LUGANA WINE ZONE, VERONA PROVINCE

The Lugana D.O.C. wine area includes a small, prized region near the southern shores of the lake, surrounding the municipality of Peschiera del Garda in the Verona area and the municipalities of Sirmione, Desenzano del Garda, Pozzolengo and Lonato in the Brescia area.  The moraine hills characteristic to this zone, crossed by the river Mincio originating in Peschiera from the Garda lake, the predominantly clay soils with some traces of lime, rich in mineral salts, and the mild lake climate are all factors that contribute to defining the characteristics of the designation.

This wine represents the maximum expression of the Turbiana or Trebbiano di Lugana grapevine, perfectly acclimatized in the Garda Lake's microclimate. The Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus celebrated this wine in his poems while Longobard and Ostrogothic kings chose it for their tables.

There are three different typologies of Lugana D.O.C.: Lugana, Lugana superior and Lugana spumante.

Lugana is straw yellow with hints of green, turning to gold with refinement. Its bouquet is delicate, pleasant, floral, and mineral fruity, its flavour fresh, soft and well-orchestrated. It becomes

Lugana superior after an ageing process of at least twelve months. This gives the wine its straw yellow or golden yellow colour, becoming more pronounced with refinement. Its bouquet is still delicate and pleasant, but it can also acquire features of tropical fruit or yellow flowers. Its palate is soft and harmonious but more full-bodied with a subtle hint of wood.

Lugana spumante has a persistent, fine fizzyness, and is an intense straw yellow with possible gold reflections. It has a fragrant, subtly fruity aroma when the Charmat spumante method is used, while fermentation in the bottle gives it an elegant, compact and aromatic bouquet when the classical sparkling process is used. Its flavour is fresh, tangy, stylish and well-orchestrated, with toasted, yeasty undertones. The area is full of very fascinating places in natural, artistic and historical terms. Peschiera del Garda, along the Verona shores of Lake Garda, was built at the mouth of the river Mincio, and between its powerful bastions built by the Austrians, traces of the battles that raged in the Risorgimento era can be seen, as can buildings by the architect Sanmicheli, the ruins of the Fortress belonging to the Della Scala family, ancient parish churches and the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Frassino.