Tag: Garda

Mountain wines overlooking Lake Garda – Italian Cuisine

It is time to discover and rediscover enchanting places and territories, such as Riva del Garda and Cembra. And their vineyards over 800 meters above sea level

On the ancient Bastion of Riva del Garda (early 16th century), now also reachable by a panoramic lift, the mild air that rises from the lake blows. It is theHour of Garda, the wind that caresses the territories surrounding the lake basin, especially in the north in the province of Trentino. Therefore in these places there is a unique microclimate in northern Italy, which attracts tourism, especially foreigners for at least nine months a year.

The submerged wine

The Lake Garda it is a bit like the Mediterranean of Northern Europe. Here, in fact, in addition to olive trees and vines, we even find prickly pears. The local oil mills from year to year are distinguished by the production of increasingly competitive and above all tasty oil. An extremely varied palette of hints and notes on the palate. From sweet to spicy. So much so that it would be worth visiting these places even just to take a tour dedicated to this product, tastings in purity and combinations with fish from the lake and meat dishes.

And then there is the Ora del Garda that blows on the vineyards, which nourish themselves by sinking their roots on soils that are definitely suited for native and international vines. Even at considerable heights. Indeed, here we find some of the best expressions of local viticulture. Right next to the sixteenth-century Bastion we taste an unprecedented bubble, Brezza Riva Riserva 2016, Classic Method Trento Doc. A limited edition sparkling wine of Chardonnay in purity from vineyards located on the high Tennese area, around 800 meters above sea level. An extremely fresh and direct Pas Dosé, a visit card of the territory. A wine that from June 2020 for 12 months will mature on the lees even at a depth of 38 meters, on the bottom of Lake Garda. A daring operation of Riva del Garda winery, conducted together with a team of divers. An experiment for which in the first 12-month maturation period on the lees, 1216 bottles will be lulled by the lake currents, subjected to a natural remuage, protected from light, at a constant temperature and pressure. We'll see. On the contrary: to taste.

Wine at high altitudes

And from the depths of the lake we move to the heights of Cembra, the valley of the Red Gold, or rather of porphyry, a stone so loved by the emperors on the threshold of the Middle Ages. See the sculpture of the Tetrarchs in Venice between the Basilica of San Marco and the Porta della Carta: they seem carved in wine! Stone that distinguishes the soils on which vines are grown from which sometimes excellent wines are obtained. Here, too, the Ora del Garda expires, and the grapes enjoy considerable temperature variations between day and night. Of course, harvesting in these parts is not child's play. The vineyards are planted on often steep and steep walls. But the harvest here has always been a celebration that involves the entire community. Like when it comes time to harvest the grapes of Müller Thurgau of Vigna delle Forche, a handkerchief of vines at almost 900 meters above sea level.
We did a vertical tasting of this wine, vintages 2013, 2015 and 2017. And, surprisingly, the most beautiful, the best is the last.
But yet, Cembra – Mountain Cellar uncorks three more bottles of a cru di Pinot Noir, Saosent vineyard. Vintages 2011, 2015 and 2016. We are 560 meters above sea level. The vineyard is arranged like an amphitheater and the resulting wine is a chorus of aromas on the nose. And it conquers the table with its unmistakable personality, also the result of a wise work in the cellar. Pinot Nero Vigna Saosent ages in tonneaux and barriques for 12/18 months before bottling and continues its refinement in the bottle for at least one year.

Where to eat and sleep a weekend in Riva del Garda

Lunch overlooking the lake (from above). To the Bastion Lounge & Restaurant, not only you can enjoy a truly remarkable panorama, but you can taste light dishes with quality raw materials, accompanied by wines from the region. While in the evening the cuisine is decidedly more gourmet and refined, with excellent raw fish.

A dinner that recalls the territory at every course. The Leon d’Oro restaurant with the interiors in Austro-Hungarian style, it immediately stands out for its noble and informal welcome. As in all of Trentino, more or less, of course. But here the staff are more inclined to talk than elsewhere. Not useless chatter, but on the plates of the paper. Even the (notable) wine list. Two tasting routes: fish (fresh water is excellent) and meat.

After Dinner

In Riva del Garda there is also no shortage of cocktail bars for lovers of mixing. And for lovers of gin and its many variations, here is a place to pop in before the lullaby. The Pub dell’Oca. Express your preferences and leave the rest to the barman.

Where to sleep

Where to sleep well without spending staggering amounts and receive discreet service? L'Hotel Villa Miravalle is a residence that dates back to the 19th century, but with all the comforts of today. Including the location a stone's throw from the center of Riva del Garda.

