Winery Tours in Lugana Lake of Garda

 

Lugana is a picturesque wine-growing region specific to white wine in northern Italy; its vineyard area straddles the regional border between Lombardy to the west and Veneto to the east. The wines from the small Italian region of Lugana are some of the best white bottlings in the country. Obtained from Turbiana, a unique indigenous grape grown on the southern shores of Lake Garda, they are made in five distinct styles and all full of personality. The uniqueness of this type of grape is given by the soil rich in clay which is hard in times of drought or becomes extremely soft and muddy after rain and which best develops the aromas and structure of the wines. The production area is very small and includes only the territories of Desenzano del Garda, Lonato del Garda, Peschiera del Garda, Pozzolengo and Sirmione. The production is entirely made of white wines, both in table and sparkling versions and the five types are divided into basic Lugana, Superiore, Riserva, Vendemmia Tardiva and Spumante. Why not combine a visit to the wine estates with a taste of the production when you visit northern Italy? The Lugana area is very close to Verona which is served by flights from the UK, or to Milan Linate one hour from Lake Garda.

 

Le Morette is a beautiful wine estate that organizes wine tours taking guests to the cellars and finally letting you taste 4 representative wines of the company with the choice of accompanying the tasting with platters of local cold cuts and cheeses. Le Morette Winery was established in 1955 and it has now the third generation of producers who passionately cultivate the vines with traditional methods and sustainable irrigation practices. The winery has got a shop too where you can buy some wine to take home. www.luganalemorette.it

 

Tenuta Roveglia has a very ancient history, which began in 1404 when the Roveglio family bought land and farms from the San Salvatore monastery in Brescia. However, wine production began in the late 1800s when the great-grandfather of the current owners: Sara, Vanessa and Babettli Azzone, bought various uninhabited land and transformed the estate into a winery. The name has remained in honour of the first family to live in that place. Here too it is possible to visit the winery which also has a section dedicated to the finds of the various working tools, found during plowing and now preserved in the oldest part of the farm. During the tasting, production wines are accompanied by local salami and cheeses. www.tenutaroveglia.com

A young company by establishment, 2006 is the year of its birth, but with roots and experience dating back to the 1400s is the Perla del Garda Winery, where all five types of Lugana wines are produced in the state-of-the-art cellar, including an organic version. The visit to the vineyards and then to the wine-making rooms ends with a wine tasting of their products. You can choose to taste 3 or 5 wines or 4 sparkling wines. The shop of the wine estate gives the possibility to buy wines and oil produced in its 40 hectares. www.perladelgarda.it

 

Founded in 1930, Cantina Bulgarini is situated in the hilly landscape south of Lake Garda between Desenzano and Peschiera near Pozzolengo. Only grapes from their own vineyards are processed, and the harvest is traditionally done by hand. At the Bulgarini winery, in addition to wine tastings, it is possible to book to celebrate an anniversary or other occasion. In addition to the normal production, the shop also has bottles of wine painted by local artists on display for wonderful gift boxes. www.vini-bulgarini.com

 In addition to wine tours, many wine cellars have a restaurant where they can recommend wine and food pairings. The Agriturismo Armea, in addition to having accommodation to be able to pass the days between a wine tasting and another, also has a beautiful restaurant where traditional cuisine uses the Lugana wine of their production among the ingredients. This Lugana risotto, creamed with robiola and served with rabbit ragu and crumbled onion is divine. www.agriturismoarmea.it
Agriturismo Feliciana also produces its own wine and has 12 rooms and 7 suites in its farmhouse, in addition to the restaurant that offers dishes prepared with local and seasonal ingredients. The fillet served with a Lugana and thyme sauce melted in the mouth with its delicate taste. www.feliciana.it

 

 What are you waiting for? Take the first flight to Verona, rent a car and organize a food and wine tour in the Lugana area. It is a part of Italy still little known among tourists, with Lake Garda as its main attraction, the vineyards and cellars are perhaps little considered by the international tourist. On the other hand, it is nice to be a trend setter and discover these wonderful places and go home with taste as well as visual memories.