Two years ago, an article on the wines of Lugana was featured on The Write Taste. This year offered the opportunity to visit the region and discover why 'Love for Lugana' remains so strong!
"Lugana is small, but precious"
The Lugana DOC lies on the southern shores of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. It's one of the few wine regions that straddle two provinces - Brescia and Verona - and two regions - Lombardy and Veneto.
The region is small, measuring only around 7 miles east-west and 5½ miles north-to-south. Lugana has had a long history of winemaking since at least the second century BCE and there are now approximately 2,600 hectares of vineyards here.
The lake itself was formed by glacial activity more than 10,000 years ago. This created morainic hills with soils rich in glacial debris, clay, limestone, mineral salts and sand.
Cynthia Chaplin, Italian wine specialist: "It's the soil that counts, not the altitude! We have this wonderful microclimate of the lake and breezes, but the soil is what keeps the Turbiana grape really developing and evolving into something wonderful."
The land is generally low-lying, usually under 100 metres above sea level.
Cooling breezes from the north and south blow across the lake, moderate the climate and help ward off disease in the vineyards. Mountains on either side offer further protection from adverse weather. So, with good levels of sunlight too, conditions are ideal for the early-budding, late-ripening Turbiana grape, mostly grown on north/south-facing, Guyot-trained vineyards. Grapes are typically hand-harvested and massal selection (a French term that refers to a traditional practice of replanting new vineyards with cuttings from a range of the best vines) is often used.
A region rich in biodiversity, over 60% of wine production is sustainable or organic and many vineyards are surrounded by natural woodlands.
Despite the cooling effects of the lake and mountains, there are, of course, vintage variations. For example, 2022 was very hot and dry, while 2023 suffered from hail resulting in a loss of production. Both years were, therefore, challenging, but for different reasons. Although 2024 saw a hot summer, rain during the growing season helped preserve acidity in the grapes, which greatly helped the quality of the wines.
Once thought to be part of the Trebbiano family and, indeed, previously known as Trebbiano di Lugana, DNA research has shown that Turbiana is closely related to Verdicchio, but with its own distinct characteristics. These include high acidity, compact clusters and thick skins, the latter giving some tannic grip to the resultant wines. High levels of tartaric acid lend freshness to young wines and enable reserve wines to age up to a decade or more. The grape is, therefore, extremely versatile for still and sparkling wines, with excellent food compatibility throughout a meal. As well as citrus, orchard or tropical fruit flavours, a savoury character is often present too, along with an almondy finish.
Both Martinotti (Charmat) and traditional method are used. Wines are bright in colour and show a delicate fruit character, typically with crisp citrus and creamy or bready notes.
This category represents nearly 90% of DOC production. These wines are pale straw-coloured, sometimes with a slight green tinge and characteristically show delicate floral, green apple, pear or peach, citrus and almond notes.
After a minimum of 12 months' ageing, these gold-coloured wines tend to have an aromatic and richer fruit profile, including notes of citrus, ripe apple, tropical fruit, wild herbs, hazelnut, almond, spice and minerality.
After a minimum of 24 months' ageing, of which 6 must be in bottle, these bright gold-coloured wines typically show more complexity, often with notes of gunflint, tangy fruit flavours of lemon, apple or pineapple, minerality and a long finish.
A dessert wine made by allowing the grapes to overripen on the vine between late October and early November. Unlike passito wines (an Italian term derived from appassimento, meaning wines made from grapes that have been dried on the vine, on straw mats or by hanging in a well-ventilated area, to concentrate their sugars and flavours), grapes are not dried and this results in rich, concentrated, but not excessively sweet stone fruit flavours with good balancing acidity.
Lugana DOC produces around 2.8 million bottles per year, 60-65% of which are destined for global export markets. The DOC requires 90% minimum of the Turbiana grape in any blend, with the remaining 10% coming from other authorised white grape varieties in the region, including Chardonnay. However, most wines are made from 100% Turbiana.
For every producer, Lugana's true identity has a different emphasis, but these are all joined by a common thread.