Peter Brunel, put the Nikkei kitchen (but not only) a stone's throw from Garda – Italian Cuisine

A few kilometers from Garda Trentino, the talented chef from Fassa is conquering gourmets with one of the most eclectic cuisine in Italy. With the extra touch of Nikkei vision, dear to him, and in a beautiful designer restaurant. We went to see him

Let's start with the surprise: to find in the menu of a restaurant on a "stradone" between Arco and Garda a tasting called Experience Nikkei is comparable to crossing the lake by kitesurfing after a one-hour course. It becomes doable clearly if your name is Peter Brunel and despite being Trentino doc (from Val di Fassa) you have a whimsical vision and a great cooking experience: on the subject, however, in 2014, at the service of the Lungarno Collection, launched the Nikkei Fusion Bar & Restaurant in Florence, in the light of his passion for Asia and Latin America. "With this restaurant I have made many little dreams come true," says Peter.

It opened a year ago

Back not far from home, thanks to a passionate entrepreneur such as Lorenzo Risatti, Brunel opened the sign that bears his name in a space of pure design, very bright and refined, with an international style. A real home, a place where Brunel can welcome guests with an informal and refined look at the same time. "To create the various areas, I worked alongside the architect, designing the tables and furniture. Then, I wanted to create a glass window framed like a large mirror, to show the pastry . They are 200 square meters, characterized by an elegant, smart and contemporary style, leaving nothing to chance. "For example, since the lake is one kilometer from the restaurant, I thought of creating a sort of swimming pool on sight, a pool that gives the sense of water, with three sails that are used to break the noise of the road and a waterfall, ”he explains.

A real home, elegant

A restaurant designed as a large apartment, with the intention of welcoming guests in different spaces depending on the gastronomic moment they experience, from a welcome drink to after dinner. Here then three areas, a living room and two rooms – the Gourmet and the Dehors overlooking the garden – in addition to the red and white wine cellar. An intimate space, characterized by the absence of doors and by many communicating environments, which are inspired by D'Annunzio's Vittoriale and the concept of pleasure. Velvets, designer light points, travel memories, but also colorful details and vegetal motifs surround the rooms and lounges complete with turntables, where guests are seated for a drink.

The three tasting

Let's go back to the kitchen. The 45-year-old Brunel is in a happy moment, and can be seen in the ability to propose dishes for three tasting menus, also allowing himself to hold a card with sixteen proposals that do not fit into it. The first is called The families of vegetables and the Garda olive, which should definitely be considered more like the green menu than the homage to the territory. The second is that of The great classics which allows you to taste again (or discover) many of Peter's excellent dishes, starting with the iconic Lofoten where three marinated anchovies arrive resting on a fennel breadstick held up by two supports, under sea water. The image recalls stockfish hung out to dry: the breadstick is broken with a fork and the anchovies fall into the "sea", in a game with a surprising taste. The third – incredible, considering where the restaurant is located – is theExperience Nikkei.

Trentino and Peru

It is one thing to be born in Lima and come to Italy preparing ceviche and tiradito for fans. Another is to be Italian and perhaps have done an internship in a large Peruvian restaurant to propose some Peruvian touches on the way back. Still another is to study the topic and create an entire menu that goes beyond the mere concept of uniting Trentino and Peru, because it includes foie gras, tequila, octopus and whiskey sour. It is not fusion, because the vision is absolutely personal and of clear Italian vision, since Brunel always finds the thread and in some cases touches remarkable peaks such as in Nikkei Pizza & Mountain Tuna: pink trout, quinoa wafer, red onion, white corn, sweet pepper and guacamole. Technique and imagination as in Cevice between lake and sea: char, trout, cuttlefish, sea bass, beetroot leche de tigre and coriander. But also that subtle balance between very different products: potato praline, white chocolate and broad beans, pork and chocolate that become the dessert 50 & 50.

A large cellar

We also enjoy the happy support of Christian Rainer – from St. Hubertus – who manages a young, attentive service, but above all manages a cellar where the Central European soul finds a series of dishes that are perfect for pairing. Obviously all the Italian and French cult are not lacking. The desserts are part of the Loretta Fanella's selection. In just one year since the opening, Brunel has already covered many miles despite the very strong wind upwind for three whole months: which gives great hope when he finds him downwind or downwind. After all, his launch pad was Riva del Garda, where he conquered in 2003 his first Michelin star when he was just 28 years old. It was time for him to go home, ultimately, given the result.

