Tales from Lake Garda: The reds and rosés of Bardolino

The versatile styles produced in this lakeside corner of Veneto are the perfect answer to a lunchtime tipple or a weekend with friends

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Bardolino is a supremely beautiful part of the wine world, draped over the lowlands and slopes of the southeastern corner of Italy's iconic Lake Garda.

To the south, the Po Valley basks in the summer heat; to the north, the river Adige winds its way up towards the Alps.

There is a timeless majesty to the place, whose ancient sedimentary soils – deposited by glaciers tens of thousands of years ago - have been home to vineyards since at least Roman times. Apart from the speedboats leaving their white, arrow-shaped wakes across the lake, the peaceful landscape has barely changed over the centuries.

A distinctive regional style

Bardolino’s key varieties are all red, the main grapes being Corvina and Corvinone. These grapes, each native to this area of northeast Italy, are blended in different proportions from producer to producer. But the region's red wine style is distinctive and recognisable: medium-bodied, balanced wines with gentle tannin and acidity.