Valtellina (wine)
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Lombardia (Lombardy) wine is the
Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...
produced in the Lombardy region of north central
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. The region is known particularly for its
sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
s made in the Franciacorta and
Oltrepò Pavese The Oltrepò Pavese (; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Ultrepò Paves) is an area of the Province of Pavia, in the north-west Italian region of Lombardy, which lies to the south of the river Po. It is ('beyond') the Po when considered from the p ...
areas. Lombardy also produces still red, white and rosé wines made from a variety of local and international
grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
, including
Nebbiolo Nebbiolo (, ; pms, nebieul ) is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero ...
wines in the
Valtellina Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; rm, Vuclina (); lmo, Valtelina or ; german: Veltlin; it, Valtellina) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Toda ...
region and
Trebbiano di Lugana Verdicchio (, also , ) is a white Italian wine grape variety grown primarily in the Marche region of central Italy.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 195 Oxford University Press 1996 The name ''Verdicchio'' derives from ' ...
white wines produced with the ''Chiaretto'' style rosé along the shores of
Lake Garda Lake Garda ( it, Lago di Garda or ; lmo, label= Eastern Lombard, Lach de Garda; vec, Ƚago de Garda; la, Benacus; grc, Βήνακος) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, about halfway between ...
. The
wine region This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...
currently has 22 ''
Denominazione di origine controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
'' (DOC), 5 ''
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
'' (DOCG) and at least 13 ''
Indicazione Geografica Tipica ''Indicazione geografica tipica'' () is the third of four classifications of wine recognized by the government of Italy. Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans, IGT wines are labeled with th ...
'' (IGT) designations. The main cities of the region are
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Bergamo and
Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...
.M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 89-99 Hungry Minds 2001 The region annually produces around 1.3 million
hectolitres The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...
of wine,Wine Production by Region
/ref> more than the regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche,
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol it, Trentino (man) it, Trentina (woman) or it, Altoatesino (man) it, Altoatesina (woman) or it, Sudtirolesegerman: Südtiroler (man)german: Südtirolerin (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official ...
and
Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...
.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 410-411 Oxford University Press 2006


History

The winemaking tradition of Lombardy dates back to its settlement by
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
s from
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
along the Po river. Archaeological evidence suggest that these settlers traded wine with the
Etruscans The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, rou ...
in nearby
Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...
.H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pg 39 Simon and Schuster 1989 In the late 19th century, the Italian wine writer C.B. Cerletti wrote a book for the French market that described the wines of Italy. Of the wines of Lombardy, he noted that the Valtellina were still being made in a Greek style and the wines of Oltrepò Pavese were the preferred wines of the Milanese.H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pg 421-422 Simon and Schuster 1989


Climate and geography

The climate of Lombardy is varied due to the diverse terrain of the region but is generally considered a "cool" continental climate. The region is influenced by several geographic features that control the climate and ''
terroir (, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contex ...
'' of the land. These include the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
located in the northern parts of the region near the wine-producing area of Valtellina and the Po River, which runs along the Oltrepò Pavese (whose name means "Pavia across the Po") and forms most of the region's southern border with
Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...
. Many wine areas are located near some of Lombardy's major lakes, including Franciacorta near
Lake Iseo Lake Iseo or Iseo lake ( ; it, Lago d'Iseo ; lmo, Lach d'Izé, label=Eastern Lombard), also known as Sebino (; la, Sebinus), is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio River. It is in the north of the country in the Val ...
as well as the Garda Bresciano and Garda Mantovano regions near Lake Garda. To the west of Lombardy is the
Piedmont wine Piemonte wine is the range of Italian wines made in the region of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy. The best-known wines from the region include Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape. These wines are ideal for ...
region, to the south is Emilia-Romagna and to the east are the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Veneto wine regions.


