My Latest in The Buyer:

How Burgundy is aped by Lugana Riservas and Bardolino reds

by L.M. Archer

Wine expert L.M. Archer discovers Lugana Riserva white wines and Bardolino reds from Northern Italy from producers Le Morette, Le Fraghe, Rizzardi, Zenato, and Ca’ Lojera and argues that they are a match for red and white Burgundy at a fraction of the price. The Consorzio di Tutela Chiaretto e Bardolino has been busy of late, putting its weight behind a charm offensive to promote this ancient wine region at the southern tip of Lake Garda, showcasing its two-year aged white Riservas and reintroducing three historic sub-zones developed during the 19th century. These include the northern foothills of Montebaldo, the morainic, more Mediterranean, lakeside hills of La Rocca, and – warmer still – the, southern, gravelly hills of Sommacampagna.

Northern Italy’s Lake Garda wine region produces high-quality, age-worthy red and white wines comparable to Bourgogne, writes Archer.

 Lugana Riserva vs. Bourgogne Blanc

Nothing beats a complex Bourgogne blanc… like a Lugana Riserva white wine from Italy’s Lake Garda.

Famous for its young, easy-drinking light wines made from the local Trebbiano di Lugana (also known as Turbiana) grape, Lugana also offers a newer style – Lugana Riserva. Aged for at least 24 months on the lees, its creamy, layered texture resembles a Bourgogne blanc.

“Lugana is a sort of red wine dressed in white, because it continues to improve and evolve during its lifetime,” says Angelo Peretti, author and director of Consorzio di Tutela Chiaretto e Bardolino. Peretti credits acid-driven Turbiana grapes and distinctive regional clay soils for Lugana Riserva’s distinctive ageing capacity and minerality.

This ancient wine region on the southern end of Lake Garda introduced its Lugana Riserva programme in 2011. “The first bottle of Lugana Riserva Sergio Zenato was released in 1993, but only a few years ago, the term “Riserva” was included in the DOC’s discipline, starting with the 2011 vintage,” explains Nadia Zenato, daughter of Sergio Zenato, founder of Zenato Azienda Vitivinicola. “My father saw the potential of the local indigenous white grape variety Trebbiano di Lugana,when no one else believed in it.” READ MORE HERE.