Learn About the Lombardy Wine Region Grapes and Wines

The beginning of the Italian wine trade in Lombardy is believed to have begun with the ancient Greeks, who arrived from Athens and settled along the Po River in the eighth century BC and soon began trading wine with the nearby Etruscans in what is now known as Tuscany. Similar to other regions throughout Europe, monasteries played a major role in developing and sustaining early vineyards and winemaking practices.

By the nineteenth century, northern Lombardy wines from the Valtellina were still described as being made in a “Greek-style,” while the Milanese of the capital were beginning to take notice of the wines to the region’s south, from Oltrèpo-Pavese. The last 70 years have brought major acclaim and attention to the area, thanks to the success of sparkling wines like Franciacorta DOCG.

The Lombardy region occupies the center spot of Northern Italy, bordered by Switzerland and the Alps to the north, Piedmont (Piemonte) to the west, Emilia-Romagna to the south, and Veneto to the west.

Lombardy holds 5 DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) and 21 DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) titles, as well as 15 IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which celebrates individual localities) classifications across 13 winemaking zones.

• Valtellina: Valtellina is an alpine region that makes very small quantities of wine from vineyards that have an average vine age of 50 years. Valtellina has maintained a reputation for wine since the fifth century BC. Its steep slopes mean that harvesting is done by hand (which accounts for those smaller than usual quantities), and traditional techniques for controlling soil erosion—the placement of long, narrow stakes at equal points along the rows of vines—are still employed today. Valtellina Superiore DOCG is a wine made from chiavennasca, the local name for nebbiolo. Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG is another specialty of the region, a wine similar to Amarone from raisined grapes dried for 100 days in the cool, alpine air.
• Garda Bresciano: Garda Bresciano is best known for the wines made in one of its subzones along the western shores of Lake Garda, Valtènesi. Wine production in Valtènesi is centered around the red groppello grape, bolstered by marzemino, sangiovese, and barbera, which are used to make both a still varietal wine and chiaretto, a pale pink rosato-style wine. (Chiarettos are also produced on the opposite shores of Lake Garda, in Veneto’s Bardolino.)
• Valcalepio: In northwestern Lombardy between Lake Iseo and Lake Como in the province of Bergamo is Valcalepio, which produces red Bordeaux-style blends of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, chardonnay or pinot bianco-based whites, and dessert wines made in the passito style with its own DOC title, Moscato di Scanzo.
• Franciacorta: Franciacorta, located in the Brescia province in the hills south of Lake Iseo, is best known as the eponymous producer of one of Italy’s premiere sparkling wines. First created in the 1950s as an attempt at a Champagne-style wine, Franciacorta wine quickly caught on with local winemakers. Forty years later, it had earned the area DOCG status. The region also continues to produce still wines under DOC title, which are sold under the name Curtefranca. Franciacorta DOCG wines are made in the méthode champenoise (here called metodo classico, as per EU law) using chardonnay, pinot nero, and pinot bianco. The area benefits both from warm temperatures coming off of the nearby Po River plains and the cooling night air that rolls off the Alps at night, creating a diurnal swing that results in grapes with bright acidity and naturally high sugar content—which means less dosage in the final bottling and a zippy, fresh mouthfeel.
• Cellatica: Franciacorta’s neighbor in the province of Brescia is Cellatica, which sits at the southernmost foothills of the Alps. This small region is focused on red wine production, mostly producing blends from marzemino, barbera, and schiava grapes, with a small percentage of ‘incrocio terzi no. 1,’ a hybrid of barbera and cabernet franc.
• Botticino: Sandwiched between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda in the general province of Brescia, the Botticino DOC designation technically includes the towns of Brescia and nearby Rezzato. Barbera and marzemino are the dominant grape varieties in the area, which produces rosso and rosso riserva wines.
  
• Capriano del Colle: Located in the southwest corner of the Brescia province, Capriano del Colle produces both red and white wines, the latter dominated by variants of trebbiano: Trebbiano di Soave, trebbiano di Lugana (recently determined to be verdicchio), and trebbiano Toscano. Its rosso blends are divided into descending percentages of marzemino, merlot, and sangiovese.
• San Martino della Battaglia: Centered between Brescia and Verona on the southern shore of Lake Garda, San Martino della Battaglia is known as a producer of sweet, fortified dessert wines made with friulano grapes (formerly known as tocai friulano, but since renamed after a 1995 court ruling assigned the right to variations of the name ‘tokay’ to the Tokaj wines of Hungary).
• Lugana: To the southeast of San Martino della Battaglia and right on the southern tip of Lake Garda is Lugana, a small region dedicated to white wines made from the turbiana grape (originally thought to be a variant of trebbiano called trebbiano di Lugana, but recently determined to be verdicchio).
• San Colombano al Lambro: The wines of San Colombano al Lambro, located in the province of Milan, are centered around red croatina (also known as bonarda) and barbera grapes.
• Garda Mantovano: Located in the province of Mantua, the lake region of Garda Mantovano produces white wines from variants of trebbiano as well as garganega, a grape most often associated with Soave in Veneto. Red wines are most often a blend of merlot and molinara grapes.
• Lambrusco Mantovano: Lambrusco Mantovano DOC in the province of Mantua is the only appellation allowed to produce lambrusco outside of Emilia-Romagna. It’s a relatively new designation, though winemaking in the region has roots in Benedictine times; the lambrusco is made in dry or semi-dry rosso and rosato styles, with a ruby-red hue and earthy floral notes of violet.
• Oltrepò Pavese (Sangue di Giuda dell’Oltrepò Pavese): Once considered a part of Piedmont, Oltrepò Pavese in the province of Pavia has long been one of the centers of the region’s wine production, accounting for more than half of the wine made in Lombardy. Situated along the River Po, Oltrepò Pavese is Lombardy’s second sparkling-focused region, along with Franciacorta; its DOCG wines are made primarily with grapes from the Pinot family, specifically Pinot nero (noir), though some variations may also use pinot bianco and pinot grigio. Its still red wines typically feature blends made with barbera, pinot nero, croatina, and uva rara grapes.

