Lugana DOC wine, anatomy of a success

The success of the Lugana DOC denomination lies in the fact that its territory is unique in its kind and the companies producing the wine are all small to medium-sized. Yes, it is true, today we also find large wine groups that have invested in these territories, but they are doing so now that the boom of Lugana wines is already well established. 

The Lugana area, which is the lakeside hinterland south of the Lago di Garda, was in ancient times, until the end of the eighteenth century, a damp, marshy place and in some cases even inhospitable. Imagine that the Scaliger domain, when it had to confine subjects who had committed improper acts, sent them right to these lands, fully aware of all the difficulties they would encounter. Today, on the other hand, they are sunny, bright lands, full of colors that only water-rich soils can express.

Lugana is a transregional and transprovincial denomination: between Lombardy and Veneto, between the provinces of Brescia and Verona. A vineyard that emerged in the 1950s thanks to the initiative of some visionary men who understood the great potential of Trebbiano in these clay-silt soils. Among them are certainly Sergio Zenato, Pietro Dal Cero, the Fraccaroli family, the Contato family, the Montresor family, and many others.

Lugana produces wines of great freshness, character, elegance, and longevity. It is one of the few white wines that guarantees thrilling vintage experiences when delving back several decades. Impossible? Don’t believe it? If you have the opportunity, try it! But there is a reason for such predisposition. First and foremost, the clayey and, in some places, sandy and silty soils offer a mineral structural composition that allows the wine to possess excellent acidity and, typically, a low pH, two real shields against oxidation.

The Trebbiano in Lugana is no longer called that: it has acquired phenotypically a perfect adaptation, gaining specific characteristics. In practice, it has become a new grape variety, and today we can define it as indigenous. It is called Turbiana and wraps the shores of the southern area of Lake Garda and the hills behind, towards the province of Mantova. The Turbiana is a grape variety that has very floral and fruity traits and here it develops pleasant performances of citrus and exotic fruits. Very savory, Lugana wines always have a particularly broad and defined fullness on the palate. Persistent, with a finish of dried fruit or tropical fruit. A perfect wine for fish dishes, especially during the spring and summer periods. 

The number of producers is growing, and the arrival of large wine realities is a bit frightening, but the roots and style created by the founders of this vineyard will be difficult to chip away by these expansion initiatives. Lugana is one of the territories today with the greatest appeal, especially receiving much attention from Northern European countries and Germany. But Lugana is a wine that is very popular even in other major international districts with excellent prospects in the new Asian markets. 

The value of the grapes is ten times higher than other historic realities, such as that of Soave. This added value depends on the fact that it is a highly sought-after wine, with a robust and substantial market. It is very much appreciated for its fruity fragrance, for its versatility at the table, for its freshness, and for its savoriness.

It is a contemporary wine and in a certain sense modern, for the tastes of a cuisine that is increasingly evolving towards the use of exotic spices and other innovative raw materials. 
You never get tired of drinking an excellent Lugana. We at Spaghetti & Mandolino have chosen Pratello, a small reality that produces organic wine. You won’t be disappointed. 

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M