It’s a wine lover’s dream. Oltrepò Pavese, in southern Lombardy, has a fascinating hilly landscape, a mosaic of vineyards contoured by woodland, a sprinkling of castles and stone villages, and an intriguing variety of wineries making diverse wines. Pretty much undiscovered by tourism, it’s home to some of Italy’s most highly regarded Riesling and Pinot Nero (the latter in versions ranging from bone-dry DOCG spumante to riserva) alongside enticing local varieties such as the vibrant, juicy red Croatina.

The signs are there: Oltrepò Pavese is on the so-called ‘45th parallel’ (the imaginary line halfway between the equator and the North Pole that also includes Bordeaux, the northern Rhône and Piedmont) and on the map the area even resembles a bunch of grapes. This wedge of land is bordered by Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia Romagna, and takes influences from each. It starts on the plains south of the Po river (Oltrepò Pavese means ‘Pavia’s lands beyond the Po’) and stretches southwards, rising up to a lofty 1,725m above sea level.

The Oltrepò hills enjoy regular breezes – essential for protecting delicate Pinot Nero grapes from humidity – and considerable day-night temperature swings which help to develop the elegant aromas that winemakers strive for. According to regional figures, there are about 3,000ha of Pinot Nero planted, and production of this variety in Oltrepò Pavese represents 75% of Italy’s national output.

Family background

Pinot Nero was first planted here in the mid-19th century by Conte Vistarino, great-great-grandfather of the eponymous estate’s current owner Ottavia, one of many dynamic younger-generation producers now running Oltrepò wineries. She recognises the importance of her 300ha of woodland with its richness of biodiversity. Investments at the vast 826ha estate (102ha under vine), east of Montalto Pavese, include eco-friendly cellar technology and downsized wine production focusing on quality. Traditional-method/metodo classico sparkling expressions have always taken centre-stage here, and in addition to sparkling wines such as the lemon-fresh, 60 month matured 100% Pinot Nero 1865, the estate produces a wide range of still wines including three Pinot Nero riserva crus (among them the DWWA 2024 Silver medal-winner Pernice 2020) and expressive Riesling from vines on chalky terrain.

The great variety of soils is key to the quality and character of Oltrepò wines. Even on small estates, winemakers are able to select grapes from vines planted on clay, sand, chalk or gravel-based soils on north- or south-facing plots. ‘We have lots of fun here,’ confirms Giulio Fiamberti with characteristic enthusiasm.

His tours are fun, too, with barrel tastings and impromptu blends. Fiamberti’s family has been producing wine for more than 200 years in the picturesque hills of Canneto Pavese, where slopes can be challengingly steep. This spot is home to Buttafuoco DOC – a rich, spicy, fruit-filled red made principally with Croatina and Barbera, plus Uva Rara and Vespolina (locally known as Ughetta) – and the still, frizzante and spumante Sangue di Giuda DOC sweet reds from the same varieties. The Buttafuoco Storico association, created in 1996 to uphold classic versions of Buttafuoco, such as Fiamberti’s Vigna Solenga, has a self-imposed protocol calling for three-year ageing and single-vineyard field blends of the traditional grapes.

Innovative thinking

At the eastern edge of Oltrepò Pavese, Alessio Brandolini was the first to produce metodo classico sparkling Pinot Nero at his family winery near San Damiano al Colle, making deliciously versatile rosé and white versions. As Brandolini explains: ‘Throughout Oltrepò Pavese, spumante is made with very low, or no, dosage as our wines have so much natural structure we simply don’t need the sugar.’ He is currently experimenting with ‘perpetual reserve’ solera-system spumante, as well as making intensely fragrant Croatina. Nearby, at Santa Maria della Versa, the Calatroni winery offers weekend lunches with estate wines (the Riva Rinetti Pas Dosé 2018 won a Silver at this year’s DWWA), and activities that include cookery classes and vineyard treks.

Another winemaker passionate about experimenting is Roberto Gerbino of Le Fracce, situated further west near Casteggio, an important wine centre since ancient times, with a high concentration of historic wineries in striking locations. Featuring an elegant residence originally built as a convent in the 17th century, the estate is run by a foundation created by its late owner to promote research and knowledge in wine production and art. There’s a gallery of ‘outsider art’, and remarkable collections of vintage cars and carriages. In the vineyards, Gerbino is implementing the results of a major project into water stress management. His wines include a refined Zero Dosage Pinot Nero, and reds combining Pinot Nero with Croatina and Barbera.

Micro-vinifications are the order of the day both at Le Fracce and at neighbouring winery Tenuta Mazzolino, where 39 plots have been identified over the 20ha of vineyards surrounding a charming villa and garden. Owner Francesca Seralvo took over from her grandfather 10 years ago and benefits from the long-term consultancy of leading Burgundy winemaker Kyriakos Kynigopoulos for wines that include sublime Chardonnay and Pinot Nero.

My perfect day in Oltrepò Pavese

Morning

Start the day with a swim in the salt-water biopool overlooking vines at Prime Alture. After breakfast on the terrace or in the light-filled restaurant, it’s just a 10-minute drive to Tenuta Frecciarossa. Meet the owners and stroll through the estate accompanied by their good-natured dogs. See farm animals and a great variety of plant life as well as the vines.

Lunch & afternoon

Stay for lunch at the delightful farmhouse, perhaps risotto with home-grown vegetables, paired with the estate’s metodo classico Riesling. Head south into the hills, stopping to enjoy views over the stunning Tenuta Travaglino estate from its Big Bench viewpoint, continue past Montalto Pavese and its hilltop castle before reaching Rocca de’ Giorgi. Here at Tenuta Conte Vistarino, where the area’s first Pinot Nero was planted, dive into the heritage of Oltrepò Pavese and taste different renditions of the Pinot Nero grape.

Evening

Taking a 20-minute drive north to Canneto Pavese, stop first at Casa del Buttafuoco Storico wine bar for a tasting of traditional Buttafuoco wines, then for dinner at Ristorante Bazzini. Try typical braised beef-filled ravioli and cheeses from Il Boscasso here, with wine from the long list of exclusively Oltrepò Pavese labels. End the day back at Prime Alture, where you can open a bottle from the in-room wine fridge and enjoy the night air on the patio.

Holiday vibes

Pinot Nero is the undisputed sovereign among Oltrepò Pavese grape varieties and while most producers make a range of different styles, Ballabio, founded in 1905, makes nothing but metodo classico, with fantastic results. Its range takes the name Farfalla (‘butterfly’) in reference to the shape of its most prestigious plot. Pinot Nero dominates the 20ha under vine at Ballabio’s neighbour, century-old Tenuta Frecciarossa, where the atmosphere is of a bucolic idyll. Cattle, chickens and bees contribute to the biodiversity. Owner Valeria Radici-Odero aims for sustainability and, as far as possible, self-sufficiency, using home-produced flour, fruit and vegetables at the estate restaurant.

Also with restaurant and rooms, the stylish Prime Alture wine resort is run with brio by Roberto Lechiancole, an aerospace entrepreneur from Milan who had no idea of the beauty of Oltrepò Pavese until flying over by helicopter seeking a countryside property to buy elsewhere. Vines surround the resort and Lechiancole lives above the winery. ‘I feel like I’m permanently on holiday,’ he jokes, radiating his intense love for the place. Nearby in Calvignano village, Tenuta Travaglino is an extraordinary place, where fallow deer roam the park and wine cellars can be found in a 12th-century monastery owned by the same family since 1868. Riesling Renano – rather than the less complex Riesling Italico – was introduced in the 1970s and shows its ageworthiness in wines such as the Campo della Fojada riserva.

Nature & nurture

While the vines stop at about 600m, it is well worth venturing further into the hills for more spectacular panoramas and villages such as Zavattarello, dominated by the imposing Castello dal Verme. There’s lots for walkers and cyclists here and throughout Oltrepò, and nearby at Valverde there is a nature reserve boasting an exceptional diversity of butterflies. About 12km south is the attractive stone-built centre of Varzi, a village celebrated for its fragrant salami made with superior cuts of pork and garlic soaked in red wine. Most wineries offer some with tastings, while the dedicated Che Salame! festival takes place here each June.

Spring and autumn are ideal times for visiting Oltrepò Pavese. With tastings, tours and events, the Oltrepò Festival is held in May, while in early October (5-7th this year) Pinot Nero in all its versions is celebrated with an international event, and local food and wine is showcased at Autunno Pavese (4-7th) in Pavia.

How to get there

Oltrepò Pavese is about 60km south of Milan Linate airport, 80km north of Genoa, or an hour’s drive from each.

Your Oltrepò Pavese address book

Accommodation

Borgo dei Gatti

Accommodation is in a selection of beautifully restored houses in the lovely village of Golferenzo. Breakfast is brought to your door, and there’s a spa as well as an excellent restaurant, wine bar and pizzeria.