Lombardy’s natural surroundings are incredibly beneficial to its wine production: The nearby Alps trap warmth during the day, and provide a cooling effect at night, while the four lakes across the region—Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Lake Iseo, and Lake Garda—help to regulate temperatures in the surrounding vines year-round.

1. 1. Chiavennasca: Chiavennasca is the Lombardy name for nebbiolo, a red wine grape that produces iconic, highly regarded wines in Italy and grows almost nowhere else. Only relatively small quantities of this high-quality wine are produced by old winemaking families, which helps maintain the grape’s elite reputation. Rossola nera, native to Valtellina, is a descendant of nebbiolo used in that area’s famed expressions of the grape.
2. 2. Merlot: Italy is the third largest grower of merlot worldwide. Vines grown in northern Italian regions like Lombardy are considered examples of a “cooler climate” merlot: An earthier, more savory finish, with notes of boysenberry, tobacco, fig, licorice, herbs.
3. 3. Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet sauvignon grapes were first introduced to the Italian Piedmont region in the early 1800s. More recently, the grape has become famous (and, in some circles, controversial) for its inclusion in “Super Tuscan” wines of Tuscany, and has become more popular in blends from eastern Lombardy in the Lake Garda region.
4. 4. Croatina/Bonarda: A red wine grape with roots in Croatia, croatina is primarily used for blends in the region of Oltrepò Pavese. Its character is similar to that of the celebrated dolcetto grape in Piedmont, with rich color and medium tannins accenting its notes of ripe red fruit.
5. 5. Uva Rara: A common complement to croatina, uva rara grapes are notably soft with a full bouquet on the nose, but lacking on the palate, making them better suited as an addition to blends.
6. 6. Corvina: Corvina is famously a component of the Valpolicella wines of Verona, like amarone, but its signature sour cherry notes can be found in many blends throughout the Garda regions of Lombardy.
7. 7. Groppello: Known as Rossignola on the Veneto-side of Lake Garda, this red wine grape is native to Valtenesi and results in a medium-bodied wine leaning towards the savory, nutty side of the spectrum, rather than fruit.
8. 8. Lambrusco: There are over 60 related varieties of lambrusco grape, but the most common varieties are: Lambrusco salamino (the most widely planted) lambrusco grasparossa, lambrusco maestri, lambrusco marani, and lambrusco di sorbara. Though lambrusco is often thought of as a sweet wine, lambrusco can be produced in either a dry or sweet style.
9. 9. Barbera: Barbera wines are juicy, drinkable light-bodied red wines that can be thought of as the Italian answer to Beaujolais—it’s a traditional, workhorse wine of the people that is experiencing a minor renaissance as more well-made examples are reaching the market.
10. 10. Pinot noir (Pinot nero): Pinot noir’s flavor profile varies widely depending on the grapes’ provenance and growing conditions: In Italy, plantings of the grape are concentrated in Oltrepò Pavese, and its wines emerge with notes of black currants, white flowers, and vanilla. Some winegrowers produce a vinified white pinot nero.
11. 11. Chardonnay: The green-skinned chardonnay grape is characterized by its malleability, meaning it can effectively take on the influences of its terroir and different winemaking techniques. Chardonnay has a long history of cultivation throughout France and the rest of Europe, especially in Italy—after many of Italy’s native grapes suffered in the aftermath of the phylloxera epidemic, Chardonnay single-handedly helped to restore regions like Franciacorta, now a champion of the grape with its renowned sparkling wine.
12. 12. Riesling Italico (Welschriesling): Though it shares a name, riesling Italico is unrelated to the riesling grape native to the Rhine region of Germany, which goes by the name riesling renano. Lombardy’s proximity to its alpine, northern neighbors means that both grapes are occasionally used in varietal wines or blends. Riesling italico is known primarily for its neutral flavor palate and boost of acid it brings to a wine.
13. 13. Pinot grigio: A popular grape variety that produces a light, refreshing white wine, pinot grigio is a white wine grape varietal from the pinot grape family, which includes pinot blanc (pinot bianco) and pinot noir (pinot nero). In Lombardy, wines produced with pinot grigio are on the dry side, and most DOC blends require a minimal fraction of the national grape to be included.
14. 14. Moscato: The moscato grape is thought to be one of the oldest varietals in the world. Though the white moscato grape is most associated with Asti in Piedmont, where it’s used to produce Moscato d’Asti, a sweet, sparkling wine, it’s also grown in Lombardy, featured in wines coming out of regions like Valcalepio, where it’s dried and used in a passito-style dessert wine.
15. 15. Turbiana, or Verdicchio: With notes of spiced, tangy apricot and subtle white flowers, this white wine grape is championed foremost by the region of Lugana. The region’s clay soils and high mineral content result in wines with an almost tropical feel, with heady, puckery notes of pineapple and mandarin oranges giving way to bitter, grassy green almonds, which smooths out with aging into something deeply nutty and warm. Sparkling variations from the area are more angled towards stone fruit and soft pear.

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