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The rediscovery of Lugana, the wine of Lake Garda – Italian Cuisine

An elegant and delicate white, to be enjoyed with a good dish based on lake fish, of course, but not only. Here is what we discovered by visiting the Tenuta Le Fornaci of the Tommasi Family Estates Group

The great wines of Veneto they are well known all over the world. They range from evergreen and always-ready-in-the-fridge Prosecco, the best-selling sparkling wine on the entire planet, to absolute excellence like his majestyAmarone, undoubtedly one of the most prestigious – and expensive – reds of the entire Italian wine heritage. Going to sift with more attention the Venetian territory and its surroundings, however, it is possible to come across wines that are undoubtedly less known, but absolutely to be rediscovered, if only as a direct expression of unique native vines. This is the case with the Lugana, elegant white obtained from Turbiana grapes, particularly interesting especially for its extreme versatility. So, to delve a little more into the universe of this wine, we decided to delve into the proposals of Le Fornaci Estate, the signed project Tommasi Family Estates which directly overlooks the shores of Lake Garda.

Lugana, the Doc of the lake

«A fertile plain south of Lake Garda. Vineyards neat and beautiful as paintings. A beneficial and caressing climate. Yesterday “Lucana”, an inhospitable place of woods and marshes, today an airy land, generous and welcoming like a garden . It is with these words of courtly charm that the Lugana Consortium presents us with its territory: a two-faced area, which stretches between the provinces of Brescia and Verona, for a total of over 2000 hectares of vineyards divided into two macro-zones. The first, wider with more tenacious and clayey soils, is substantially flat, and extends along the hinterland between Desenzano and Sirmione, giving the grapes – and therefore the wines – a particular minerality lacustrine. The second, of a more hilly nature, instead extends from the Monumental Tower of San Martino della Battaglia, and is characterized by more sandy soils, with a good presence of gravelly elements. The grapes from this area are generally characterized by a more marked one acidity. In short, the area of origin of the grapes can significantly affect the final peculiarities of Lugana: in the glass, in any case, we find most of the time the typical delicacy of this wine, characterized by gentle citrus notes.

The Fornaci and the evolution of Lugana

The Tommasi family enters the world of Lugana starting from a vine of about 5 hectares in the municipality of Desenzano del Garda, located near San Martino della Battaglia: the name of the estate, immediately baptized Le Fornaci, refers to a archaeological site of the area, which houses – in fact – a rare Roman furnace dating back to the 1st-2nd century AD. In 2013, 2 further plots were acquired, located in different areas of the Lugana Doc: to date, therefore, the estate includes a total of 45 hectares of vineyards, located partly inland and partly towards Lake Garda, at the gates of Sirmione. An expansion that has also brought with it further investments on the front ofwine tourism, with the inauguration on the horizon of a new wine bistro and a new cellar dedicated exclusively to the processing of Turbiana grapes; and which, at the same time, has determined a natural evolution of the wine produced: the result is a Lugana Doc Le Fornaci in continuous improvement, which in its 2019 version offers notes of pineapple, mango, grapefruit, with a sapid and mineral finish that it resists in the mouth, leaving a very pleasant freshness on the palate. "For the future," he anticipates Giancarlo Tommasi, winemaker of the Tommasi Family Estates Group, "we have two new products in the pipeline: Le Fornaci Lugana Doc Riserva version, vintage 2018, and a new Le Fornaci Rosé, which intends to become a premium rosé wine purely dedicated to catering".

How Lugana is paired

Among the main characteristics of Lugana we find without any doubt the versatility: the delicacy of this white, which almost seems to represent all the elegance of the Garda coasts in a glass, means that it can be drunk practically throughout the meal, even starting with the simplest toast at aperitif time. For the rest, as he points out Andrea Bottarel, director of the Lugana Consortium, «we are faced with a wine that obviously marries perfectly the typical dishes of its territory, starting with preparations based on lake fish. But it is perfectly capable of supporting even tastier first courses, risotto, white meats such as chicken or rabbit, and yes, even sea fish, if not excessively processed and seasoned. A very interesting combination, in this sense, can also be that with Japanese cuisine . Or with thehaute cuisine del Garda, as shown by the menu developed by the chef Fabrizio Molterni of the restaurant The Speranzina from Sirmione, and accompanied step by step, course after course by Lugana Le Fornaci: salmon trout tartare alla pizzaiola, complete with key ingredients of the pizza laid on a base of lake fish; risotto with tench jus, capers, lemon and extra virgin olive oil; and zander à la poele, with courgette in butter glaze and red wine sauce.