Lake Garda in northern Italy is a perfect place to situate yourself for several reasons. Not only is the area a beautiful place to tour, but you have great accessibility to many great towns in the not too far distance including Verona, Trento, Brescia and Bergamo to name a few. Plus, you have the benefit of exploring two regions since Lake Garda sits between the Veneto and Lombardy. Not to mention the classic food and wines of both regions surrounding Lake Garda especially. Today I’m highlighting one of Italy’s finest rosé wines found at Lake Garda, Chiaretto.
Where is Chiaretto produced?
You can find Chiaretto wines produced in both the Veneto and Lombardy wine regions along the southern half of Lake Garda, the largest lake in the Veneto.. The name stems from the word Chiaro meaning light or pale color, which is represented in these wines. They are lighter in comparison to other rosé wines found throughout Italy such as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo from the Abruzzo region as well as rosé wines from Puglia and Sicily.
There are a couple types of Chiaretto produced between the Veneto and Lombardy regions. In the Veneto you will find Chiaretto di Bardolino, named after the town of Bardolino located alongside Lake Garda. These wines were granted the Bardolino DOC Chiaretto status in 1968 with a later name change to Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC in 2018.
The grapes used in producing Chiaretto di Bardolino are the typical red grapes of the Veneto region, including primarily Corvina along with Rondinella and Molinara. You will also find these grapes in the wines of Valpolicella, Bardolino and Amarone from the surrounding territories.
Chiaretto di Bardolino appellation - copyright of Consorzio Vini Bardolino
In the Lombardy region you will also find Chiaretto produced in the subzone of Valténesi. There you will find Chiaretto produced under the Valténesi Chiaretto Riviera del Garda Classico DOC. These wines differ from their counterpart as the primary grape in these Chiaretto wines is Groppello along with Marzemino, Sangiovese and Barbera. With both regions the red grapes are gently pressed and spend a short maceration time to produce the pale pink colors.
The soils are sandy and stony with morainic hillsides. Due to these morainic soils, you may find some minerality in these wines. Chiaretto wines are dry and crisp with notes of citrus, red berries and some stone fruit. They can also be slightly tannic and tend to have a refreshing, vibrant acidity.
The wine
I wrote recently about Monte del Fra so you can read more about this winery on my previous blog. This week I tasted the 2022 Monte del Fra Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC. This wine is produced around the area of Sommacampagna sitting just east off the southern tip of Lake Garda. The hills reside at about 350-490 feet above sea level in soils of morainic origin with calcareous clay, gravel and sand.
The Monte del Fra Chiaretto di Bardolino is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The wine spends 24 hours on the skin resulting in a wine with a pale salmon color. There are aromas of citrus, wild strawberries and a slight herbaceous note. Fresh and dry on the palate with crisp acidity. Citrus and red berry flavors with a touch of minerality leave a lengthy, lingering finish. ABV 12.5%
Wine Pairing – Chiaretto with Zucchini Patties
As the weather is warming up here in the northeast I’m getting into my grilling and lighter food fare mindset. I have been eating a ton of veggies and am expanding my garden this year planting many of my own flowers and vegetables from seeds with my children. Always a fun activity to partake in and watch them grow! I’m a huge fan of zucchini and eat it on the regular. Instead of grilling it or roasting it with some extra virgin olive oil and sea salt I wanted to try making zucchini patties to pair with the Chiaretto.
This was a simple side dish to prepare and to be honest it also makes a nice lunch alongside some added protein. I grated about 3-4 smaller zucchinis into a bowl adding a ½ cup of flour, 2 eggs, ¾ cup blend of mozzarella and parmigiano cheese and salt. Upon mixing the ingredients I formed them into patties and sauteed them in some extra virgin olive oil until brown before flipping a few minutes on each side. I would add a little more flour next time using this many zucchini to thicken the mixture.
The zucchini patties paired well with the Chiaretto di Bardolino. Chiaretto tends to be a food friendly wine due to its vibrant acidity. A light, flavorsome dish paired nicely with the crisp, citrus driven Chiaretto.
Buon weekend!
You can shop on Wine.com in support of Vino Travels and find Chiaretto wines to try for yourself.