Lake Garda in a Glass: Exploring Zeni's Lugana Wines

Vino Travels has released it’s first quarterly exclusive newsletter to subscribers last month and the feature was on the wonderful wine appellation of Lugana wines.  If you’re a subscriber I’d love to hear from you if you enjoyed it or if you want to see something different in the next newsletter.  If you missed it and want to learn more about the Lugana wine region including information on the native Turbiana grape, typical pairings, an interview with the President of the Consorzio Tutela Lugana, and places to see, just visit my site at www.vinotravelsitaly.com and subscribe. I’ll send you a copy!

Cantina Zeni winery 

This week I decided to follow up sharing a Lugana wine from renowned Cantina Zeni that I tasted while preparing for my newsletter Release.  The Zeni estate was founded over 150 years ago back in 1870 by Bartolomeo Zeni Whom was a traveling wine merchant at the time.  Gaetano “Nino” Zeni Helped to modernize the business and established the wineries we know today.  Today, the winery is led by the 5th generation, Nino’s children, Elena, Federico and Fausto.   

Elena, Federica, Fausto Zeni - sourced from Cantina Zeni

Cantina Zeni’s winery can be found in two locations, the main estate is in Bardolino on the eastern shores of Lake Garda and the other is in the Valpolicella wine region.  They occupy over 60 acres of vineyards with their estate grapes, but they also contract with respected growers to help supplement some of their production.   

Sirmione on Lake Garda

The Wine 

I tasted the 2024 Zeni Vigne Alte Lugana DOC wine that is labeled as Trebbiano.  It makes it a little easier for the average consumer that may not know what a wine from Lugana is made from since most labels don’t bare the grape.  This wine is made from 100% Turbiana, also known as Trebbiano di Lugana.  The grapes are grown in white clay, limestone rich soils.  The grapes are hand harvested and then macerated on the skins and gently pressed.   

“Vigne Alte” stands for tall vines and probably represents how the vineyards in Bardolino are set on morainic hills.  This wine was pale straw in color with aromas of stone fruit and tropical notes.  It was nice lightly bodied with crisp acidity brightened with some lemon citrus, pineapple and a little tang/bitterness.  ABV 13%, SRP $20-22. 

If you visit the Zeni wine estate in Bardolino you can also experience their treasured wine museum, which was a vision of Nino’s established in 1991. 

You can find many Lugana wines to sample on your own at Wine.com. I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels. 

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Why Friuli Sets the Bar with Pinot Grigio - A Tasting Note on Ca' del Sarto

The warm weather is in full swing and I am personally reaching for many of my Italian white wines, rosé, sparkling wines.  This week I tasted the 2023 Ca’ del Sarto Pinot Grigio from the Friuli DOC of northeastern Italy.  If you’ve been following along my journey you already know that I love the white wines of northern Italy, but after my trip a few years back to the Friuli wine region I have a deeper respect for what the producers are doing in this tiny nook of Italy. 

Yes Pinot Grigio is probably one of Italy’s most popular white grapes, but Pinot Grigio isn’t just Pinot Grigio if you’ve had the quality and variety of Pinot Grigio produced in the northeastern part of Italy.  You can take a look back at my tasting of Pinot Grigio in Friuli and you’ll see just from the color of the Pinot Grigio in the glass that producers can produce many different styles of Pinot Grigio.  If you break outside the mold of the all mass marketed Pinot Grigio sold on the market and look for those sold in the wine regions of Friuli Venezia Giuglia and the Trentino Alto Adige you will be in for a treat. 

I didn’t find much in my research on Ca’ del Sarto other than the fact that it’s a collaboration with many of the top producers and Enotec Imports as the negociant since 1998.  They work with producers that producing hand-crafted and small batch productions with a focus on quality grapes.  The story began with two friends in Friuli who handpicked producers to work with and sourced Pinot Grigio from them where the wines resulted in “authentic expressions and modern wines”.   

The Wine 

The 2023 Ca’ del Sarto Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC was a brilliant straw color in the glass.  Floral, Tropical (pineapple) aromas along with lemon citrus and stone fruit.  This wine was dry, medium-bodied on the palate and refreshing with a puckering, acid backbone.  Tart citrus notes with small touches of stone fruit through the lingering finish.  I scooped this wine up on sale for $9, but online it ranges up to $16. ABV 12.5% 

Pairings with Pinot Grigio 

This wine will pair well with a both shellfish and seafood, pork or chicken and lighter fare including salads and appetizers. 

You can find many Pinot Grigio options on Wine.com and I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels. 

