Wine from the Garda region

Picturesque hills surround beautiful Lake Garda with numerous wine-growing areas stretching across the countryside. The Italian sun, the fertile slopes in the foothills of the Alps, as well as the balanced precipitation, offer ideal conditions for the ripening of premium grapes.

Italy's wine has a very long tradition. In the course of time, the art of winegrowing has continuously expanded, and the traditional secrets of cultivation are passed on and preserved from generation to generation. The centuries of experience are noticeable in every bottle and around Lake Garda, there are many lovingly maintained wineries which produce wines with a variety of flavours.

You can argue the ranking of the best wines and the best cellars of Lake Garda as they are all so good. Wines such as the spicy red wine Bardolino, the famous Valpolicella, the soft, light and traditional Rosé Chiaretto, the earthy, spicy and dry, sometimes slightly bitter red Garda Classico Groppello, the fresh, light white Lugana or the famous delicate white Soave are known and appreciated by wine lovers worldwide.

During a visit to the many wineries, you can experience the basics of cultivation and production in person. For example, at Azienda Agricola Cà Botturain Bardolino, Azienda Agricola Nicolis and the Azienda Casa Vinicola Vantini right in the heart of Valpolicella, and the Azienda Agricola Zuliani in Padenghe sul Garda. In addition to the many wineries, the traditional festivals allow the tasting of some very high-quality wines.

As part of the Festa dell'Uva e del Vino wine festival, Bardolino celebrates the grape harvest every autumn. The charming town on the east shore of Lake Garda has stalls selling local wines such as the ruby ​​red Bardolino along with various delicacies such as risotto, fish or grilled meat with polenta, and other specialities of the region. Music and fireworks always complete the festival.

There are great festivals to honour the first new wine. Palio del Chiaretto or Festa del Novello entices countless wine lovers. Also, other areas of Lake Garda such as the Valpolicella (Gran Premio del Recioto) or Moniga del Garda (Italia in Rosa) on the west shore are the setting of many traditional and cultural festivals all about the vino.

Updated: 12/03/2024