Acidity is a key component of these wines and of the Turbiana grape, as Cynthia Chaplin describes: "This is a grape that really does have an acidic spine and a propensity for lovely, rich, ripe fruit, but it's not unctuous. It's not cloying or heavy and is more sophisticated with age than we would suspect."
This was demonstrated perfectly during a visit to Le Morette winery in Peschiera del Garda.
Founded by Gino Zenato in the early 1960s as a vine nursery, Le Morette is now in the hands of his grandchildren, Fabio and Paolo. Since the beginning, the winery has been sustainably and environmentally-minded. They avoid aggressive chemicals in the vineyard, use drip irrigation only when needed (not very often) and limit insect pests with sexual confusion (a natural method of combatting pests by disrupting mating between male and female butterflies. An artificial pheromone is dispersed in the vineyards to mimic the natural chemical produced by the females to attract mates.), thus reducing the need for insecticides. Solar panels produce about 95% of the energy they need, with the remainder usually bought from renewable resources. A modern winery building, also designed with environmental and sustainable credentials, opened in 2013.
Magnums at Perla del Garda
Le Morette Mandolara 2024 spends a few months on its lees. On the nose, there are notes of white flowers, citrus, orchard fruit and grated almonds. The palate is fruity, saline and savoury with bright acidity, showing peach, pear and citrus notes, before a long finish of lemon/lime zest and almonds.
Le Morette Lugana Doc Riserva 2022 spends 12 months on its lees in stainless steel tanks with a small portion in 500L oak barrels. It's fresh and citrussy on the nose with a touch of honeycomb and grated almonds. The palate is fruity and mineral with a fresh lift of acidity and notes of pear, peach, citrus and almond, while the oak adds a softening touch of beeswax.
A vineyard view at Perla Del Garda
Another winery where acidity is seen as the key identifying component of Lugana wine is Perla del Garda.
Ex-sommelier Giovanna Prandini founded the winery in 2006 with her brother Ettore. They are the only producers making all five styles of Lugana and their winemaking philosophy is based on the terroir of the estate.
Giovanna Prandini from Perla del Garda
"We are in Lonato del Garda, in the southern part of the Lugana area", explains Giovanna. "The exposition and ripeness of the grapes are different from our colleagues. We can start the harvest two weeks to one month before those closer to the lake, because the grapes ripen earlier and also because I like to have very good acidity in my wines. I always try to start with high acidity in the grapes, which gives longevity to the wines.
"We have a different soil with a different structure and less clay. It's more calcareous with a lot of stones. So, in my wine I try to express this profile and this is why there's usually a very low amount of residual sugar. I want to feel the sensation, the texture of this soil in the wines."
The 2022 shows almond blossom, peach and citrus on the nose, while the fresh, mineral palate has notes of white peach and apple skin with a touch of salinity and a hint of butterscotch from some ageing in barriques.
The 2017 in magnum, which did not see any oak, is more complex. On the nose, notes of pear, almond and a hint of dried flowers come through, while the more rounded palate is mineral, salty and savoury with notes of peach, pear, saffron and spice.
The 2011 showed further evolution in the bottle, but despite the age of these older vintages, they all retain good acidity.
Stone bass at Perla del Garda, a perfect accompaniment for the Madonna Della Scoperta 2011
The Madonna Della Scoperta wines were fabulous pairings for the locally prepared and delicious slow-cooked egg with potato foam and black truffle, beetroot and butternut squash risotto, and stone bass with anchovy emulsion and Gargagno capers.
White wines are not normally associated with tannins, but here in Lugana, the Turbiana grape's thick skins are a distinctive component in the identity of these wines.
Organic-certified Marangona has a mix of old and new vines with vineyards going back to 1969, some facing north-south and others east-west. With a changing climate, these different orientations help with selecting grapes at the best stage of physiological ripeness. East-facing rows produce grapes with riper, fuller bodied character, whereas west-facing ones are greener and more acidic, producing wines with a more pronounced saline quality.