Wine regions

The Lombardy region consists primarily of 13 wine-producing areas (from north-south) *Valtellina-Located along the
Adda River The Adda (Latin ''Abdua'', or ''Addua''; in Lombard ''Ada'' or, again, ''Adda'' in local dialects where the double consonants are marked) is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerlan ...
in the Alps *Garda Bresciano-Located along Lake Garda *Valcelepio- Located around the city of Bergamo * Franciacorta-Located along Lake Iseo *
Cellatica Cellatica (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. Geography Located at the feet of the Brescian Prealps. It is bounded by other communes of Brescia, Collebeato and Gussago. It is located in an area, Franciacorta ...
- Located near Franciacorta in the
province of Brescia The Province of Brescia ( it, provincia di Brescia; Brescian: ) is a Province in the Lombardy administrative region of northern Italy. It has a population of some 1,265,964 (as of January 2019) and its capital is the city of Brescia. With an ar ...
* Botticino-Located east of Brescia * Capriano del Colle-Located southwest of Brescia *San Martino della Battaglia- Located along Lake Garda south of Garda Bresciano *Lugana-Located along Lake Garda southeast of San Martino della Battaglia *Garda Mantovano-Located along Lake Garda in the province of Mantua * San Colombano al Lambro-Located in the
province of Milan The Province of Milan ( it, Provincia di Milano) was a province in the Lombardy region, Italy. Its capital was the city of Milan. The area of the former province is highly urbanized, with more than 2,000 inhabitants/km2, the third highest populat ...
along the border with the
province of Pavia The province of Pavia ( it, Provincia di Pavia) is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy; its capital is Pavia. , the province has a population of 548,722 inhabitants and an area of ; the town of Pavia has a population of 72,205. ...
*Lambrusco Mantovano-Located in the province of Mantua along the border with Emilia-Romagna. Produces
Lambrusco Lambrusco (; ) is the name of both an Italian red wine grape and a wine made principally from said grape. The grapes and the wine originate from four zones in Emilia-Romagna and one in Lombardy―principally around the central provinces of Mod ...
wine. *
Oltrepò Pavese The Oltrepò Pavese (; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Ultrepò Paves) is an area of the Province of Pavia, in the north-west Italian region of Lombardy, which lies to the south of the river Po. It is ('beyond') the Po when considered from the p ...
- Located in that part of the
Province of Pavia The province of Pavia ( it, Provincia di Pavia) is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy; its capital is Pavia. , the province has a population of 548,722 inhabitants and an area of ; the town of Pavia has a population of 72,205. ...
which lies to the south of the river Po and is bordered by the Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont regions


Valtellina

This northernmost wine region of Lombardy has been producing wine since the 5th century and is found in the valley of Adda River traveling west to east through the Alps. The vineyards in this area are located at high
altitude Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...
s around 2,500 feet. For most of its history, the Valtellina region's primary market was Switzerland to the north. In recent times it has garnered international attention for being the only major Italian region to focus on the Nebbiolo grape, locally known as Chiavennasca, outside of the Piedmont region. The vineyards of the region are located on the south-facing slopes along the Adda river. The nearby mountain peaks provide protection from cold, harsh winds and help to trap heat in the valley. The stony vineyard soil also retains heat and releases it during the night to warm the vines. This creates an optimum situation which allows the Nebbiolo grape to fully develop its flavors during the long growing season it needs. The steep location of the vineyards makes mechanical harvesting difficult so most vineyards are tended by hand which increases the cost and limits production. Heavy winter rainfall poses the hazards of landslides and soil erosion. The red wines of the Valtellina regions are typically light to medium
bodied ''Bodied'' is a 2017 American battle rap comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Kahn. It was written by Alex Larsen and produced by Eminem, his manager Paul Rosenberg, and Adi Shankar. The film first premiered at the 2017 Toronto International ...
. The Nebbiolos are noticeably less tannic and acidic than their Piedmont counterparts.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 726-727 Oxford University Press 2006 The Valtellina DOC includes the basic level wines while the Valtellina Superiore DOCG include wines from the more premium locations and must be aged a minimum of two years. The Valtellina Superiore Riserva are reserve-style wines that must be aged for at least four years. Valtellina also produces an
Amarone Amarone della Valpolicella, usually known as Amarone (, ), is an Italian DOCG denomination of typically rich dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina (45–95%, of which up to 50% could be substituted with Corvinone), R ...
-style DOCG wine known as ''Sforzato'' (or ''Sfursat'', ''Sfurzat'' as alternate dialect namesRobinson, Jancis, ed ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' 2nd ed, winepros.com.a
Sforzato
) made from dried grapes with a minimum alcohol content of 14.5%. The Valtellina grape Rossola nera that is permitted as a minor blending component in the DOC wines of the region is an offspring of Nebbiolo. Another wine grape, Rossolino nero, that is thought to be an offspring of Rossola nera (and such a grandchild variety of Nebbiolo) is also grown in Valtellina.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs 701-702, 915-916 Allen Lane 2012