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The Perfect Dip: Vin Santo & Cantucci

Vin Santo, translating to “holy wine”, is Tuscany’s beloved dessert wine.  It’s a wine that takes patience throughout its lengthy production and aging process.  It's not completely known as to how this wine got its name.  One assumption is that it was always a wine pressed during Holy Week and another assumption is that it was a wine used for religious purposes.  Regardless of its origin, its unique process and limited production make this a special wine worth seeking out to experience. 

I had been sitting on some wine notes from a Vin Santo I tasted years back from Montefioralle that I apparently had never shared.  Since Vino Travels celebrates its 13th anniversary this month and sadly I’ve never written about Vin Santo in all these years, I figured there is no better time like the present.   

What is Vin Santo? 

Vin Santo is a dessert wines that is traditionally known for its production in Tuscany.  It can be made in a variety of styles from secco (dry) to dolce (sweet), but the latter is what it’s most known for.  It is typically made using Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia grapes.  The Trebbiano lends acidity to these wines while Malvasia lends aromatics and body. 

How is Vin Santo produced? 

It’s very lengthy and interesting process is what makes these wines unique.  Vin Santo is made in a passito style where the grapes are partially dried out, concentrating the sugars and allowing for more complex flavors to be produced.  The late harvested rapes are either dried out on straw mats, called graticci, or are hung for several months following the harvest.   

process of making Vin Santo - copyright of Montefioralle

Once the grapes are dried to the desired level, the rapes are pressed resulting in a small amount of sweet juice.  This juice is placed in small barrels called caratelli where the wine ferments and spends a long maturation time.  Usually the barrels are only filled to about 3/4 of the way to allow for some oxidation of these wines.  One unique feature to this part of the process is what is called the madre, which is a lees culture that is a deposit on the barrels from previous vintages, that initiates the fermentation.  The barrels are then sealed in non-temperature controlled rooms, called vin santaie, where the temperatures can fluctuate.  These wines will age for at least three years resulting in wines with complex flavors.    

Vin Santo is usually deeper in color from a golden color to a deep amber.  The flavors can be intense ranging from dried fruits, nutty, honey, spice, and orange peels with luscious, textured wines with high alcohol.   

Is Vin Santo only produced in Tuscany? 

No, there are other regions that do make different styles of Vin Santo as well, but Tuscany is the prominent region.  Within Tuscany you will will find several designations including Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC, Vin Santo del Chianti DOC, Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC, and Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC. Although more rare, it can also be produced in a red version from the Sangiovese grape known as Occhio di Pernice, where it is ore pink in color.  Outside of Tuscany, Trentino is another common region producing these wines with the Nosiola grape.  You will also find some also produced in Umbria. 

Montefioralle winery in Greve in Chianti (copyright of Montefioralle)

The Wine - Montefioralle Vin Santo 

I’ve written about the Montefioralle winery some time ago.  It’s a family operated winery by the Sieni family.  They’re located in a small village after its own name, Montefioralle, in the heart of Chianti Classico in Greve in Chianti, a gateway into the Chianti Classico region only about a 30 minute drive south of Florence.  The winery has a small production on less than 10 acres of land. The winery has been practicing organic methods and has been certified since 2019.   

Sieni family - Montefioralle winery (copyright of Montefioralle)

Montefioralle only uses the traditional Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes in the production of their Vin Santo.  The late harvested grapes are hung on wooden canes in ventilated rooms for a couple months before they are sealed in barrels 3/4 filled where they age for 3 years.   

The 2014 Montefioralle Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC is made from 50% Malvasia and 50% Trebbiano.  The grapes are dried for 95 days and spend 3 years in caratelli.  This wine has a limited production of 600 bottles.  This wine was amber/burnt orange in color.  Aromas of dried fruits, raisins.  Full body and luscious in the month with a lot of nuttiness.  ABV 15% 

How is Vin Santo paired? 

Since I didn’t have the time to try my hand at making biscotti, I had to go with a store bought choice of an almond biscotti.  Vin Santo can be used as a welcoming drink or aperitif, but it’s traditional pairing is with smaller Tuscan almond biscotti called cantucci.  Consumers will take the cantucci and dip it into the Vin Santo.  That was my own first personal experience with Vin Santo as well.  It can also be enjoyed with blue cheese. 

In my pairing of the Vin Santo with the almond biscotti is was a sweet combination of richness in the wine and the nuttiness both the Vin Santo and the biscotti.  It actually created a hint of anisette as an after flavor, which was unique considering it was an ingredient in the biscotti. 

What’s your experience with Vin Santo?  Do you love it or not your top choice? 

You can find some options to taste Vin Santo for yourself  on Wine.com.

I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels. 

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*This wine was provided as a sample, but opinions are always my own.