For owner and winemaker, Alessandro Cutolo, the key to Lugana wines is tannins. "I love tannin in white wines", he says. "For me, it's very important, maybe the most important part of our selection - more than sugar or acidity. We are lucky that we work with old vines, so the ripeness of the tannins is guaranteed.
"I think that acidity is very important for Lugana", he adds, citing the low pH, "but acidity is only one part … and I like the long aftertaste of the tannins."
With vineyards ranging from 5 to 55 years old in the central part of the Lugana DOC, they pick and ferment grapes from each site separately between September and October. This way, they can create the right blend for their classic Lugana DOC each year, preserving freshness and minerality with that characteristic phenolic grip. Using stainless steel or cement tanks, rather than wooden barrels, maintains the vibrancy of their wines too. Fermenting and ageing in cement, which they do for their flagship wine, Cemento, allows for micro-oxygenation without adding any oak flavours. "I don't care about the smooth tannins I can get from wood", says Alessandro. "I prefer to work with our grape tannins and I need some oxygenation for aging and for balancing the wines."
Once picked, the grapes are chilled overnight. A few hours of skin contact at low temperature give tannic structure to the wine, prior to fermentation in stainless steel and ageing on fine lees in cement tanks for 10-12 months.
The nose shows richness with notes of yellow flowers, grated almonds, stone fruit and pear. The palate has depth with a saline/savoury character and soft fruity notes of apricot, apple, pear and almonds. Acidity is bright and there's a touch of phenolic grip that lingers on a long finish that also shows minerality plus a hint of ginger spice.
Older vintages of this cuvée from 2017 and 2018 exhibit freshness and some complexity, demonstrating good ageing potential, which Alessandro believes is also a characteristic of his wines.
We want the balance between acidity, tannin and the creaminess that comes from aging", explains Alessandro. "So it's a classic white wine with more tannins than normal. It's not typical and you can see how the texture balances with the acidity of the fruit. So you have this complete sensation and you can understand the longevity of these wines."
On the nose, Cemento shows touches of lemon, pear, apple and herbs. The palate achieves Alessandro's aim of balancing acidity, tannins and soft creaminess with a fresh mouthfeel, rich notes of orchard and tropical fruit, a touch of chalkiness plus a gentle saline and savoury edge.
One of the other characteristics noticeable in so many Lugana wines is salinity. At Ottella winery, a 90-hectare estate located in Peschiera del Garda, this is a key component of their production.
Even the stainless steel fermentation tanks have an art installation at Ottella!
Ottella is an integral part of the region's history. The family-owned winery is documented as the only producer of Lugana as far back as 1905. Three years before the DOC was founded, the first map of the appellation was created in 1964 by Lodovico Montresor, father and grandfather of the current generations, and two other notable figures of the area.
The modern, state-of-the-art winery is designed with characteristic Italian style and flair, but takes it to dazzling heights. Montresor was an art lover and collector who transmitted his passion to his children. So German artist, Julia Bornefeld, has created several pieces of art for the winery building linking the beauty of art with the beauty of the wine.
Wine maturing in style!
An integral part of the winery's objective to express the unique characteristics of Lugana wine is to ferment grapes from each of their vineyards separately, before blending together. "What we are really looking for is different flavours", says the current Lodovico Montresor, fifth generation of the family. "Most of our work is to interpret the vintage and create the blend that matches our idea of what is Lugana. Our wines are never the same between vintages. They are always something different."
They work with concrete tanks to retain Lugana's special qualities. "We really like these vessels, because they work fantastically with the perception of acidity … and we noticed that during maturation, the wine gets more saltiness."
This focus is clear in Le Creete, a single vineyard expression from one of their oldest sites.
On the nose, a salty and savoury tang complements the tropical fruit notes and a touch of citrus. These continue on the intense, rich, mineral and complex palate, which also shows a hint of baked apple.
This multi-vineyard blend spends 18 months in a mixture of stainless steel, concrete and oak. "Molceo is our interpretation of the elegance of Turbiana", he continues. The nose shows notes of citrus fruit, herbs, saffron spice and a touch of tropical fruit. The elegant palate shows similar characteristics, adding further saline and savoury notes, a hint of vanilla, good acidity and a long finish.
