaltenesi.it

Soave

Soave is a DOC-labelled white wine that makes up nearly half of the wine production with a controlled designation of origin in Verona. It is the first wine to be limited in growth (under the fascist regime in 1931). The wine-growing area where this white wine is produced is located in the eastern part of the province of Verona, in the hills of the Val d’Illasi and Val di Mezzane valleys, on the Colognaola hill, in the Val Tramigna valley, on the hill of the Soave Classico and in the Val d’Alpine valley. The growth of grape varieties in the area is thought to date back to at least 30 millions years. Soave is straw yellow with greenish oscillations and comes with a forceful and at the same time delicate aroma.
This wine is extra dry and round, with a slightly bitter touch. The long existence of this white wine means that it is often enjoyed with traditional regional dishes: vegetable soups and vegetable risotto (such as the "Riso e bisi" pea risotto), as well as white cabbage and celery. Today, Soave brings out the taste of various dishes, from appetizers with anchovies or salami, up to main dishes of every sort, vegetable soups, pasta or soups, as well as fish dishes, vegetable side dishes and types of cheese such as Taleggio and Grana Padano.
ilsoave.com

Recioto di Soave DOCG

Recioto di Soave DOCG claims to be the first wine cultivated in the Veneto, being promoted to the DOCG status of top quality. It is extracted from the Garganega grape variety with grapes being dried for months before being pressed. The hand-picked wine is grown in the Soave area and can be enjoyed with dessert or drunk as a meditation wine.
The name derives from the dialectical expression recia (from Italian orecchio - ear), used to describe the upper grapes of the bunch that are exposed to the sunlight. Indeed, the grapes are chosen because of the resulting high sugar content.

Marzemino

Marzemino, also called "Mozart’s wine" because of its mention in the opera "Don Giovanni", is one of the oldest Italian wines. It came to the Veneto via the Black Sea (referred to as "Merzifon") and spread via the Adige Valley and the Lake Garda Region to Trentino under the rule of the Republic of Venice. The deeply ruby red wine is ideally suited for mushroom dishes, white and red meat and cold cuts.