Oltrepò Pavese

The
Oltrepò Pavese The Oltrepò Pavese (; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Ultrepò Paves) is an area of the Province of Pavia, in the north-west Italian region of Lombardy, which lies to the south of the river Po. It is ('beyond') the Po when considered from the p ...
region is responsible for more the half of all wine produced in the Lombardy region as well as two-thirds of its DOC-designated wines. This region along the Po Valley was once a part of the Piedmont but has always had Milan as its primary market. Today it produces a DOCG sparkling wine with its
Pinot nero Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pin ...
(Pinot noir) grapes and a rose sparkling wine denominated Cruase. In addition to sparkling wines, the Oltrepò Pavese also produces red wines from the
Pinot nero Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pin ...
,
Barbera Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high level ...
, Croatina, Uva Rara and Vespolina. There are some small plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon that are starting to appear as
varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
wines. The white wines of the region are made from Riesling Italico (Welschriesling),
Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
(Riesling Renano), Chardonnay,
Cortese Cortese is a white Italian wine grape variety predominantly grown in the southeastern regions of Piedmont in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti. It is the primary grape of the ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) wines of Cortese ...
,
Malvasia Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...
, Moscato,
Pinot grigio Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...
and Sauvignon blanc. The Pinot nero grape is also vinified as a rose and as a white, non-sparkling wine in addition to being made as a standard red wine. The sparkling wines of the region are made in several styles. The wines labeled ''metodo classico'' are made according to the '' méthode champenoise'' of the
Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
region. The wines are composed primarily of Pinot nero with up to a 30% blend of Chardonnay, Pinot bianco and Pinot grigio. Slightly sparkling ''
frizzante Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
'' styles are made from several of the region's red and white wine grapes including the dry ''Buttafuoco'' style and the semi-sweet ''Sangue di Giuda'' (meaning Judas' blood) both made from the Croatina grape, known locally as Bonarda. The Moscato grape is also made into a frizzante style as well as ''liquoroso'' fortified wine and ''
passito Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...
''
dessert wine Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert. There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...
.


Franciacorta

The Franciacorta wine zone is responsible for some of Italy's most prestigious sparkling wines. Located along the shores of Lake Iseo, vineyards are planted in well-drained
morainic A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice she ...
soils.J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 284 Oxford University Press 2006 The area has a long history of producing still red and white wines but has gained most of its success in the last 40 years since it started producing sparkling wines. In 1995, the region received DOCG status and created a separate DOC, known as ''Terre di Franciacorta'' for its non-sparkling wines. The sparkling wines of this area are composed primarily of the Chardonnay and Pinot bianco grape with a maximum 15% of Pinot nero allowed. The area has a ''Crémant'' style wine, known under the
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...
ed name ''Satèn'', that has less
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is trans ...
than the standard sparkling wine but is more "bubbly" than a frizzante. This wine is not allowed to have any Pinot nero in the blend. The rosé sparklers are required to have a minimum 15% Pinot nero. The
vintage Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...
-dated wines are required to have a minimum of 85% grapes from the indicated vintage and must be aged for at least 30 months prior to release. Non-vintage wines must be aged for at least 18 months. The Franciacorta sparklers are often a little
sweeter Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, keto ...
than
Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
with the ''brut'' style having up to 20 grams per liter of sugar while brut Champagne can have no more than 15 grams. While sparkling wine production accounts for more than half of the Franciacorta area's production, many producers have begun focusing on make red Bordeaux-style blends and Burgundian style Chardonnays aged in
oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
. Despite the frequent use of Pinot nero in the sparkling wines, a still Burgundian-style red Pinot nero is not permitted under the Terre di Franciacorta DOC.


Other wines and grapes

The wine regions along Lake Garda are known for their ''Chiaretto'' style rosé wine made from a blend of Barbera, Gropello,
Marzemino Marzemino is a red Italian wine grape variety that is primarily grown around Isera, south of Trentino. The wine is most noted for its mention in the opera ''Don Giovanni'' of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ("Versa il vino! Eccellente ''Marzimino''!"). ...
and
Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...
. This dry wine is deeper in color than most rosés and typically has good acidity with very low
alcohol level Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...
s. The Rosso (red) style wines are made with the same blend of grapes but in a darker, more full-bodied style. Varietal styles of Gropello are rich and tannic wines. The Lugana white wines are made from the Trebbiano grape and are known for their fruitiness and medium body. White wines from the San Martino della Battaglia are made from the Tocai Friuliano grape, which is best known for its use in the nearby Vento region. The Garda Mantovano white wines are based on Trebbiano and
Garganega Garganega (, ; meaning "from Gargano") is a variety of white Italian wine grape widely grown in the Veneto region of North East Italy, particularly in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza. It is Italy's 6th most widely planted white grape. It for ...
and its red wines are made from Merlot and Molinara. Other Lombardy region wines include the sweet Moscato Passito from Valcalepio and the light red wines from the Schiava and Barbera grapes in the Cellatica and Botticino region.


References


External links


Map of wine regionWine of the Oltrepò PaveseVintage chart for Valtellina SuperioreVintage chart for Oltrepò Pavese Rosso
{{Cuisine of Italy Wines of Lombardy Lombardy