Castle on shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy
Most wines produced within the Garda DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine appellation in northern Italy are white—made predominantly from the grapes Garganega, Trebbiano, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.
Information about Garda DOC wines in general, as well as current marketing strategies, is included in this companion article titled Garda DOC Wines Carve An Identity Along An Italian Great Lake.
Below are wine tasting notes for a selection of Garda DOC white wines—sparkling and still. These notes include scores and value evaluations. Tasting notes and numerical ‘scores’ are subjective. Cellar/winery retail prices range between €6.00 and €22.00.
Enjoying sunshine and wine on Lake Garda, Italy
An evaluation of the ‘value’ of various wines is included. Optimal values in terms of price/quality are indicated as Superlative Value ♫♫♫, followed by Excellent Value♫♫ followed by Good Value♫.
Value evaluations were generated by my proprietary Vino Value algorithm that melds objective prices with subjective quality scores by combining mathematical, statistical and economic factors. Conditionally generated outputs are relative for specific wine regions. More information about this algorithm is here.
A matrix that includes prices, scores and value evaluations for these wines is here, on the latest edition of the Vino Voices web log.
The wines listed below comprise a very small selection of a large and diverse set of wines from a sizable and varied appellation.
Port of Sirmione, Lake Garda, northern Italy
Valdo Garda. Brut Sparkling Wine. Garda DOC. 90 points. [Good Value♫]
Blend of Garganega and Chardonnay made using the Charmat method and aged for two months or more in bottles. 11% alcohol. Sweet rounded aromas of gum and menthol. Linear and light mouthful. Easy drinking.
Santa Sofia. Croara del Lago Bianco. Garda DOC. 2022. 89-90 points.
Predominantly Trebbiano but also with other white grapes aged in stainless steel followed by at least three months in bottles. Fresh and zesty aromas of limes, eucalyptus and lemon grass. Light and acidic flavors that include tropicals. 12% alcohol. Consider pairing with sashimi.
Santa Sofia wines, Garda DOC, northern Italy
Santa Sofia. La Calderare. Pinot Grigio. Garda DOC. 2023. 90 points. [Good Value♫]
Light, bouncy aromas reminiscent of a Pinot Bianco in this wine aged in stainless steel and three months in bottles. Fresh, balanced flavors with racy lime on the finish. 12.5% alcohol.
Ricchi. Meridiano Chardonnay. Garda DOC. 2023. 92 points. [Excellent Value♫♫]
Creamy aromas of fresh lime, some peanuts and even banana. An easy drinking light white wine from 25 year old grapes with crisp acidity and a racy finish. Aged two months in old tonneaux casks.
Chardonnay wine from Meridiano, Garda DOC, Italy
Cantina Delibori Walter. Villabella. Pinot Grigio. 2023. 90 points.
95/5 blend of Pinot Grigio/Pinot Bianco cold macerated and fermented in steel. Fluffy light balanced aromas reminiscent of a Friuli wine in terms of both minerality and fruit. Somewhat green in the mouth, but a full and satisfying wine with a mint/menthol finish.
Cielo e Terra. Maĩa. Extra Dry. Blanc de Blancs. Garda DOC. 92-93 points. [Superlative Value ♫♫♫]
50/50 blend of Chardonnay/Garganega sparkling wine made using the Charmat method with strong aromas of bread dough, mandarins and limes. Freshly acidic in the mouth, with a royal flush of tropical flavors. Gorgeously crisp bubbling finish. Great value.
Maĩa wine, Garda DOC, northern Italy.
Cantine di Verona. Cantina Colli Morenici. Spumante Metodo Classico. Garda DOC. 93+ points. [Superlative Value ♫♫♫]
Pinot Noir/Chardonnay sparkling wine made using the classic method. Kept in bottles 24 months. Crisp, fresh aromas of lime and bread dough reminiscent of a classic Trentodoc sparkling wine. Rounded and full and oily mouthful and slight nuttiness and caramel on the finish. Delightful. Incredible value.
Sartori di Verona. Pinot Grigio. Garda DOC. 2023. 90-91 points. [Good Value♫]
Lively label showing sunglasses, sunshine and sailing on Lake Garda from this prolific producer. Aromas of gum, lime and yeast followed by sweet and rounded flavors with a menthol kick on the finish. Pair with scallops.
Pinot Grigio wine from Garda DOC, northern Italy
Tenuta La Presa. Vistalago. Cortese Sauvignon. Garda DOC. 92 points.
Fresh aromas of tropical fruits, spearmint and eucalyptus. Rounded, sweet and with bright tropicals in the mouth. Easy drinking with crisp acidity. Well balanced.
Pratello. Donna Caterina. Garda DOC. 93-94 points. [Excellent Value♫♫]
From a family run organic producer that has operated since 1880 on the west side of Lake Garda; named after the current female producer’s grandmother. A sparkling wine made from a 90/10 blend of Chardonnay and Erbamat—a regional high acidity grape used to counter the impacts of higher pH from recent climate modifications. Crisp, fresh, full aromas including citrus. Rich, round and unique flavors with an attractive acidic edge. Voluptuous.
Naike Bertola of Pratello Winery on Lake Garda, Italy
Cantina Gozzi. Rugiada. Vino Spumante. Garda DOC. 93 points. [Excellent Value♫♫]
Made using the Charmat method, this Chardonnay includes aromas of yeast and white flowers. Attractive oily mouthfeel and billowing and beautiful tropical flavors with rich acidity.
Averoldi Francesco. Octavius. Brut. 90 points. [Good Value♫]
70/30 blend of Chardonnay/Pinot Blanc sparkling wine made using the Charmat method. 12.5% alcohol. Linear but with nice crisp lime acidity on the finish.
Sparkling wine from Averoldi, Garda DOC, Italy
Cantina Bottenago. Bottinus. Extra Brut Millesimato. Garda DOC. 93 points. [Superlative Value ♫♫♫]
A blend of Chardonnay/Pinot Blanc (Pinot Bianco)/Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero). Sparkling wine with aromas of fresh cut rich green grass and limes. Balanced and generous flavors include fresh bread and citrus.
Perla del Garda di Morenica. Spumante Extra Brut. Garda DOC. 2018. 94 points.
Amber/lemon colored juice with complex aromas that include bread yeast. A fine yet textured sparkling wine with flavors of limes and tropicals and a rich, oily mouth feel.
Sailing with wine along Lake Garda, northern Italy
Aziendo Agricola Baroldi Diego. Extra Brut Metodo Classico. Garda DOC. 90-91 points. €14.00. [Reasonable Price/Quality Ratio]
Made using the classic method, this sparkling wine spends 14 months on lees and includes aromas of fresh lime, mint and almonds. Balanced and clean, though somewhat linear.
Zenato. Azienda Agricola Santa Cristina. Chardonnay. Garda DOC. 2023. 90 points. [Reasonable Price/Quality Ratio]
Soft, flinty aromas with tropical flavors in this 13% alcohol wine from a massive producer. Somewhat linear but easy drinking and fresh.
Sailing with Garda DOC along Lake Garda, Italy
