Tag: Lake

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.

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.

On Lake Orta: haute cuisine, relaxation and excursions – Italian Cuisine

A romantic getaway to the lake that becomes a food and wine discovery of the area

Italians have always preferred the sea or the mountains for holidays, not considering lakes as a destination for excursions.
In Piedmont there is a small pearl, which many envy us, Lake Orta. A little over an hour's drive from Milan and Turin, a favorite destination more for foreign tourists (French and Swiss in the lead) than for our own. Here, the Swiss and Germans have purchased many of the beautiful villas that we see on the shores of the lake, second homes overlooking one of the most romantic bodies of water in the world, with the island of San Giulio in the center.

Pella

If Orta San Giulio is the most famous and well-known town, the most lively is Pella with its village, which offers moments of true tranquility: the birdsong at dawn, the view of the sailboats sailing peacefully on the most peaceful shore and silent of the lake, the one to the west.
In Pella we find a small hotel that is a real favor, awarded in 2019 by Condé Nast Johansens as Best WaterSide Hotel 2020, Fantini house: only 11 rooms, a mix of period and high tech objects, a luxuriant garden and a swimming pool with waterfall make Fantini house the perfect destination for a stay of relaxation, well-being and haute cuisine.

The resident chef Paolo Bullone, originally from Vercelli, was born into a family of farmers: both the grandmother and the great-grandmother raised farmyard animals and managed the garden. The chef grew up with the idea of raw material, care and quality in each product. The naturalness that marked his cooking, something that he didn't have to learn, but that is in his DNA.
He is a very curious person, he loves to go in search of excellence, he always tastes a product before proposing it, he loves comparison with colleagues. For this reason, during the restaurant's closing periods, he travels in search of ever new techniques and dishes and new stimuli.

Technique, knowledge of the raw material and deep study of tradition are the secrets of Paolo Bullone.
Although he prefers to think of the kitchen – and restaurant – of Casa Fantini as an exclusive cocoon corner, where guests must first of all feel at ease, like at home. Very often the menus and dishes are created following the needs of customers, satisfying their tastes. A tailor made service in all respects. This also happens for the 7-course tasting menu. You can have lunch or dinner à la carte, in the large lounge located on the ground floor of the structure, or by the pool or next to the garden.

On the Casa Fantini website are listed the offers and some special stay packages, adaptable to your needs.

The excursions

Visit to the Island of San Giulio and the basilica, which contains frescoes and works of art from different eras. Do not miss the ancient Romanesque ambo (pulpit for the proclamation of the Gospel, XII century) one of the few, all over the world, to have remained intact; for this reason it is the subject of research for many scholars who arrive on the island from all over the globe.

A walk along the whole island it will allow you to admire the shores of the lake from a different angle.
During the year, the island is inhabited by the Sisters of the Convent of San Giulio Island and by two people residing here. In the summer months it is populated by tourists and the owners of the villas.
In one of the villas on the island of San Giulio, in 2016, they shot the film "The correspondence" by Giuseppe Tornatore, with Jeremy Irons among the protagonists.

The monastic products of the Germagno Monastery (VB), construction located on the slopes of Mount Massone and which protrudes like a natural balcony on Lake Orta. Here they produce honey, jams, jams and some spirits, all handmade by the monks.
The monks have recovered and reclaimed ancient terraces, where they grow brushwood and fruit.
To contact the Monastery: Monastero@monasterogermagno.it

Wines

Boca D.o.c
It is the most northeastern and highest wine-growing area in Piedmont (420-520 m).
It is located in the province of Novara, between Valsesia and Lake Orta.
To discover this rare wine and its terroir, book a visit to the cellar with tasting.
Among the producers: Silvia Barbaglia, Cantine del Castello and Le Piane, which offer excellent products in the area, Boca Doc but not only.