La Locanda Calvignano

Five simple rooms decorated with a light contemporary touch, with inspiring views and a restaurant serving traditional dishes. On the main road west of Montalto Pavese, it’s owned by the Tenuta Travaglino estate, an easy 10-minute walk away.

Prime Alture

This welcoming, quietly refined winery resort in the countryside south of Casteggio has six spacious rooms, each with a wine fridge and coffee machine. There is an open-air saltwater pool, wellness area and restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic terrace. primealture.it

Restaurants

All’Avamposto

Enjoy a meal over the majestic river Po with delightful views from the cabin-style interior or terrace of this informal restaurant in Portalbera. Daily dishes might include perch-filled pasta and local charcuterie. Boat trips with lunch are also organised.

Borgo Santuletta

A dizzying array of vintage furnishings and decor characterise this agriturismo with bedrooms, a pool and picturesque farmyard in Santa Giuletta. The fixed-menu meals, which are paired with impressive estate wines, incorporate home-produced vegetables and eggs.

Frecciarossa

An enchanting farmhouse location at Tronconero with courtyard tables, gorgeous interiors, and dishes made with estate sourced vegetables, flour and eggs all make this winery ideal for a weekend lunch. Simple accommodation is also available.

Things to do

Cheese at Il Boscasso

In Ruino, visit the herd of 50-plus alpine goats and buy award-winning goat cheeses, including saffron-flavoured and blue cheeses (call in advance). Better still, book for Sunday lunch to enjoy cheese-based dishes with local wines.

Village to village

The area’s many charming villages include Zavattarello, dominated by the impressive medieval Dal Verme castle and Varzi, famed for its prestige DOP salami and the starting point of the 90km Via del Sale walking trail south to Portofino.

Wine tasting

For tastings and purchases of Oltrepò Pavese wines, or just to enjoy a glass, visit Enoteca Regionale della Lombardia just 4km southwest of Broni and Casa del Buttafuoco Storico in Vigalone, southeast of Broni. Both have wine bars serving traditional snacks and lunches.

Related articles

• São Paulo travel guide: The peerless itinerary for wine lovers
• Sanlúcar de Barrameda: A wine lover’s guide
• Cape Town: Best restaurants and bars for wine lovers

Susan Hulme MW, Vincenzo Arnese and Sara Bachiorri tasted 46 wines with 16 Highly recommended and 26 recommended.

Lugana white wines: Panel tasting scores

46 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 0

Highly recommended 16

Recommended 26

Commended 4

Fair 0

Poor 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their Lugana DOC dry white wines, either from the 2022 vintage or, if a Riserva, from the most recent vintage

Lugana is a white wine from the southern shores of Lake Garda. Cradled in a beautiful spot in the hills around the town of Sirmione, between the towns of Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano, Lugana DOC is one of the few Italian wine denominations that crosses two regions: Lombardy and Veneto.

The DOC was set up in 1967 and covers 2,600 hectares. It permits five different designations – annata (the regular wine of the vintage), Superiore, Riserva, late harvest and spumante (sparkling) – although most wines produced are dry whites.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Lugana white wines panel tasting

Wines must be made from 90% Trebbiano di Soave or Trebbiano di Lugana (known locally as Turbiana). Recent DNA analysis has found that Turbiana is almost identical to Verdicchio, the white variety found in the Marche, but there are enough small differences to suggest it is a biotype of this variety rather than a clone.

Dry Lugana wines can be crisp and refreshing, with a range of delicate aromas and flavours ranging from citrus and green apple to peach. The acidity is fresh but gentle, and there is often a pleasant bitter almond taste on the finish. Some examples also feature a savoury and salty minerality.

This panel tasting of Lugana dry whites presented us with many pleasant and enjoyable wines, without any extreme highs or lows. We tasted 46 wines, 32 of which were the entry-level annata wines, along with 12 Riserva and two Superiore. Seven of the Riserva wines had seen some kind of oak, but the other five were made only in stainless steel.

See all the wines from the Lugana white wines panel tasting

The category showed well, with half of the Riserva wines earning a Highly recommended score (‘silver’ medal equivalent) and five Recommended (‘high bronze’). And the panel was very consistent in its judgements. Based on the average of all three judges’ scores, 16 wines were scored at 90 points or more, 16 scored 88-89pts and 14 scored 85-87pts.

Vincenzo Arnese commented: ‘The first impression is that, overall, the appellation produces good-quality wines at all levels, yet it is difficult for individual wines to stand out. The main reason is [because of] what Trebbiano di Lugana is capable of achieving as a grape itself.’

Sara Bachiorri agreed that ‘overall quality was very good’, explaining: ‘We encountered a range of flavour profiles from the crisp and salty wines to the more tropical ones, with various degrees of oak influence. Most wines also had a lovely texture; they were more persistent than expected. It is easy to imagine enjoying a glass or two on the lake shores in spring and summer!’

These wines are not overly complex, but they are charming, fruity and easy to drink, and they pair well with a wide range of dishes. My personal preference is for the unoaked, citrus-focused, leesy, mineral examples, which showcase a deliciously taut and lively character: it’s easy to see why these wines are becoming so popular.

Lugana white wines panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Susan Hulme MW is a wine writer, editor, educator and presenter specialising in Italy. She runs her own wine training and consultancy company Vintuition and travels regularly to Italy’s wine regions. Now focusing more on her writing, she is Italian editor for The Wine Independent.

Vincenzo Arnese is director of wine at Raffles London at the OWO. Born in Naples, he worked at top hotels in Italy, Switzerland and Australia, and later Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. A DWWA judge, in 2022 he won the coveted title of Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year

Sara Bachiorri is in the buying team at merchant WoodWinters. A DWWA judge, she was formerly head sommelier at The Glasshouse in Kew then Chez Bruce in London, followed by a stint at Italian specialist merchant FortyFive10°.

Related articles

• Piedmont Dolcetto: Panel tasting results
• New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: Panel tasting results
• Portuguese whites: Panel tasting results

To call the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni an icon of Lake Como is to almost undersell its gilt-edged status. For 150 years – more than 100 of them under the stewardship of the Bucher family, who still own and operate it today – this palatial grande dame has dominated the lakefront of picturesque Bellagio, drawing the crème-de-la-crème of aristocracy, politicians and film stars.

The likes of Winston Churchill, JFK and FDR have graced the rambling suites overlooking the mountain-backed lake. Personalities such as Douglas Fairbanks, Al Pacino and Monica Bellucci have dined under a swirl of frescoed angels in its vast breakfast room or sipped spritzes by the piano in the gilded marble-columned lounge.

Bucher family members work tirelessly to keep the hotel looking fresh, from the hand-stitched Como silk duvets to the shimmering Murano glass chandeliers. Service is as polished as the exquisite silverware. The wine cellar is stacked with treasures. While the rest of the world rushes by in a blur of tech and modernity, within these walls time stands blissfully still.

Food and wine

The bedrooms are every bit as opulent as you’d hope – particularly the pair of presidential suites. The one occupied by Churchill boasts the remnants of a historic chapel, alongside antique wood furniture and oil paintings. But for gourmands the real appeal of a stay at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is in the culinary programme.

Lunches of freshly landed lake fish can be enjoyed at an eatery overlooking the pool. Meanwhile casual evenings feature bergamot-infused spritzes on the open-air terrace. They’re accompanied by a parade of crafted canapés featuring king crab, lobster and caviar.

The pièce de resistance, however? The central glass-lined terrace Mistral Restaurant, overlooking the lake in all its glory. Here white-suited waiters deliver a precise tasting menu from chef Ettore Bocchia. His menus feature ethically produced Spanish foie gras from Eduardo Sousa, the hotel’s signature peacock tortellini (it may sound unusual, but it’s delicious) and expertly cooked turbot.

The wine list contains a number of exciting listings such as Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino 1990, Antinori Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino 1995 and Cappellano Otin Fiorin Piè Rupestris Barolo 1998. But you can also ask the sommelier to explore more local Lombardy selections.

These include affordable reds from La Costa, such as San Giobbe Pinot Nero 2019. Or, for something truly unique, Luca Bellani’s organic Apnea Calata. This Pinot Nero spumante brut is harvested outside Milan and aged in the depths of Lake Como, where waves naturally riddle the bottles.

Out and about

Lombardy is home to some of northern Italy’s most beautiful landscapes, so it’s not hard to find appeal beyond the grounds of Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. Should you fancy a wine-based expedition, the hotel’s concierge can arrange a trip to the aforementioned La Costa to sample the full range – from the fresh Solesta Terre Lariane IGT white blend to the sticky Calido Muscat. They’ll arrange transfers to winery Nino Negri too, an hour and a half away in Lombardy’s Valtellina, where Nebbiolo takes focus.

Closer to home in Bellagio, experiences abound on the lake. Hire a polished wood Venetian-style boat for a zip along the blue, taking in the full splendour of the lakefront towns from the water and journeying towards landmark Villa del Balbianello. If it looks familiar, that’s because it has appeared in both Casino Royale and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

In Bellagio itself, there are cobbled streets full of boutiques and the manicured waterside botanical garden of Villa Melzi d’Eril. By the time you’ve finished, you’ll have earned your downtime back at the hotel. Chill out on the palm-studded beach terrace, where direct access to the lake waters allows for cooling dips in the height of summer.