Lugana wines exhibit lightness and energy, without necessarily relying on oak ageing or prolonged lees stirring for their character and distinctiveness.
At Avanzi, a family business created in 1931, a gentle touch to winemaking, including careful use of oak, is clearly important.
Gentle, whole bunch pressing and fermentation in stainless steel tanks are used to create this gastronomic style of wine with low residual sugar. The nose has a slight chalkiness with fruity notes of pear, apple and citrus. The palate is textural with notes of bitter lemon, orange, peach and green almonds with a salty, mineral backbone.
Three months lees ageing with regular bâtonnage (stirring of the lees) has added complexity and a soft touch. At only 12% ABV - previously vintages have reached 13.5% - this wine shows plenty of Lugana character and finesse, matching perfectly with the local fish soup. "It has minerality, salinity and saltiness, but without any petrol notes", says Nicola Avanzi, third generation of the family.
White fruit, citrus, toffee apple and a hint of toast come through on the nose, while the palate has depth with apple, peach, spice, saline and savoury notes. The oak is perfectly integrated and this wine should age well for several more years.
Avanzi winery is certainly worth visiting, not only to discover its wines, but also for the very high quality extra-virgin olive oil made there and the excellent craft beers from their sister brewery, Manerba.
At the heart of all Lugana wines is freshness and clarity. SQNPI sustainability-certified Citari embodies this concept perfectly.
San Martino della Battaglia Tower
Citari winery is located on the historic hill of San Martino della Battaglia, near the tower of the same name that commemorates the 1859 battle that led to the unification of Italy. Vines of up to 55 years old lie at the highest point of the area (approximately 265m), on the last morainic hills before the start of the low-lying plains. Winds from the Alps and from Lake Garda maintain freshness in the grapes which grow on around 30 hectares of sunny, south-facing vineyard slopes, rich in clay and limestone.
For Francesca Fiorentini, Lugana's wine identity is clear. "You can find a common thread in all the producers, in the entire production", she explains. "There's freshness, acidity and minerality, of course, because these are notes that are intrinsic to the grape itself, but for us, it's cleanness. We want to offer something that is really pure, clean and clear in what you notice about the wine. So freshness, acidity and all these notes you normally find in Lugana, they have to be clear and easy to find - wines that are like knives in the mouth, very straight, fresh and easy, but persistent and with bite."
To keep freshness, they ferment in stainless steel tanks. They don't let their wines undergo malolactic conversion, although they are starting to experiment with this in tulip-shaped concrete tanks.
Citrus, white peach and apple notes come through on the nose, following on to the palate which also has a saline, sapid bite with a hint of tropical fruit. There's a great balance of acidity in this wine and, unsurprisingly, it's won a catalogue of awards since 2009.
Using early-picked, old vine Tuchì, Citari's expression is characteristically clean and vibrant. There are light notes of white flowers and frangipane on the nose, while the palate is juicy, fresh, saline, savoury and mineral with orchard fruit notes and a hint of tropical.
It's clear that all producers interpret their vision of Lugana in their own way. There are many expressions, but these are all linked by freshness, acidity, tannins, salinity and a clear, clean mouthfeel that allow the Turbiana grape's inherent characteristics to shine (with occasional help from other varieties). Oak influence is subtle when used, the wines are extremely versatile with different cuisines and they can age very well too. Also, local prices are incredibly affordable, showing an amazing cost-value ratio that puts numerous other wine styles to shame, with many coming in at under €15.
Lighter styles of wine that are refreshing and characterful are very much in vogue at the moment. Add to that strong price appeal, then it can only be hoped that more Lugana wines will become available in the UK.
Otherwise, a trip to Lake Garda is a must! The scenery is mesmerising, enchanting and beautiful, the picture-postcard towns and villages full of colour. So, it's fitting that wines made on its southern shores are similarly captivating and readily available to enjoy in situ. Buon viaggio!
For more information on the region and its wines, take a look at the Lugana Consorzio website.
