Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On The Wine Trail
The region around the northern Italian lakes has been producing wine since Roman times
and today produces an enormous variety from fizzy red lambruscos to bombastic Sforzato
and chilly, mineral-rich whites. The tradition of selling many of these modestly priced
wines in local
osterie
(taverns),
cantine
(cellars) and
enoteche
(wine bars) has led to the
impression that they are of lesser quality than wines from other areas, but the region claims
five DOCG, 19 DOC and 15 IGT wines.
Tipicita
or 'typicality' describes the magical aura that food acquires when local identity is invested in it. In
Italian,
tipico
has become synonymous with
buono
- good, wholesome, delicious.
Franciacorta
DOCG
spumante
(sparkling) whites and rosés lead the way in Franciacorta
(
www.franciacorta.net
)
, an area stretching between Brescia and Lake Iseo. Look out also
for Satèn, a
blanc de blanc
almost exclusively made of chardonnay grapes. The Curte-
franca DOC covers a series of whites and reds, the latter dominated by cabernet franc and
the local carmenere grape varieties.
Oltrepò Pavese
Riots broke out in the Middle Ages when Milan was cut off from Oltrepò, Lombardy's
most renowned wine region (
www.vinoltrepo.it
). No fewer than 20 wines are classified as
DOC in this area, and the Oltrepò Pavese spumante is a DOCG. Keep an eye out for reds
like the Oltrepò Pavese Barbera and the Bonarda, among the stars of the area's DOC wines
made from the local croatina grape. A curious sweet dessert red is the Sangue di Giuda (Ju-
das' Blood).
Riviera del Garda & Bardolino
Along the west shore of Lake Garda, vineyards blanket the Valtenesi area all the way up to
Lake Idro. Look for Garda DOC or Garda Classico DOC (
www.gardaclassico.it
)
. The reds
predominantly use the local gropello grape.
On the southeastern shore, one of the Veneto's best-known reds is cultivated around the
town of Bardolino. Of its namesake reds, the Bardolino Superiore DOCG is a delicate, dry