Nightly rates at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni start from €577 for a Classic Park View Room. For more information, visit the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni website.

Related articles

• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Loisium Wine & Spa Hotel Champagne, France
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Les Sources de Cheverny, Loire, France
• Decanter’s Dream Destination: Pico Accommodation, Azores, Portugal

The Italian peninsula has historically benefited from the sea’s mitigating effect on the climate, whether hot or cold. Not by chance, the major anomalies of warming trends in 2020 came from the more continental towns such as Perugia (Umbria) at +2°C, Bologna (Emilia Romagna) +1.8°C and Turin (Piedmont) +1.6°C (source: Istat).

There are inland appellations, however, where water’s mitigating effect remains due to proximity to the lakes: for example, lake Iseo for Franciacorta; lake Garda for Lugana, Valpolicella, Bardolino; lake Maggiore for Alto Piemonte; and lake Trasimeno for Montepulciano. To put it simply, the morphology and geography of Italy make this country naturally resilient to global warming. What’s different today is the threat of extremes.

Incidences of heat extremes are increasing: the average temperature in 2020 was 16.3°C, +0.3°C compared with the average for the decade 2006-2015, while total annual rainfall dropped by 132mm. Average annual temperatures show a rising long-term trend – the 1971-2000 average of +1.2°C (compared with the previous 30 years) being just below the 1.5°C limit required by the Glasgow Climate Pact agreed at COP26, November 2021. The highest levels, however, were registered in the most recent 2011-2020 decade (Istat). ‘We are close to the point of no return, but still at the breaking point,’ says Carlin Petrini, Piedmont-born founder of the Slow Food movement.

Record-setting water temperatures of 27°-28°C at the start of August 2022 (source: Consorzio Lamma, environmental monitoring and modelling laboratory) along the coast of Portofino in the northwest down to the Tuscan archipelago caused concern last summer: ‘We have never had numbers like this in hundreds of years,’ admits climatologist Tommaso Torrigiani.

The fourth threat

On 18 August 2022, a storm with winds reported as exceeding 140kph from St-Florent on the island of Corsica struck the northern portion of the Tuscan coast and Levante in Liguria – a frightening experience for anybody caught in its path.

‘Traditionally speaking, in viticulture we have always faced three threats – drought, frost and hail – to which today we have to add a fourth: the storms,’ confirms Alberto Antonini, owner of Tuscan estate Poggiotondo and one of Italy’s most authoritative consultant oenologists.

Piedmont

Most Italian producers agree that the turning point of climate change for viticulture was the 1997 vintage. Elio Altare, after 56 vintages at his estate in Barolo, explains: ‘We struggled between 1992 and 1994, fluctuated from 1996 but the change of the last 25 years started here. Higher temperatures are the most influential factor for each phenological stage of a vine. Today, each of these stages is anticipated. The main disadvantage of the heat is increased potential water stress for the vine, while the advantage is a reduced need for treatments for the likes of mildew in the vineyards.’

Angelo Gaja recorded noticeably warmer vintages beginning in 2008 but maintains ‘not enough time has passed yet to make predictions’. He admits, however, that: ‘The wines of this century will be different because, in the past, nine out of 10 vintages were not properly ripe, but nevertheless they were ageworthy. Once we had higher acidity, while today we have sweeter tannins, although no fewer of them.’

Gaja, who in 2021 completed his 60th harvest, still remembers the 1961 vintage: ‘It was very hot, with grapes harvested on 27-28 September, and wines at 14.5% alcohol which are still drinking great today.’ Gaja has his own view, but in the long term most producers agree that ‘to see first-hand what the Langhe was like 50 years ago, you just need to drive 15 minutes farther towards Alta Langa.’ There is excitement over this hilly area’s sparkling wines and, since 2017, Gaja has invested in more than 30ha at 650m-700m in Trezzo Tinella, mostly planted to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, with the aim of exploiting the favourable conditions to produce top-quality still white wines with plenty of freshness. ‘Last year we also planted one hectare of Nebbiolo, but not everyone in the family agreed,’ Gaia Gaja admitted to me – her father Angelo evidently thinks the higher altitude is not ideal for the variety.

Lombardy

Another comparison with the Langhe lies in Valtellina DOCG, in the north of the Lombardy region. Danilo Drocco – managing director and winemaker at Nino Negri and president of the Consorzio Valtellina body – worked with the legendary Beppe Colla in the Langhe in the 1960s.

‘The wines we are producing now in Valtellina thanks to climate change remind me of Prunotto [Barolo] in 1961, 1964 and 1967,’ Drocco told me during my last visit. But Valtellina – a narrow, east-west valley in the pre-Alpine foothills – is today facing a severe drought problem. ‘We have rock in the subsoil so we absolutely must work with the pivotal Vitis rupestris rootstock and work vineyards planted according to the girapoggio method [vines planted in rows that follow the contours of the ground] in order to preserve water. Today, we are harvesting the grapes for Sfursat di Valtellina [made using the drying process] earlier to keep the alcohol lower.’

The Oltrepò Pavese DOC sub-region, with its predominant red varieties Barbera and Croatina, seems to be experiencing an improvement in maturation due to the warmer climate. The niche and austere-style wines of the Buttafuoco Storico producers’ group in Buttafuoco DOC (separated from the Oltrepò Pavese DOC in 2010) are becoming more and more refined, as well as an exquisite example of the quality improvements that can be achieved by refocusing on traditional detailed practices in the vineyard.

For the region’s famous sparkling wine, Franciacorta’s 2021 harvest began in the first week of August, despite the cool breezes from lake Iseo and Val Camonica valley. Here, the ancient indigenous white grape Erbamat – cultivated since the 16th century – is now permitted at a maximum proportion of 10% for all styles except for Satèn (meaning ‘silky’, the Chardonnay-based, softly sparkling brut bottled at a lower pressure). Erbamat is a late-ripening grape which matures almost one month later than Chardonnay, and its zesty character can be extremely useful for balancing some of these great sparkling wines.

Northeast

The lake influence is equally crucial when talking about Garda, which laps the shores of significant regions in Veneto and Lugana DOC and points to the north into Trentino. ‘The lake works like air conditioning for our vineyards,’ remarks Mario Pojer of Pojer e Sandri, based northeast of Trento city. ‘We are 6°-7°C cooler compared with other regions. In 2003 [Europe’s heatwave vintage], we registered 33°C rather than 40°C.’ Nevertheless, he adds, for the first time in 47 years: ‘We had to bring forward harvest by 20 days. We are going up in altitude, from 450m to 650m with Pinot Noir; Cabernet Sauvignon, which in the past struggled to ripen, now does so without any trouble.’

In Tramin, a little north just into Alto Adige, I recently visited Martin Foradori Hofstätter. In 2019, he planted Pinot Noir vines at about 850m ‘surrounded by the Dolomites’ at a density of almost 10,000 vines per hectare, in order to preserve a tense and classic style. He showed me his logbook with the dates of bud break, flowering, veraison and harvest from 1990 to 2022. While the harvest dates have been getting progressively earlier since 1990, bud break did not occur any earlier until 2007/2008, which suggests that the winters here have now started to become warmer: an often-overlooked aspect of climate change in viticulture.

Tuscany

In Tuscany, as with many of the coastal zones, there is far less opportunity to go higher in altitude, and thus early-ripening varieties often struggle more. It therefore comes as no surprise that the legendary Masseto, despite its cool blue-clay soils, is no longer made from 100% Merlot as of the 2019 vintage; it is now supplemented with a drop of Cabernet Franc (10% in 2019) which, in my opinion, broadens the shoulders of this marvellous Bolgheri wine.

Sangiovese also seems to be sensitive to the warmer climate, and several instances of quercetin precipitation (a polyphenolic compound, caused mainly by UV stress, which can form insoluble precipitates in a wine) have been reported when the grape is vinified by itself.

Elsewhere in the region, while heavy rainfalls helped Vino Nobile in Montepulciano during the mostly dry 2022 vintage, and the altitude of the highest spots saved places such as Montalcino, the area gaining most benefit from global warming appears to be Chianti Classico. It has shed its more acidic, austere character, which traditionally was particularly evident in its wines in their youth.

Nevertheless, Martino Manetti of Montevertine at Radda in Chianti told me during my last visit that he purchased a north-facing vineyard in Radda to keep the alcohol level of his stunning Le Pergole Torte at its historic low levels. Additionally, Paolo De Marchi at Isole e Olena, west of Radda, acknowledged a resurgence in the use of terraces, to counteract the risks of topsoils being washed away in rittochino vineyards [rows arranged facing down the steepest part of the slope] during storms that deposit a lot of water in just a few minutes.

