Where Italy's Largest Lake Meets the Vineyards: Discovering Garda DOC

As we welcome a new year it’s always important to think about what goals one has in mind to start the year.  I  myself am always looking ot broaden my horizon in the wine world and that includes exploring new wine regions, wineries and grape varieties.  That is exactly the theme of our wine writers group this month led by Lynn at Savor the Harvest this month.  Each one of us explores something new or different to share with all our readers as well as ourselves.   

For me personally, I decided to share some wines that I explored recently from the Garda DOC.  I recently attended a virtual tasting led by one of our writers Susannah and the VP of the Garda DOC Consorzio and owner of Perla del Garda, Giovanna Andrea.  Although visiting Lake Garda is not new to me as I have been fortunate to make it there once before, learning more about the Garda DOC and what it encompasses was newer to me.   

Copyright of Consorzio Garda DOC

The Wines of Lake Garda 

I’ve tried a number of wines through the years that I’ve shared with you from all around Lake Garda, lago di Garda, to include Bardolino, Chiaretto, Soave, Lugana, Custoza and nearby the wines of the Valpolicella wine region.   

Lake Garda is the biggest lake in Italy and actually the 2nd largest lake in Europe, along with being one of the deepest lakes that helps retain both the heat and the cold that influences the grapes.  Lake Garda was formed 5-6 million years ago due to a shift in the teutonic plates of Europe and Africa. 

Lake Garda encompasses 3 northernly regions including Trentino to the north, Lombardy to the west and the Veneto to the east.  The majority of the wines produced under the Garda DOC come from the Veneto side.  It has a unique microclimate due to situation between the Mediterranean and it’s close proximity to the Alpine mountain ranges that can provide intense winds.  The lake helps mitigate the weather pattern creating a sub-continental climate that is ideal for the vineyards.  Heck, they even are growing lemons and oranges.  

The Consorzio Garda DOC is a younger consortium started in 1996. It’s made up of a number of coops and about 250 producers.  It encompasses 10 historical denominations: Valtenesi, San Martino della Battaglia, Lugana, Colli Mantovani, Custoza, Bardolino, Valpolicella, Valdadige, Durello and Soave.  What’s unique about the Garda DOC is that it gives producers making wines in these previously mentioned appellations, to have flexibility to also produce wines with international grapes like the Pinot Grigio and Merlot wines that I’m sharing today that aren’t allowed under the other designations. 

The Garda DOC Wines 

I sampled a couple Pinot Grigio wines under the Garda DOC.  The requirement is that these wines are made with at least 85% Pinot Grigio, but many of the producers will produce these wines without blending.  Pinot Grigio is the leading grape in the Garda DOC wine production with Chardonnay being a close 2nd followed by the Garganega grape. 

 

My pick of the two Pinot Grigio was the 2024 Prendina Pinot Grigio Garda DOC.  Grown on morainic soils with clay and limestone, the juice of this wine was left on the lees to add complexity.  A pale, brilliant straw color, pretty floral aromas filled the glass with peach and citrus.  Light to medium bodied with lovely fruit flavors of citrus, pineapple and peach.  A lively palate with its bright acidity and lasting finish that lingered.  ABV 12.5% 

The 2024 Ca’ Vegar Pinot Grigio Garda DOC is grown in the morainic hills made of of calcareous soils and clay.  This 100% Pinot Grigio is aged 4 months in stainless steel, which helps to show the fruit. Pale straw colored, almost clear in the glass.  Floral aromas with lemon, apple and slight peach notes.  Light-bodied, with continuous mouthwatering acidity on the palate filled with notes of tart apple. ABV 12.5% 

The 2024 Cantina Collini Morenici Merlot Garda DOC is part of the cooperative, Cantina di Verona, that was esblished in 2021 which is made up of 550 members.  This winery is in the southern part of Lake Garda.  This wine is made from 100% Merlot.  The grapes are macerated for 10-12 days and refined in steel for freshness.  This Merlot may not be what many are used to when they think of Merlot.  This merlot was very pale in ruby color.  Aromas of ripe black cherry, blueberries and violet.  A lighter medium bodied Merlot, smooth with nice acidity.  Blackberry with a little spice and hint of cocoa.  ABV 13% 

Venturing to Lake Garda

With Lake Garda spanning three wine regions you'll get a variety of different cultures, cuisines and wines in a short span.  Choose which side of the lake you'd like to base yourself.  As a I suggestion you may want to consider the southern point as it's easier to maneuver all around and it's a higher concentration of wineries and vineyards. to the north of Lake Garda it's more mountainous.  

I suggest renting a car for more freedom, but there are ferries that connect some of the major points of the lake.  For those of you that are willing to take the physically fit challenge you can bike your way around and explore that way too. 

Follow along with the rest of our food and wine writers as they take you on an exploration of hopefully something new to you for the new year.

