Lugana

Straddling two administrative regions in central north Italy, this still-developing DOC’s dry whites are already proving a versatile food-matching choice in the restaurant trade. Stephen Brook gets to the heart of Lugana’s identity, and recommends a dozen of its best wines. 

- Stephen Brook

ALONG THE SOUTHERN shores of the shimmering expanse of lake garda lie the towns of Desenzano, Peschiera and Sirmione, which for decades have welcomed hordes of tourists and the establishments catering to them: hotels, bars, pizzerias and all-you-can-eat sushi emporia. And for a few miles to the south are vineyards, 11km from west to east, not considered of great interest until some 20 or 30 years ago. The best of them lay within the Lugana DoC, which struggled to gain recognition, especially given the vast plantations of Soave not that far away.

Moreover, the main grape was a Trebbiano, though not related to the poorly regarded Tuscan Trebbiano. It was called Trebbiano di Soave or Trebbiano di Lugana, until marketing wizardry transformed it into ‘Turbiana’. Now Lugana had its own identity. It also benefits from a genetic connection – a kind of cousin – to the well-regarded Verdicchio grape of the Marche region.

Lugana’s local catchment area contains thousands of thirsty tourists requiring aperitif wines, or something appetising and not too expensive to wash down their platters of lake fish. Lugana fits the bill perfectly: easy to pronounce and infused, when properly vinified, with refreshing acidity.

‘Some years ago,’ explains Luca Formentini, president of the Lugana consorzio, ‘lake garda restaurants wouldn’t really feature the Lugana wines. Sommeliers and bar owners were rather sniffy about them. But that’s all changed, and most restaurants will lead their wine lists with a dozen different wines from here. That contributes to a growing recognition of the quality of lugana wines, which is why the area under vine has expanded considerably.’