Sicily

‘The first concern in Sicily is not for the drought,’ states Alessio Planeta, ‘but for the violence of the extremes. We registered 48°C in August 2021, then in October, Catania was flooded.’ Such phenomena are actually customary on Mount Etna. In Milo, on the eastern edge of a muntagna, as the locals here call the volcano, the rainfall in one day can amount to the same amount as an entire year in Noto in the island’s far southeast, according to Salvo Foti of I Vigneri, one of Etna’s most talented winemakers and a freelance lecturer in oenology.

After 37 years of surveying, Foti believes that the underlying issue for the red Nerello Mascalese variety in terms of global warming is humidity. ‘Everything changed with the 2003 vintage [on Etna, 2003 was incredibly wet at the end of the summer]. After that vintage, with several days of warmth and Sirocco winds, we registered a lot

of humidity. The soil here drains well but the ability of the grape to dry out after the rain has decreased a lot. It’s like hanging clothes out to dry after washing; with humidity, it takes much longer.’

‘In Sicily, we compared cordon-trained Merlot planted on Vitis riparia rootstocks with (indigenous white) Carricante trained in bush vines on Ruggeri [rootstock],’ says consultant Antonini. ‘Merlot is a humidity-loving variety with a rootstock not intended for drought, and with a demanding training system that shows a lot of water stress, whereas Carricante isn’t. Merlot in this manner was like a golf course in the desert. Today we must force the roots of the vines to dig deep in order to minimise the extremes of the climate and encourage it to reach the best quality nutrients.

‘So in my opinion,’ he concludes, ‘we need to work with an overall approach that starts from the soil, including pivotal rootstocks and grapes suited for drought-like conditions. The most resistant varieties are usually the indigenous ones in specific regions, for example Carricante in Sicily.’

Italian viticulture is experiencing new threats including record temperatures, drought, storms and humidity that each contribute to today’s vintages becoming less consistent, year by year. A warmer climate seems to have been more positive than negative in most of the regions so far, due to the naturally resilient geography of the country. But Italy’s greatest hope of preserving this natural virtue may well be to nourish and preserve the biodiversity of its indigenous grapes.

Related articles

• Vine trunks rise to meet climatic changes
• Drought and heat drive early wine harvests in Europe
• Leading wine professionals sign letter calling for alternative packaging

In a city driven by the cyclical whims of fashion, one constant remains: the Milanese enjoy their wine! With some of Italy’s best wine regions within an hour’s drive, there’s never a shortage of options.

One clear trend in Milan is the natural wine movement, which continues at a breathtaking pace. Use the guide below to seek out everything the city has to offer, from the latest natural wine bars to the Milan’s only rooftop ‘ethical hour’ restaurant, plus Michelin-star dining.

Best bars and restaurants in Milan for wine lovers

Horto

Launched in September 2022 on the rooftop of The Medelan complex, Horto explores gastronomy through the concept of the ‘ethical hour’. Executive chef, Alberto Toè – under the direction of Norbert Niederkofler – sources ingredients from small farmers and dairies outside Milan, including Varzese beef for carpaccio, and a nearly forgotten raw-milk blue cheese called Strachítunt used as filling for plin dumplings.

While the wine list stretches beyond the one-hour limit imposed on food, every bottle reflects the restaurant’s ethos, with selections from small producers in the natural, organic and biodynamic realms.

Andrea Aprea

With multiple accolades, including two Michelin stars, Andrea Aprea lures wine-loving gastronomes to the top floor of the new art museum of the Luigi Rovati Foundation. The large, modern dining room anchored by a Murano chandelier seats only a handful of tables each night, creating the illusion of both space and intimacy.

Chef Aprea, easily spotted in the kitchen doorway, delivers a multi-course masterclass in texture, colour and flavour. The wine list reflects the artistic and intellectual ambition of the menu, boasting over 650 labels spanning blue-chips to rare or undiscovered treasures. The best option is to let the sommelier choose the pairings.

Cru wine bar

Jacopo Ercolani, his brother and friends founded Cru in 2018. Ercolani developed an appreciation for minimal intervention wines after leaving the communications industry to work as a sommelier. Today, Cru boasts two locations, both casual, with a focus on wines by the glass and locally sourced cheese and charcuterie boards, including products from Le Marche, where Ercolani is from.

Cru Arc (near Arco della Pace) is a diminutive spot with only 10 interior seats but an outdoor dehors with 30-35 spots. Cru Island (Isola area) offers double the interior space plus terrace seating. Cru’s roster of producers spans 300 winemakers from Europe, with the glass pour changing daily. Don’t be shy about asking staff for help; they deftly match a guest’s taste preferences to the right bottle.

Enoteca/Naturale

Enoteca/Naturale operates as both a wine bar and restaurant, nestled within the pretty setting of Milan’s Parco delle Basiliche in the Ticinese area. While the rotation of 4,000 wine labels provides a point of distinction from its peers, the venue’s unique business model sets it apart: sharing space with Emergency, a humanitarian foundation providing care to people affected by conflict and poverty, Enoteca/Naturale opened in 2018 as an ‘SRL Benefit’ company.

Though for-profit, it promotes social integration and workforce diversity, notably by hiring immigrants. With an extensive selection of wines by the glass poured by an educated yet unpretentious staff, patronising Enoteca/Naturale provides a win-win model for guests and the community.

Vineria Eretica

Vineria Eretica has attracted natural wine drinkers to its intimate space close to Milano Centrale since 2019. Owner Giuseppe Bertini has curated an outstanding list of natural wines encompassing hard-to-find French labels and Italian and other European counterparts.

If Bertini is around, tap his deep knowledge of producers and styles while sampling small plates prepared with organic ingredients. Decorative touches, primarily vintage movie posters and memorabilia, reflect Bertini’s love of cinema.

Champagne Socialist

Founded in 2017 by the same proprietors as Forno Collettivo bakery, Champagne Socialist sits close to Corso Buenos Aires shopping street in Porta Venezia. Inside, however, the ambience is anything but haute fashion.

Peeling paint and exposed cement walls lined with wine bottles evoke an underground cellar. Organised by region, primarily Italian wines complement a selection of sandwiches and cheese and charcuterie boards. Monthly tastings led by featured producers allow guests to mingle with natural winemakers at the bar.

www.instagram.com/csocialist

Vinoir

Generally considered Milan’s first natural wine enoteca, Vinoir has persisted since 2012 as a favoured spot for those seeking small production and minimal intervention selections from Italy and beyond.

Located beyond the tourist fray, in the outskirts of the Navigli district, owner Gianluca Ladu and his wife Maddalena attract a dedicated crowd eager for conversation, education, producer tastings and affordable small plates like fresh handmade pasta. As a retail shop, guests who fall for a glass can purchase a bottle to take home.

Bicerin

Dark paint, mirrored glass and vintage chairs in velvet and brocade evoke sipping inside a wine-obsessed antique dealer’s shop. Instead, Bicerin is the brainchild of three friends – Iris Romano, Lorenzo Viola and Alberto Gugliada – who designed the elegant setting to support their cache of 800 labels; many mature, rare and fine wines available to taste using the Coravin system.

Guests can relax in one of the lounge areas or book the ‘wine library’ for a personal tasting organised around lunch or dinner. The à la carte menu showcases seasonal, local produce and ingredients, from rabbit with potato gratin to gnocchi with artichokes and mortadella.

Rovello 18

This warm and welcoming trattoria opened in 2002 but remains an insider’s secret for its deep wine list, especially for grower Champagne. With over 800 bins, one can get lost in the selection process, though there’s a price point for everyone, whether a €30 Dolcetto d’Alba or an €850 magnum of aged Barolo.

The food is as much a draw as the wine list, with classic dishes like vitello tonnato, fassona steak tartare, and veal chop Milanese earning the family founders a Michelin guide nod.

Beefbar

Style-conscious wine drinkers started flocking to Beefbar after it opened in March 2023. Located near Portrait Milano, a former seminary restored into the city’s poshest hotel, Beefbar taps retro and contemporary interior design trends. Think 1950s Italian glamour replete with arches, curved lines and velvet banquettes.

Though it offers a break from the formality of traditional meat palaces, notably with comfort dishes and global flavours such as Kobe beef carbonara and lemon and yuzu osso bucco risotto, the wine list serves the red wine-and-ribeye crowd. Well known labels from Piedmont and Tuscany steal the show, with a supporting cast from the rest of Italy and France.

Related articles

• Sardinia for wine lovers
• City guide to Florence
• Top 10 London wine bars

Have dinner in any self-respecting restaurant in Italy, or a pre-dinner aperitivo in a bar there, and you’ll be offered a glass of Franciacorta.

The sparkling wines from this small, terroir-driven DOCG wine area in Lombardy, northern Italy, are Italy’s answer to Champagne: high-quality, home-grown bubbles of prestige.

If these wines are less well known outside Italy it’s because the majority of the 20.9 million bottles [figure for 2021. Source: Franciacorta Consortium] produced in Franciacorta each year are drunk in Italy.

