Garda DOC wines: Part 2 of Garda Wine Stories 2025 The well-named Garda Wine Stories 2025 event is part of an engaging communication programme devised by Consorzio Garda DOC. To keep things manageable, the article is in two parts. Part 1 dives into Lake Garda itself. It then explains what Garda DOC is, and offers some examples of how the …
Mosnel Franciacorta Brut – their landmark 44th Edition
Mosnel Franciacorta Brut – their landmark 44th Edition In 2016, it was an honour to be one of the guests at Mosnel’s 180th birthday celebrations. While there, a unique tasting of their flagship Franciacorta Extra Brut, called EBB, was special. You can read all about Mosnel and that superb sparkling wine here. A return to Mosnel via these pages was …
Garda Wine Stories 2025: Part 1 – Garda DOC
Garda Wine Stories 2025: Part 1 – Garda DOC Those who follow my various Italian adventures on this website are familiar with my affection for the Lake Garda region and its wines. Hence, it was a privilege to attend the recent Garda Wine Stories 2025 event. This is held annually on the shores of the lake, in the fortified town …
Lugana DOC – Jewel of Lake Garda
Lugana DOC – Jewel of Lake Garda Regular readers will know of my love for Lake Garda and its multifarious wines. Garda is Italy’s largest lake, handily placed at the crossroads of European travel. Some of the wine appellations surrounding Garda feature elsewhere on these pages, each with its own identity and story. Now, it’s the turn of Lugana. This …
Yuletide drinking – a dozen wines for Christmas 2023
Yuletide drinking – a dozen wines for Christmas 2023 I hope you like my Yuletide card to you all! Like last year, I remain mindful that living costs stay off the scale. However, unlike the previous year, there’s no overall price cap, but each category includes a “budget” wine. No compromises have been made regarding excellence and value in recommending …
Le Fornaci – an exciting Lugana white wine from Tommasi
Le Fornaci – an exciting Lugana white wine from Tommasi Le Fornaci is an ongoing wine project by the Tommasi family. It’s in the Lugana DOC on the southern tip of Lake Garda. Gradually, this project has come to fruition, and the latest 2020 release is a beauty. (Update – so is 2021). Here’s why. Tommasi Tommasi is arguably so …
Moratti – Creating the Champagne of the South?
Moratti – Creating the Champagne of the South? I recently took part in a 1-1 online wine tasting with Gian Matteo Baldi, of Castello di Cigognola. The Castello’s Metodo Classico sparkling wine project is from the Oltrepò Pavese area of Lombardy, south of Milan. We tasted four brilliant DOCG sparkling wines; all made from Pinot Noir under the Moratti brand …
Conte Vistarino – Italian Pinot Pioneers
Conte Vistarino – Italian Pinot Pioneers When you think of Pinot Noir, the chances are that you won’t be thinking about Italy. Of course, Italy has its own great native red grape varieties, while the spiritual home of Pinot Noir is in Burgundy. However, in Lombardy, Conte Vistarino has long been a Pinot Pioneer. Pinot Nero In Italy, Pinot Noir is …
Mountain Nebbiolo, Valtellina Part 2, Producers
Mountain Nebbiolo, Valtellina Part 2, Producers In Part 1 of Mountain Nebbiolo covered the extraordinary wine region of Valtellina. First, there’s spectacular scenery. Also, it makes a compelling expression of Nebbiolo. These wines stand easily with their more famous and expensive brothers from Barolo and Barbaresco. Meanwhile, the Sforzato is a unique style of Nebbiolo. Valtellina wines are always worth tracking down. …
Valtellina – an ode to Mountain Nebbiolo Part 1
Valtellina – an ode to Mountain Nebbiolo Part 1 This article is about how I discovered Valtellina, a special place. One to return to, again and again. The discovery A few years ago, a glass of red wine was accompanied by the dread question, “what’s this?” On the first inspection, there was a floral perfume, high acidity, cherry fruit, tar and tannin. …
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