This week's wine of the week is from Liguria, a Pigato D.O.C. 2013 from Terre Bianche. The winery is located in the town of Dolceacqua. A well-known red wine comes from that area, Rossese di Dolceacqua but today I am writing about the lovely Pigato 2013 that I tasted this year at Vinitaly. I met... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Dolcetto from Piedmont
This week's indigenous variety is Dolcetto, a grape most widely grown in Piedmont but also seen in Liguria under the name Ormeasco and in the Oltrepo'Pavese. It tends to make easy to drink, friendly red wines as well as wines that can age with a hint of almond and liquorice on the nose and palate.... Continue Reading →
Winery of the Week: Franz Haas from Trentino
This week's winery of the week is Franz Haas from Trentino-Alto-Adige. Haas is incredibly well-known in the wine world, especially his version of Pinot noir. While I too love his Pinot Noirs, today's post follows a tasting I did at Vinitaly of his white wines. The current Franz, whom I had the pleasure of meeting... Continue Reading →
Winery of the Week: Organic Winemaking In Calabria – Azienda Vinicola di De Luca Vincenzo
As yesterday was Earth day and I now write for the Organic Wine Journal, I have been thinking a lot about organic products, what we can do to help our planet and the like. A winery that I met at Vinitaly has been thinking about those issues for over 20 years. They come from an... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Diolinoir Nero
This week's indigenous variety from Italy actually has its origins in Switzerland. The grape variety was made as a cross from Rouge de Diolly and Pinot Noir. It was created in 1970 by Andrea Jaquinet. The grape has now been allowed in both the Valle d'Aosta and the Trentino. I found that it is allowed... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Conte Giangirolamo from Tenute Girolamo (Puglia)
This week's wine of the week is from Tenute Girolamo. I met Piero Girolamo some three and a half years ago at a Vinitaly show in New York City. I have followed the family winery throughout the years and always make a point of stopping by when I am at Vinitaly. Harried as I often... Continue Reading →
Lugana wines tied to the soil, culture and heritage
Nice piece Dave. Interesting comment about the salts dissolved by the glacial seas.
DECENZANO DEL GARDA, BS, Italy – The grand expanse of Lake Garda, all 51.6 kilometers (about 32 miles) of it, laps gently at its southern end where it surrounds on three sides the peninsula of Sirmione, a finger of land just east of Decenzano del Garda.
Luca Formentini of Podere Selva Capuzze in Brescia shows a visitor how difficult to work are the clay-rich soils in the region at the south end of Lake Garda.
Formed by glaciers during the last Ice Age, the lake not only moderates the Mediterranean climate of the region but also provides a near-constant breeze, warming in winter and cooling in summer, which makes a key difference if you’re one of the 120 or so members of the Consorzio of Lugana winemakers.
“Look around and see, we are 110 meters above the lake,” said Luca Formentini, whose father bought the farm that now is
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Winery of the Week: Mannucci Droandi, An Organic Winery From Tuscany
Mannucci Droandi is a winery in the Valdarno area of Tuscany near the town of Montevarchi. The Valdarno is an ancient wine making region and is part of the province of Arezzo. Wine has been part of Arezzo’s history for centuries. The people living in this part of the peninsula were the mysterious Etruscans. An... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Dindarella Nero from the Veneto
This week's grape variety is from the Veneto and is called Dindarella Nero. It is generally used in blends but can also be made into a mono-varietal wine. It has a very thick skin so is quite good for drying and for the making of Recioto.. It is often used in the D.O.C. wines of... Continue Reading →