‘Up and down the country, a glass of Franciacorta is our preferred way to celebrate or start a meal,’ says Silvano Brescianini, the president of the Franciacorta consorzio. ‘It’s an expression of Italianità – Italianness.’

Franciacorta is as tied to Italy’s national identity as Parmesan cheese or Parma ham. There’s a long history behind this loyalty: Franciacorta has been known for its wines since at least the Middle Ages, when Germanic tribe the Lombards held a seat of power in Brescia, in the southeast.

The most likely origin of the region’s name is from the Latin franchae curtes – ‘exempt from paying taxes’ – due to the tax-free zone created there in the 11th century, although some theories suggest Charlemagne named it Franciacorta, to mean Little (or short) France.

It’s a scallop of land near Bergamo, less than one hour’s drive east of Milan within a crescent of hills, bordered by the Lago d’Iseo lake to the north and the flat Po valley to the south.

Franciacorta wine route: getting around

Unlike many more sprawling wine regions, Franciacorta is compact, just 25km by 10km, with almost 3,000 hectares (ha) of vineyards. So it’s the perfect place to spend a long weekend or take a detour for a few days from Milan.

You can quickly get a feel for the landscape, visit wineries small and eat some great food.

There’s also a selection of complementary activities to make it more fun, such as horse-riding through the vineyards or exploring the Strada del Vino Franciacorta wine route on e-bikes.

The pre-alpine Iseo lake is small but spectacular, with Monte Isola, the largest inhabited lake island in Europe, at its centre. Boating is available on the lake, and those who fancy a romantic getaway can stay at lakeside hotels, a short drive from the vineyards.

Franciacorta wines at a glance

Franciacorta DOCG is a sparkling wine made using the ‘metodo classico’ – or traditional method – during which the wine undergoes a natural second fermentation in the bottle as in Champagne (as opposed to in a large tank in the Charmat method used for Prosecco).

For Franciacorta DOCG wines, the release date cannot be less than 25 months from the harvest, and many wineries age their more prestigious wines even longer.

During this long ageing process, the wines acquire complexity and staying power. As is the case with Champagne, the dosage added after disgorgement of the spent yeast deposits determines the level of dryness, ranging from extra brut to demi-sec; some are also made without dosage, completely dry.

Franciacorta can be paired with a large assortment of foods, from savoury antipasti to pastas, seafoods and even some meats and cheeses.

Franciacorta travel guide: wineries to visit

Berlucchi cellars

The Franciacorta wine route weaves in and out of the vineyards, so the most direct way to visit wineries is by car. A good start is at the Berlucchi cellars.

Guido Berlucchi and his oenologist, the late Franco Ziliani, were the ‘grandfathers’ of Franciacorta, who began making sparkling wines in the area 60 years ago. Before then, still wines were the norm in the region.

Barone Pizzini

‘Franciacorta’s character derives from its terroir – the pebbly, well-draining morainic soils that are interspersed here with marine sediments, and the lake that tempers our weather,’ says Silvano Brescianini as we tour the vineyards of the Barone Pizzini estate, where he is executive vice president.

‘That’s why Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco do so well here.’

Brescianini has also been a champion of the only local variety to be included in the blend for Franciacorta, Erbamat. This rare white grape has been known since at least 1564 and has large, compact bunches and higher acidity than Chardonnay, so it’s perfect for Franciacorta.

‘Very few plants of Erbamat remained but we’ve been cultivating it and we now have two vineyards.’ The hope is to produce even more distinctive wines from Erbamat in the future.

Santa Lucia winery

Pierluigi Villa, of Santa Lucia winery, is another fan of Erbamat and has played a central role in its recent history.

An ampelographer by profession (one who studies and classifies grape vines), he studied local grapes in Brescia and helped to classify the variety.

He even makes small quantities of a pure Erbamat sparkling wine. ‘This grape’s natural higher acidity means we can let it ripen longer than Chardonnay and make wines that can’t be mistaken for any other part of the world.’

Ca’ del Bosco

Impressively, 80% of Franciacorta’s vineyards are now being grown organically. That includes those of the trendsetting Ca’ del Bosco, where huge investment has produced a modernist cellar and sculpture park that shouldn’t be missed by fans of modern art.

‘Experience, research and technical know-how of the terroir places Ca’ del Bosco in the top tier in Franciacorta,’ writes Federico Moccia in this Decanter article on six top Franciacorta producers to know.

Vigneti Cenci

While the biggest estates boast showstopping cellars and landscaped gardens, it’s visits to the smaller, family-run estates that are the most illuminating about the Italian way of life.

Giuliana Cenci and her son Maurizio Bassi live in an 18th-century cascina, or country farmhouse, Vigneti Cenci, on the slopes of Monte Orfano.

Its courtyard, with shaded tables and overhanging vine pergola, is the perfect place to taste their wines after a walk into the vineyards to see the views.

‘My father started out making still wines but realised that the sparkling wines made here were more exceptional,’ says Cenci. ‘We’re carrying on that tradition and offering the hospitality that makes Franciacorta so special.’

Franciacorta travel guide: my perfect day 

Morning

Wherever I’m sleeping in Franciacorta, I have breakfast at Pasticceria Roberto in Erbusco. The pastries and buns are excellent, including the cloud-light brioche veneziana (filled with crème pâtissière). For extra calories, try the cappuccino della nonna, enriched with egg. I’m happiest with a spremuta d’arancia, freshly squeezed orange juice.

From there, it’s a short drive to visit the most historic winery in Franciacorta, Guido Berlucchi. At its heart is the handsome 17th-century palazzo where, in 1961, the first 3,000 bottles of a sparkling wine ‘in the French style’ were made by Franco Ziliani.

Today, award-winning wines are still made by the Ziliani family and aged in the palazzo’s imposing underground cellars.

Lunch and afternoon

Lunch is on the spectacular terrace of Albereta Relais. Once the working home of the late great Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi, the kitchen has maintained the maestro’s focus on clean flavours and excellent ingredients and technique, even if the menu has been internationalised.

If you, like me, love organic wines and heroic viticulture, the two young owners of Corte Fusia winery focus on reclaiming abandoned hillside vineyards from which they make characterful wines.

You can arrange to walk with them in their sloping, rocky vineyards on Monte Orfano with views over the Po valley before a tasting in their courtyard headquarters.

From there it’s a short hop to the cellars of 1701. Silvia and Federico Stefini’s cellars may be less picturesque, but their biodynamic viticulture and winemaking (for some of their wines) in large Italian clay jars makes this a must for natural wine lovers. You can also visit their large walled vineyard.

Evening

I’ve saved room for dinner at my favourite traditional trattoria in Palazzolo sull’Oglio. Award-winning Osteria della Villetta, which dates back to 1900, is a classic: family-run, hospitable and fairly priced.

Sample wonderful home cooking and selected local wines at wooden tables in rooms that are rich in atmosphere. Just nearby I’ll happily retire to Cappuccini Resort.

The former 18th-century monastery was completely abandoned until Rosalba Tonelli Pelizzari lovingly restored it – with her own artistic style – and now includes 14 rooms, terraced gardens, a restaurant and a uniquely picturesque spa.

Franciacorta travel guide: address book

Restaurants in Franciacorta

Dispensa Pani e Vini, Torbiato

Wine shop, wine bar and restaurant, this is a perfect place for a meal or for sampling wines accompanied by assorted cheeses and salumi in a handsome contemporary setting. You can also buy bottles to take away.

Ristorante Radicì, Iseo

In the centre of the lakeside village of Iseo, with an outdoor terrace, this is a great place to sample fresh lake fish and local pastas after a stroll along the lakefront.

Ristorante Dina, Gussago

A gem for fans of Italian modern cuisine: chef Alberto Gipponi’s idiosyncratic five-table restaurant in a vaulted interior successfully explores textures and flavours, emotions and ideas.

Shops and markets in Franciacorta

Cantine di Franciacorta, Erbusco

This is the place to find a huge range of the area’s wines at cellar prices. Great for tastings and for buying bottles to take home.

Gelateria Leon d’Oro, Iseo

On the waterfront, this is the best ice cream in the area. Don’t miss their fresh fruit flavours.

Iseo market

Friday morning is the time to explore the big, busy weekly market in the streets around Piazza Garibaldi in Iseo.

Find out more… Details about the Strada del Franciacorta wine route, sports, hospitality and the wineries are available on the consorzio’s excellent website.

Accommodation in Franciacorta

Agriturismo Locande le Quattro Terre

For a restful stay immersed in the countryside at Corte Franca, this winery agriturismo offers spacious rooms, a restaurant with local dishes and easy access to the lake and wineries.

Corte Lantieri, Capriolo

The agriturismo of a fine winery, Lantieri di Paratico, is surrounded by vineyards and has its own restaurant and pool.

Hotel Araba Fenice, Iseo

If it’s the lake you fancy, stay at this gorgeous hotel right on the shore, with lake views and a real feeling of the Grand Tour.