• Armenia: A Wine Story Spanning Six Thousand Years by Culinary Cam

• Explore the Wilds of Spain in Priorat by Food Wine Click!

• Exploring Garda Bianco from Poggio delle Grazie as we enter 2026 by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Friuli Venezia Giulia: Rosazzo Discoveries by Avvinare

• New Wine Company in the Hills of the Ozarks (Missouri) by Our Good Life

• Something New: Visiting Wineries in Five States You Might Not Expect by Cooking Chat

• The Mystery of Korean Ginseng Wine Explored by Side Hustle Wino

• The Slovakian Princess Grape: Pesecká Leánka by Wineivore

• Wine Explorations 2026: regions, wineries and varieties, featuring négrette and Applegate Valley AVA by Savor the Harvest

You can find other wines from the Garda DOC on Wine.com to try.  I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of the operations of Vino Travels.  

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own. 

 

Vino Travels Top 5 Italian Wine Blogs of 2018

Another year comes to a wrap.  It has been a great year of wine from around the world with of course our love for Italian wines.  Time to say goodbye to 2018 and welcome 2019 with open arms, open minds and an open glass.  As I continue to take you on our journey around Italy I also plan to show some highlights from other wine regions outside of Italy to broaden our horizons.  I'd appreciate if you could take this quick survey so that I can hear from my readers and find out what you'd like to read more about in 2019.

Here are the top 5 Italian wine blogs of 2018.  I hope they were your favorites too!   

#1 50 Harvests with the Sieni Family of the Montefioralle Winery
#2 Aglianico del Vulture from Cantina Il Passo in the Basilicata 
#3 Verdicchio of the Marche with Tenuta di Tavignano
#4 Vermentino of Toscana with Aia Vecchia
#5 Lake Garda Says Hooray for Rose' with Chiaretto

As you've noticed I've also incorporated some non-Italian wines into the blog this year as I've done in previous years.  I think it's important to understand wines from around the world.  Although, sometimes when I feature non-Italian wines there may be an affiliation with Italy whether they are Italian grapes being grown outside Italy or the producers have an affiliation with Italy.  I hope you've been enjoying them.

#1 Italian Grapes in the Lodi with Harney Lane's Primitivo
#2 A Taste of Orange Wine in Vermont with Iapetus

Thank you all for your support and sharing your passion for Italian wine.  Happy New Year and Buon Anno!  As always I love to hear from my readers so please leave comments or send me an email at any time!  Share with your friends too!


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Lake Garda says Hooray for Rosé with Chiaretto

Over the last few weeks I've sampled a number of different rosé, or rosato, wines from around the world and this month our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group is featuring wines from the area of Lake Garda that borders both the Veneto and Lombardy northern regions in Italy.  In particular we're talking about the wines known as chiaretto, pronounced "key-ah-ret-oh".  Lake Garda is actually the largest lake in Italy.  The last time I was at Lake Garda was June of 2017 where I took a day trip over to Peschiera del Garda on the southern part of the lake only about 15 minutes by train from Verona. If you've never been to Lake Garda it's a must see.  It's such a beautiful place to visit with so many great towns along the shores easily reachable by boat.    



My trip to Peschiera del Garda



This area of the Veneto, including Lake Garda, prides itself on their red grapes used in the production of their valpolicella, amarone and bardolino wines.  Corvina leads the pack of red grapes followed by molinara and rondinella, all grapes that are also used in the production of chiaretto of varying levels.   

Chiaretto has been produced in Lake Garda since 1896 started by a lawyer/writer, Pompeo Molmenti, whom owned vineyards on the lake and decided to start producing wine.  Today the area produces about 8.5 million bottles.   

If you're not familiar with Chiaretto it typically produces wines that are dry, crisp, fresh with a citrus profile touched by red berries.  It's named chiaretto after the Italian word chiaro, meaning pale.  If you're not familiar with how rosé wines are made, the juice is kept in contact with the red skins for a limited amount of time to impart a hint of pink to the wine.  Chiaretto is a wine to be enjoyed in its youth.   

I tasted the 2017 Azienda Agricola Valerio Zenato Le Morette Bardolino Chiaretto Classico and I was very delighted by it mostly because of the balance and elegance in this wine.  It's made of 55% corvina, 35% rondinella and 10% molinara.  It was the best rosé I personally tasted recently (personal preference of course).  It was very pale pink in color.  There were citrus notes on the nose.  A light-bodied wine that was nicely balanced with fruit, acidity and a little saltiness.  Most prevalent on the finish were fresh strawberries and raspberries.  12% ABV 

The winery is located in San Benedetto di Lugana located between Lake Garda and Lake Frassino.  The winery is named after a species of wild duck, called le morette, that live along Lake Frassino.  They were chosen for their elegance and beauty and the deep respect for nature and the environment.   It was started 60 years back by Gino Zenato and his main purpose for the land was the production of vines, in addition to producing wines on the side for himself.  His son, Valerio, took over the business in 1981 producing wines for distribution to the market.  Today the winery is run by the 3rd generation, Fabio and Paolo, that strives to complete the vision of their grandfather.  And so the legacy continues.  One of the things I love about Italian wines is the history and stories behind each and every winery and how the next generations continue on the dream and mission of their founding fathers. 

