GARDA DOC CHARDONNAY

A popular grape finds a natural home around Lake Garda

Gazing out onto Italy’s largest lake, Garda, is a unique sensation to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. The lake is an expressive feature of the landscape, like an eye looking benevolently upon her fruits: lemons, agaves, olives and most notably, vineyards. Indeed, Garda derives its name from the Germanic word warda, watchpost. And as a landscape, this “eye” inevitably also influences how we perceive its wines. To quote Lévi-Strauss, ‘goodness goes hand in hand with beauty’.

The Consorzio Garda DOC presides over an umbrella appellation, founded to promote the wine production of three cities: Verona (with six DOCs), Brescia (with three) and Mantua (with one). All in the name of Garda, a cradle of viticulture since at least the 1st century BC. A recently commissioned study of the terroir in the Garda DOC zone reveals that there is marked agroclimatic variability, resulting in some wonderfully diverse wines. The study outlined different styles in different areas, among which it emerges that the zone of the Brescia and Mantua DOCs benefits from higher temperatures than the area of the Veronese DOCs. It also appears that the sunlight and rainfall conditions of the Garda DOC appellation resemble those found in the finest winegrowing areas of Italy and abroad. Moreover, the favourable microclimate means that conditions of hydric stress are rare in this zone.

GARDA DOC CHARDONNAY

As a world famous international grape variety, Chardonnay has its own history in the Garda DOC, especially in the Brescia and Mantua zones, as well as around Verona. Since the vines were planted in the 1980s, this variety has been a constant fixture for local producers. Today, around 1140 ha of the Garda DOC are planted with Chardonnay, accounting for around 4% of the appellation. Some 4 million bottles have been produced in the past year, up 5% on the previous year. A unique microclimate helps in the fight against diseases on the vine, to which Chardonnay is particularly prone, allowing for sustainable vine management. This versatile grape is able to adapt to very different soils and climates; and it’s right at home in this appellation’s hilly areas, with their calcareous and marly glacial soil.

Garda DOC Chardonnay is ideal as an aperitif, conjuring memories of flame-red sunsets over the lake, or to drink throughout a meal. Pair it with antipasti of freshwater fish, raw seafood or fried fish, fish or vegetable-based pasta or rice dishes, and stuffed pasta. It’s excellent with main courses of fish, chicken or pork. Great with goat’s cheese, and worth trying with sushi.

Visitors to the area who are curious about Garda DOC products should stop off at the Garda DOC Point at Peschiera to see the full range.