How to get to Franciacorta

Two airports are close to Franciacorta: Milano Linate and Orio sul Serio, which is close to Bergamo and operated primarily by Ryanair. From there it’s easiest to rent a car.

Carla Capalbo is an awarded food, wine and travel writer, author and photographer, and a regular contributor to Decanter. Since 1998, among other titles, she has authored three books focusing on the regional food and wines of Italy. See carlacapalbo.com.

Related articles

Six top Franciacorta producers to know

Franciacorta: fashionable Italian fizz from Lombardy

Tribute paid to Franciacorta wine pioneer Franco Ziliani

See more Decanter travel guides

Tucked up in the mountains of Northern Lombardy near the Swiss border, the wine region of Valtellina almost defies comprehension.

This atypical lateral mountain valley is carved out by the Adda River, where it changes its course to flow due west. Shielding the area from inclement weather are the towering Rhaetian Alps to the north and the less imposing Bergamo range to the south.

Summers are remarkably hot, and autumn tends to be dry and sunny with significant differences between day and night-time temperatures.

Scroll down for Michaela Morris’ top 20 Valtellina wines

On the steep northern banks vineyards pile on top of each other, rising from 300 metres to well over 700 metres above sea level.

South-facing terraces are held up by hundreds of miles of dry-stone walls that help reduce erosion while absorbing the radiating heat.

In shallow sandy soil, derived from crumbled schist and granite, Nebbiolo manages to flourish – with much help from man.

But do not expect Barolo: known locally and proudly as Chiavennasca, Valtellina Nebbiolo has a distinctly alpine timbre. Piercingly intense and finely etched, the wines are mineral-laden with an impossible lightness of being.

The region’s umbrella DOC, Rosso di Valtellina, delivers predominantly slim, delicate wines with a crunchy drinkability.

The most optimal vineyard area, totaling 215 hectares, is designated as Valtellina Superiore. This DOCG, which requires ageing in barrel, includes five subzones: from Maroggia in the west, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, and Valgella in the east. Overall, these wines offer greater depth with a palpable sense of the extreme territory.

Valtellina’s other DOCG is Sforzato, or ‘Sfursat’ in the local dialect. Like Amarone, grape bunches are harvested and partially dried in a fruttaio for several weeks, concentrating the berries. Fermented fully dry, Sforzato is Valtellina’s most robust expression, though still chiselled and bright and, I’d argue, more food friendly than Amarone.

With a critical mass of quality-minded producers making top-notch wines in a range of styles and philosophies, Valtellina is ripe for discovery. It behoves true Nebbiolo lovers to venture here.

10 Valtellina wine producers to know:

Aldo Rainoldi

Aldo Rainoldi started out as a wine merchant in 1925. Over time, the company transitioned from buying wine to purchasing grapes and bottling rather than selling by the barrel. Today the business is run by Aldo’s grandson and namesake.

In addition to almost 10ha of estate vineyards, Rainoldi works with over 60 small growers. The network is guided by a resident agronomist to ensure sustainable practices such as no herbicides and integrated pest management are met.

With a comprehensive portfolio, this is a great estate to experience Valtellina in all of its delightful facets.

Ar Pe Pe

In 1973, the century-old Pelizzatti estate was broken apart by family differences. Eleven years later, Arturo Pelizzatti Perego, grandson of the original founder, relaunched as Ar Pe Pe. He championed traditional, long-aged wines expressive of vintage and place.

Arturo, who passed away in 2004, is succeeded by his children Isabella, Emanuele and Guido. They have unequivocally adopted his vision but are not afraid of innovation.

From 16.5ha in Sassella, Grumello and Inferno, Ar Pe Pe makes 11 different labels, though not every year. And single-vineyard Riservas are only bottled in the very best vintages.

Finessed and nuanced, Ar Pe Pe’s wines regularly inspire comparisons with Burgundy. More precisely, they are quintessential Chiavennasca – singular, unrushed wines that speak clearly of their mountain origins.

Ca’ Bianche

Prior to establishing his estate, Davide Bana worked in construction in Switzerland, returning to Valtellina on days off to help his grandfather in the vineyard.

At the age of 27, he quit his job and took over the 2ha property, which sits at the upper limits of Valtellina Superiore.

He produced his first wine in 2011 and now makes a total of 8,000 bottles, divided between three wines. Along with the highly recommended Tèna Valtellina Superiore, the barrique-aged Sforzato Faset is well worth seeking out.

Mamete Prevostini

Mamete Prevostini grew up helping his father and grandfather make wine for their family restaurant. He went on to study at Conegliano’s revered Oenology School, bought his first vineyard and started making wine commercially in 1995.

The estate now totals 30ha, predominantly in Sassella, and Prevostini’s wines reflect the fanatic precision he applies in the vineyards and the winery, with the San Lorenzo reaching a new level of sophistication.

In 2014, Prevostini completed a 100% carbon neutral cellar, one of just a handful in Italy certified by CasaClima.

Nino Negri

Originally established in 1897, this historic estate was purchased by the Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV) conglomerate in 1986 and is the largest producer in Valtellina. Integral to the winery’s success was Casimiro Maule, who served as oenologist from 1971 until his retirement in 2018. Piemontese and ex-winemaker for Fontanafredda, Danilo Drocco fills his shoes.

To supplement its 31ha of estate-owned vineyards, the company purchases grapes from over 200 families who collectively farm 120ha – Drocco refers to these winegrowers as ‘true treasure’.

Besides painstakingly growing Nebbiolo, they maintain the dry-stone walls that are fundamental to the security and beauty of Valtellina’s vineyards.

Dirupi

Co-owners and childhood friends Pierpaolo Di Franco and Davide Fasolini were born and raised in Sondrio in the heart of Valtellina. While neither came from a wine growing family, both decided to study winemaking. ‘Having vines over our heads every day stimulated our curiosity,’ says Fasolini.

After reconnecting at university, the two decided to make wine together. They rented a small vineyard and established Dirupi in 2003. Today they manage 19 different parcels totalling 5.5ha, all of which are farmed organically.

Sandro Fay

Sandro Fay started his winery in 1973 with just 1.2ha. Today the estate owns 15ha over countless terraces, most of which are in the subzone of Valgella. Sandro’s children, Elena and Marco started working alongside him in 1998 and now run the property.

Marco, who studied oenology in Trentino and trained in Barolo with Elio Altare, believes that the greatest differences in Valtellina occur vertically: as humidity collects at lower elevations, the well ventilated mid-slopes are favoured for their single-vineyard bottlings, while grapes for Sforzato hail from the highest altitudes.

Fay’s wines are magnificent textbook examples of Valtellina’s vertical range and Nebbiolo’s alpine demeanour.

Tenuta Scerscé

Cristina Scarpellini traded the rigour of practising law for the gruelling pursuit of winemaking in Valtellina. After starting with less than half a hectare in 2008, she now leases and owns a combined total of 6ha.

Accruing vineyards has been an exercise in patience given Valtellina’s patchwork of tiny parcels with multiple owners. ‘Those who decide to sell have to trust you and see that you work well,’ she says.

Scarpellini collaborates with renowned consultant Attilio Pagli, coaxing out deftly balanced, pretty wines from her demanding terraces.

Marcel Zanolari

Established in 2001, Marcel Zanolari is Valtellina’s only winery to achieve biodynamic certification. Marcel gives credit to his father Giuliano, who pioneered organic practices in the region in the 1980s. He describes it as an ‘additional challenge’ to the already heroic efforts required to cultivate Valtellina’s steep vineyards: ‘There were years where everything was lost.’

Marcel favours spontaneous fermentations and long macerations. He has a preference for amphora over wood, which is at odds with the DOCGs’ ageing requirements. He does, however, make a compelling, long-aged Sforzato in used barriques.

La Perla

Marco Triacca belongs to the Triacca clan, which gives its name to one of Valtellina’s well known brands. After finishing up his winemaking studies in 2008, he decided to establish his own estate with a small plot that had previously gone into Triacca’s wine. He christened it La Perla, or the pearl, which was his mother Elisa’s nickname – she passed away prematurely that same year.

Today the vineyards extend over 3.3ha in one contiguous piece – almost unheard of in Valtellina. Besides three Valtellina bottlings, Marco crafts a traditional-method sparkling wine from the rare red Pignola grape.

Michaela’s top 20 Valtellina wines:

You may also like:

Barolo & Barbaresco: 10 high-flying vineyard sites

Barolo 2016 ‘classico’ late releases tasted

Barolo 2016 ‘MGA’ late releases tasted

Today’s Lambruscos are finally shedding the stigma of their cheap and cheerful predecessors thanks to a new wave of small, independent wineries that are exploring the full potential of this ancient family of grapes.

It’s time for Lambrusco to come to the fore in all its glorious variety and claim its place on the list of excellent Emilia-Romagna produce, alongside world-favourite foods such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar. With 13 officially registered grape varieties, eight DOCs from Modena to Mantua and two millennia of history (even Mantua- born Latin poet Virgil mentioned it in his work), Lambrusco has plenty to offer.