I also tasted the 2017 Cantina Caorsa Bardolino Chiaretto Classico.  This is actually a cooperative of about 350 members owned by the North-east Agricultural Consortium that began in 1987.  I unfortunately couldn't locate too much information on this winery, but enjoyed this wine also.  It's a blend of primarily corvina at 60% with 20% rondinella, 10% molinara and 10% merlot.   A deeper pink in comparison to the Le Morette and a rather smooth, light-bodied wine bright with red berries.  12.5% ABV

 

Join me and my fellow writers in the #ItalianFWT group to discover even more about Chiaretto di Bardolino on Twitter, Saturday July 7 at 11 am/EST.  Here's what we'll talk about:

• Mike at Life At Table shared "Rosé Fatigue? Try Chiaretto"
• Li at The Wining Hour shared "Chiaretto Classico and Grilled Shrimp"
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Cam shared "Chiaretto Poured with Local Catches"
• Gwen at Wine Predator shared "The Key to Italian Rose? Chiaretto!"
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shared "An Italian Surprise You must get to Know #ItalianFWT"
• Wendy Klik at A Day in the Life on a Farm shared "A Rosé By Any Other Name"
• Jill at L'Occasion shared "Chiaretto Goes With Everything: Italy’s Versatile Rosé Wine"
• Katarina at Grapevine Adventures shared "A Chiaretto is always a Chiaretto ... a Valtenési not Bardolino #ItalianFWT"
• Lisa at The Wine Chef shared "Easy Quinoa Salad Paired With Chiaretto, A Delightfully Dry Italian Rosé"
• David at Cooking Chat shared "Discovering Chiaretto Rosé Wine and Food Pairings"
• Jane at Always Ravenous shared "Farmers' Market Pasta with Chiaretto di Bardolino"

*Wines provided as samples thankfully by the Consorzio Tutela Vino Bardolino DOC, but opinions are my own.  Information and most pictures sourced from Chiaretto.

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The charming town of Sirmione on Lake Garda and the local wine region of Bardolino

Many of us are familiar with some of the larger, well-known lakes through Italy including Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and maybe even Lake Bolsena or Lake Trasimeno. Over the last few weeks I've been highlighting some specific towns within Italy including Rome and Bergamo as part of the #hipmunkcitylove project as I always love talking about Italian travel, especially those that I have visited. In order to stay true to what my blog is all about I felt it was most appropriate to also discuss perfect day trips to local wine regions for visitors to get a true sense of the area's local wines.

Today I'm showcasing the town of Sirmione, Italy that I visited back in 2009. Sirmione is a really neat town located on the southern part of Lake Garda. It is situated on a peninsula that juts out into the lake. Lake Garda is the largest lake within Italy and touches a few regions within Italy including Lombardy, the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige. The northern part of Lake Garda is more mountainous where the southern part is made up of morainic hills formed by the glacial forms.

Town of Sirmione, Italy

The town of Sirmione is located in the province of Brescia in the Lombardy region. I love in Italy when I enter towns that are surrounded by walls or fortresses, and there are many of them, as I feel like I'm stepping back into ancient, medieval times. Upon arriving in Sirmione you can park your care and enter through the fortress walls surrounded by an ancient moat to access the old historic city center. There are some very interesting attractions within the city including the Grotte di Catullo, which is an ancient Roman villa where you roam through the archeological ruins. 

 There is the opportunity to also visit the museum inside to scope out the objects that were excavated. In addition, there is also a neat little climb up the Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione. It's a castle that provides great views over the town and peninsula, as well as the water. With many other attractions to see including beaches, thermal baths, and quaint, peaceful churches there is plenty to satisfy your needs in the town of Sirmione.

Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione

View from the top of Rocca Scaligera in Sirmione

Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione

Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione

For you wine lovers the closest wine region is Bardolino, named after the town, that is within reach of Sirmione located on the southeastern shores of Lake Garda. If you're familiar with the Valpolicella wines of the Veneto, Bardolino is made of a blend of the same grapes corvina, rondinella, and molinara. The main difference is that it's a lighter style red wine that is less tannic and less alcoholic than the wines of valpolicella. For some of the best of this particular wine region seek out a Bardolino Superior Classico DOCG.

I hope you get a chance to visit this wonderful area as it's very accessible to many other great places to visit including Verona, Brescia, Mantova, etc.. 

Have you had the wines of Bardolino vs. Valpolicella?

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