Exploring Italian Wines

A summer trip to the Lombardy region of Italy was the perfect opportunity to sample some of the region's wines.

The historic winding streets of Verona and the wonderful scenery of Bardolino, on the shores of Lake Garda, created a perfect backdrop to enjoy the region’s food and historic wine.

Bardolino wines, particularly the red Bardolino and Bardolino Chiaretto (a rosé), are known for their light, fresh, and vibrant character. They typically feature delicate flavours of red fruits like cherry, strawberry, and raspberry, along with subtle herbal and floral notes. This balance of fruitiness and earthiness, combined with a slight spiciness, makes them appealing to a wide range of palates.

The region benefits from Lake Garda's moderating influence, which helps maintain a consistent climate. Its diverse soils contribute to the wines' complexity and distinctiveness.

These characteristics make Bardolino wines highly valued among wine enthusiasts, who appreciate their approachable style, food-friendliness, and connection to rich winemaking traditions.

Greco ‘Adam’ Cantina Giardino

Greco ‘Adam’ Cantina Giardino

An unfiltered orange wine, this funky, fruity bottle lept off the wine list in a small restaurant in Verona.

This wine has a straightforward and distinct character, thanks to four days of skin maceration and at least a year of barrel ageing. On the nose, it has a forest funk with an almost mushroom-like, musty smell. Roll it around your mouth, and you get a blast of citrus with a long mineral finish. There’s a saline quality to the wine that makes it refreshing and moreish.

It will pair well with shellfish and salads or can be enjoyed on its own.

Available online from £28.

Le Olle

Le Olle Bardolino Superiore DOCG Classico, Lenotti.

Le Olle is everything you want from a good quality, classic Italian wine. It’s smooth and full of fruit with a well-structured finish. You get cherry on the nose along with an earthiness. It offers layers of plum and red fruit with cassis, and just the right amount of leather and smoke.

There isn’t much oak in the wine, and that is due to its production, which includes 70% of the grapes being lightly pressed immediately and 30% dried before pressing. Fermentation lasts eight to nine days at 24°C, followed by ageing in oak butts and thermo-conditioned steel tanks.

The wine is produced in limited quantities from red grapes: Corvina (65%), Rondinella (25%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). It pairs well with steak and pasta and would also work with game.

Available online from £27.

Moronalto

Moronalto Recioto della Valpolicella Classico

A chilled dessert wine can be enjoyed with a delicious Italian pastry or on its own under a shade on a hot summers day. This example is easy drinking and a delicious option at the end of meal.

Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG “‘Moronalto’ is a red wine from the Cantina Manara winery. It blends 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, and 10% Dindarella and Croatina grapes.

In the glass it has a deep garnet color with a hint of orange. It offers a spicy, balanced bouquet of raspberry and black cherry jam, mixed berries, cocoa, and ginger. The raisins flavours stood out along with a strong punch of blueberry.

Soft tannins give is a smooth finish without an overpowering sweetness that can trouble some pudding wines. This is a lighter option to some of the traditional French dessert wines and one that can be enjoyed at any time.
Available online from £22.

Our wine enthusiast Nathan lives in Leeds and runs the PR and marketing company Campfire PR.
https://campfirepr.com/