Add into the equation the territory’s magnificent and under-explored cities of art, supreme sports cars and glorious countryside, and a trip through the Lambrusco lands becomes a must.

Modena: slow food, fast cars

Modena, home to Ferrari and balsamic vinegar: two extremes in terms of speed (a balsamic earns the ‘traditional’ label after minimum 12 years’ ageing), both among the elite of Italian distinction. This is where Italy’s Food Valley and Motor Valley intersect, with Maserati, Pagani and Lamborghini, as well as countless gastronomic delights, all nearby. In a perfect union of the two, the historic Cavallino restaurant near the Ferrari factory is soon to be relaunched by top world chef, Modena-born Massimo Bottura.

Lambrusco, one of Italy’s most historic wines, is present everywhere in Modena, from the huge sculpture of grapes made of Murano glass just outside the city to the restaurants and bars of the city centre, which include Lambruscheria, a tiny wine bar promoting all types of Lambrusco with city-wide events.

Just north of Modena, the best known of the Lambruscos is produced near the village of Sorbara. Pale in colour and high in acidity, Lambrusco di Sorbara is traditionally made as a field blend of the Sorbara grape and Lambrusco Salamino, the deeper red, softer variety needed to pollinate naturally sterile Sorbara. Nowadays, however, in line with global trends, there’s a move towards monovarietal wines such as the delicately fruity Leclisse and deliciously fresh Radice bottlings, both by Paltrinieri. Sorbara’s characteristics make it perfect for traditional-method winemaking too, and Christian Bellei at Cantina della Volta is considered a guru of the style.

Travel tip: Visit Ferrari’s factory museum in Maranello and Enzo Ferrari’s birthplace in Modena.

The hills: old meets new

The hills around the charming village of Castelvetro, south of Modena, come ablaze each autumn with foliage and the red stalks (graspe) that give Lambrusco Grasparossa its name. Here, a group of wineries has created a new high-quality consortium, Montebarello 155, with regulations including manual harvests, low yields and the use of monovarietal Grasparossa.

They include Cavaliera, where both lusciously purple and rosé Grasparossas are bottle-fermented; the next project is a blanc de noir with the 2020 Grasparossa harvest. The winery is a countryside idyll with home-cooked food served under a vine-covered pergola and country-style bedrooms. Like most Modena wineries, there’s a loft for traditional balsamic, which is made with grape must by the solera method in rows of at least five barrels of diminishing sizes and in different woods.

Across the valley at the contemporary Opera 02 winery, balsamic was the sole use for grapes when the Montanari family bought the land; their son Mattia took charge 15 years ago, putting into practice his dream of making wines that express Grasparossa’s versatile and convivial nature, picking early the traditionally late-harvested grape, for a clean, fresher acidity. The resort has stylish accommodation, a restaurant and an infinity pool overlooking the vine-covered hills.

At Guiglia, known as the balcony of Emilia for its wide-open views, TerraQuilia specialises in cloudy ancestral- method wines, while Fabio and Fausto Altariva of Fattoria Moretto use the Charmat method. ‘Our grandfather would have loved the possibilities of today’s winemaking technology,’ says Fabio, whose son Alessio has joined the firm, planting the family roots ever more firmly.

Their Grasparossa Monovitigno inspired the late wine critic Luigi Veronelli to add an enthusiastic stop-press to his wine guide, praising the ‘love and respect’ with which they treat the ‘very human’ grape; they also produce a Modena DOC Pignoletto that’s herbier and less fruity than its better-known Bologna counterparts. Top restaurants serving Fattoria Moretto wines include Bottura’s three-star Michelin Osteria Francescana in Modena, where waiting lists are several months long.

Travel tip: Each September, Castelvetro hosts the Grasparossa festival and Renaissance-themed events around the chessboard piazza.

Reggio Emilia: cheese country

Midway between Modena and Parma, Reggio is often overlooked but, as the birthplace of the Italian flag, it has a quiet dignity and plenty of gastronomic delights. Reggio Emilia’s traditional balsamic vinegar is made the same way as Modena’s, and the town contributes half the double-barrelled name of Parmigiano Reggiano, some of the best of which is made with milk from Reggio’s breed of rusty-red cattle; regular winner at the World Cheese Awards, Matteo Cattelani of the Grana d’Oro dairy, has a herd of 280.

Cheese-making procedures have remained unaltered since medieval monks introduced them: the evening’s skimmed milk is combined with full-fat morning milk in copper vats, and cheeses age for a minimum of 12 months. Consortium checks are rigorous; only the best bear the official firebrand.

In this area, Lambrusco Salamino, so-named for the salami-like shape of its bunches, comes to the fore in its own right.

Once abandoned, the historic Venturini Baldini estate has been given new life by Giuseppe Prestia from Sicily (via London) who, although a newcomer to the area, believes in strengthening the image of Lambrusco as firmly as anyone. ‘It’s fantastic that Giacomo Savorini, head of the newly united Lambrusco consortia, has a clear-thinking, dynamic approach,’ comments Prestia, who foresees a new territorial branding strategy. Like other quality winemakers, however, he has come up against Lambrusco prejudice, notably with his Cadelvento rosé, a Sorbara-Grasparossa spumante: ‘With Lambrusco on the label nobody was interested, but when we moved the word to the back, it shot to popularity, winning top awards.’

Two new Venturini Baldini wines, both made from local varieties, are a bottle-fermented Lambrusco Montericco and a still version of the typically appley local native white, Spergola.

The château-style winery has country-house accommodation, a pool and a 300-year-old balsamic vinegar loft; Prestia has even joined the tradition of starting a set of balsamic barrels for each of his four children. Footpaths lead from the estate to Canossa castle, home of 11th-century ruler Matilde di Canossa. According to legend, Matilde, a famously bold leader, used Lambrusco at the battle of Sorbara in 1084 to beat enemy troops who overindulged in the wine, fell asleep and lost the battle.

The Rinaldini winery is run by another independent-minded woman, Paola Rinaldini. ‘We did things differently from the start,’ she explains. ‘My father, who bought the estate, was a restaurateur and we were used to lots of different wines.’ The family’s passion for Amarone, for instance, led them to make a dry passito with a rare type of Lambrusco, Peduncolo Rosso. Rinaldini remembers cold winters when the family went without heaters to save cuttings of the vines from the frost. Their Vigna del Picchio is an intriguing still Lambrusco Maestri with extended skin contact and 30 months’ barrel ageing.

Travel tip: Book an early morning dairy tour to see Parmigiano Reggiano being made.

Parma: tasteful and tasty

Colli di Parma DOC Lambrusco must contain at least 85% Maestri grapes, making the wines more tannic and structured than most Lambruscos and particularly inviting for many drinkers. The hills here are dotted with castles including the landmark, multi-turreted Torrechiara just outside Langhirano, home of Parma ham, which is celebrated (in normal times) at a dedicated festival each September. Another of Parma’s numerous charcuterie specialities is Salame di Felino, named after the town of Felino (nothing to do with felines!) where the castle cellars house a salami museum, one of several small yet interesting food-themed museums around here; the wine museum is at Sala Baganza castle.

Near Langhirano, Marcello Ceci at the Ariola winery is satisfied with his decision to leave the colossal Ceci family wine empire to grow his own grapes rather than buy them in, as many larger wineries, not just the cooperatives, do here. In addition to making several monovarietal Lambrusco Maestris, he too is investing in Spergola, replacing existing Chardonnay with it.

Monte delle Vigne winery has a glorious hillside position between two nature reserves, with footpath access to the Via Francigena pilgrim’s way. Here, it’s two still wines that stand out from the rest: spicy, fruit-filled Nabucco, a Barbera-Merlot blend; and Callas, a zesty Malvasia di Candia Aromatica.

Parma is still touchingly attached to the memory of Marie Louise, Napoleon’s second wife and Duchess of Parma, whose 30-year rule left a far-reaching impact on the local culture, even extending to choice of vines, as she favoured the introduction of international varieties from France. At Oinoe they are put to good use for wines including a traditional-method Pinot Blanc-Chardonnay. There’s also yet another variety of Lambrusco: Viadanese. Like Alex Cerioli who runs the winery, the vine is from Mantua province; it gives a rich and tannic, deep-purple wine.

Travel tip: Antico Borgo di Tabiano Castello, a former cheese farm at the foot of Tabiano castle, is now a characterful hotel.

Mantua: water, water (and Lambrusco) everywhere

Crossing the border into Lombardy, Mantua is surprisingly underexplored by tourists, surrounded as it is by lakes, with a skyline that’s particularly striking from the water and countless artistic treasures thanks to 400 years of Gonzaga rule. Rivers criss-cross the province: the Mincio, which bursts into bloom each summer with exotic lotus flowers, joins the Po just east of Mantua city. The fertile land is largely agricultural, with pumpkins for the local-speciality pasta (tortelli di zucca) very much in evidence. Though this is Lombardy region, the Oltrepò Mantovano, south of the river Po, has plenty in common with neighbouring Emilia: Parmigiano Reggiano can still be made, for a start, and there’s a strong tradition of cooperative wineries. Recently, however, several small producers have started making some exciting wines.

Franco Accorsi at Fondo Bozzole named his first wine Giano, a Lambrusco Salamino with notes of black cherry and chocolate, after the god of new beginnings. His Incantabiss, intense and fruit- driven with a pleasantly bitter finish, is made with the most recently registered Lambrusco variety, Grappello Ruberti, previously thought to be a clone of Viadanese.

Nearby at San Benedetto Po, famous for the vast Benedictine monastery where Matilde di Canossa was buried, Giuseppe Zavanella of the Bugno Martino winery has just completed his first harvest of Grappello Ruberti. Although the family has farmed this land for two centuries, Zavanella only began making his own wine a few years ago, concentrating, until now, on Salamino with some superb results, including a herby, bottle-fermented version, Essentia.

Travel tip: Osteria da Bortolino, a 120-year-old woodland eatery with atmosphere, offers local wines and delicious food.

You might also like:

European wine breaks for 2021

Southern Italy for wine lovers: Winery and vineyard stays

Ca’ del Bosco

Any winery tour should start from Ca’ del Bosco which, with its owner Maurizio Zanella, has contributed so much to the success of this denomination.

Bellavista

In the same town, Erbusco, another not-to-be-missed stop is Bellavista, where Vittorio Moretti, a leading player and current president of the Franciacorta consorzio, is a reference for the area. This first-class winery is named after the location of its vineyards on top of the Bellavista hill with its splendid view. Bellavista makes the most of its scenery, the visual impact and blend of art, sculpture and ‘bon ton’ (the waterfall and swing are enchanting).

Il Mosnel

Just 10 minutes away is Il Mosnel, belonging to the Barzanò Barboglio family, now in its fifth generation. The winery, with its 16th-century cellars, is the starting point for two excursions of 4km and 7km respectively around the estate’s 40 hectares, and also offers themed dinners.

Monterossa

Another 2km on, and we come to the Monterossa vineyards, now under the guidance of Emanuele Rabotti, located on the top of a hill overlooking the entire morainic amphitheatre and whose grounds include a spectacular rose garden.

La Montina

Travelling another 15km towards Monticelli Brusati (the nature walk to the Gaina waterfall is wonderful), we find La Montina, run by the Bozza brothers, where you can combine wine tasting with culture – make time to look at the contemporary art in its gallery.

Ricci Curbastro

A 10-minute drive away is yet another company that has helped shape the history of Franciacorta, Ricci Curbastro. Here you will find an agricultural museum outlining the stages of the farming calendar, an agriturismo and an antiques shop.

Guido Berlucchi

Franciacorta was first re-fermented in the bottle in 1961 at the Guido Berlucchi winery in Borgonato. The Ziliani family has dedicated a special label to that first vintage, while another label is named after stately home Palazzo Lana.

Barone Pizzini

Barone Pizzini in Provaglio d’Iseo also holds a record: that of being the first winery to produce DOCG Franciacorta from organic grapes. The winery offers two tasting opportunities via the Animante tour or the Edizione tour with vintage-focused tasting.

This was first published as part of a travel guide in the November 2016 issue of Decanter. 

Alessandra Piubello is a writer and journalist with a focus on wine and food. She grew up in a winemaking family in the Valpolicella region

Cantina Urbana

Visit Italy’s first city winery to try its newly released 2018 Naviglio Rosso (Barbera and Croatina) or Bianco (100% Riesling). Other wines include the intense and characterful Tranatt Rosso (Syrah-Barbera-Teroldego) and the spicy, lesser-known native from Molise, Tintilia. You can fill, cork and label your own bottle from the current wines on tap, book a blending experience or just relax at the wine bar.

Trattoria Madonnina

Reassuring home cooking aromas and a cheerful atmosphere at this historic trattoria dating from 1721. Take a seat at one of the check-clothed tables among historic photos and prints or under the leafy courtyard canopy, then choose from dishes such as cotoletta alla Milanese (breaded bone-in veal cutlet), pairing it perhaps with the week’s showcased wine. +39 02 8940 9089

Ratanà

An excellent contemporary eatery set in an art deco villa, with patio tables and a backdrop of the futuristic Porta Nuova district across the park. Responsibly sourced ingredients are transformed into dishes such as trout with barley, fennel and lemon, or traditional favourites including ossobuco with saffron-flavoured risotto alla Milanese. Don’t miss the creamy mascarpone, orange and beetroot dessert. The mostly Italian wine list includes about 600 bins.

Cantine Isola

There’s a timeless and welcoming feel to this small wine bar, which stands at the heart of Milan’s pedestrianised Chinatown and has been selling wine since 1896. Proprietor Luca Sarais will open anything for just a glass, even a top St-Emilion or Amarone, and encourages his vast and varied clientele to try different and lesser-known wines from the hundreds of mainly Italian and European bottles available.

Leonardo’s Vineyard

A visit to the vineyard once owned by Leonardo da Vinci (opposite the Santa Maria delle Grazie church which hosts his celebrated mural, The Last Supper) is an evocative experience. And while the vines, replanted in 2015, cover a substantially smaller area than they did back in da Vinci’s time, and the wines are made by Oltrepò winery Castello di Luzzano, they are the same variety that the Renaissance genius grew, Malvasia di Candia Aromatica.

N’Ombra de Vin

This atmospheric basement wine bar, set in the 16th-century Augustine refectory of the San Marco church, has original flooring and ceiling vaults as well as an ancient sarcophagus incorporated into the bar. There’s a vast collection of wines (more than 3,000), plus a small and varied menu with such dishes as smoked tuna tartare with avocado and delicious Italian and French cheeses.

La Vecchia Latteria

Hearty dishes such as macaroni with radicchio and gorgonzola, cauliflower fritters and aubergine parmigiana are on the menu at this long-standing vegetarian trattoria. Order a mixed special for a generous taste of everything. Open lunchtimes only, it’s highly popular and the tiny white-tiled interior, a reminder of the site’s former role as a dairy, has an informal and homely air.

La Porta del Vino

The one-stop-shop for getting to know the Lombardy wine scene is run by the regional branch of Italy’s wine tourism movement (MTV) and occupies a former customs house. Book for a tasting, come along to one of the regular themed events or producer presentations or simply pop in (3pm-6pm) for advice on winery visits. Book online to join a Saturday tour of Oltrepò, Valcalepio or Franciacorta wineries.

El Brellin

Housed in an 18th-century building with a warm yellow colour scheme and beamed ceilings, on the picturesque Vicolo dei Lavandai (‘washerwoman’s corner’), this is one of the Navigli district’s more refined dining options. The restaurant menu focuses on Milanese specialities including cassoeula (pork and cabbage stew) with polenta, rustin negàa (veal with bacon) or crispy fried risotto al salto. The ground floor, canal-side café hosts live music on Wednesday evenings.

Signorvino

Spanning three floors and overlooking the decorative rear of the cathedral, the central Milan branch of this group of contemporary wine-bar eateries is a good option for a break from sightseeing or shopping. There’s a fresh, upbeat look to the place and an impressive range of wines from across Italy to buy or enjoy here. The all-day menu of platters, salads and hot dishes includes pairing tips.

See more wine travel guides here

Vandals have struck at an historic wine estate in northern Italy, draining tanks and destroying the equivalent of 400,000 bottles of sparkling wine, worth an estimated €500,000, according to local media reports.

Workers at the Conte Vistarino winery in Oltrepo Pavese, Lombardy, found the estate grounds soaked in grape juice and skins after the night-time attack last week, according to reports in local media and also in The Daily Telegraph.

The vandals drained seven tanks of Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay and other white grape varieties from the 2016 harvest and destined for sparkling wine. Nothing was stolen and no other damage was done in the attack.

‘It was a tremendous shock,’ Ottavia Giorgi di Vistarino, the countess who manages the estate, told journalists. ‘If you have no idea why [this attack happened], you don’t sleep at night.

‘The team is shaken, but we won’t let it stop us. We’ll just have to roll up our sleeves and get back to work.’

The 826-hectare Conte Vistarino estate, located in the Valle Scuropasso in the province of Pavia, has hosted the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret, and has been owned by the same family since the 17th century.

Related content:

Burglars steal Barolo worth hundreds of thousands of euros

One victim speaks to Decanter.com...

Burgundy grape wars: Harvest thefts hit new levels

Police report rise in complaints...

French streets run red as CRAV wine terrorists strike again

Masked militants stirke in port town...

Wrath of CRAV wine ‘commandos’ stokes tension in south of France

Anger nearly out of control in Languedoc, says union leader...

Wine ‘war’ in Sancerre as vines vandalised

Sabotage in Sancerre linked to dispute...