Wine Tasting in the Lake Garda Hills: Bardolino, Lugana and Valtenesi

Lake Garda sits at the junction of three provinces — Verona to the east, Brescia to the west, Trento to the north — and each shore has its own wine identity. The hills around the lake produce a range of DOC and DOCG wines that are structurally distinct from each other: a light red on the Veronese shore, a serious white on the southern moraine, a Groppello-based red and rosé on the Brescia side. Wine tasting around Garda can be combined naturally with a visit to Verona and the Arena opera season, or with a day trip from Bologna through the Valpolicella wine country to the north.

Bardolino DOC — Eastern Shore (Verona)

The eastern shore of Lake Garda, from Lazise north to Garda and Costermano, produces Bardolino DOC — a light red made from the same grapes as Valpolicella: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara. Bardolino is deliberately lighter in style than Valpolicella: lower alcohol, higher acidity, a wine for drinking young with food rather than ageing. The Bardolino Superiore DOCG designation (minimum one year ageing) is applied to more structured versions from the Classico zone around the town of Bardolino itself.

Chiaretto di Bardolino DOC is the rosé version, made from the same grapes by a short maceration. It is one of Italy’s more serious rosé wines — pale, dry, and mineral — and has grown significantly in quality and recognition over the past decade. A sparkling version (Chiaretto Spumante) is also produced.

The main producer open to visitors in the area is Zeni (Via Costabella 9, Bardolino), which has a winery museum (Museo del Vino) and a well-organised tasting room in its historic cellar. Le Vigne di San Pietro (Costermano sul Garda) is a smaller boutique estate with a botanic garden, making Bardolino and an IGT Corvina blend; visits are by appointment with the owner, architect Carlo Nerozzi, who has farmed the estate since 1981. Both are within a few kilometres of each other on the eastern shore road.

Lugana DOC — Southern Shore

The southern end of Lake Garda, across the Brescia–Verona provincial border around Sirmione and Peschiera del Garda, is the territory of Lugana DOC — a white wine made entirely from Turbiana (the local name for a distinct biotype of Trebbiano found only here, genetically closer to Verdicchio than to the standard Trebbiano). Lugana is a substantially more interesting white than its Trebbiano origins might suggest: well-structured, with good acidity and an almond-mineral character that develops further with age. Single-vineyard versions from producers such as Ca’ dei Frati (Lugana di Sirmione), Ottella, and Zenato — better known for their Amarone — can age for five or more years. Standard Lugana is best in the first two to three years.

The Lugana zone is compact and flat — the vineyards sit on the glacial moraine south of the lake rather than on hills — and is easily visited from Sirmione or from the A4 motorway exit at Desenzano del Garda. Ca’ dei Frati and Ottella both have visitor facilities and direct sales.

Valtenesi DOC — Western Shore (Brescia)

The western shore, in the province of Brescia, produces Valtenesi DOC — reds and a Chiaretto rosé made primarily from Groppello, a grape variety found almost exclusively here. Groppello gives wines with a distinctive spicy, bitter-cherry character; the Chiaretto from this shore is deeper in colour than the Bardolino Chiaretto and has more structure. The hills above Salò, Manerba del Garda, and Padenghe sul Garda are the main production zones. Producers including Costaripa (Moniga del Garda) and Cantrina (Bedizzole) are among the most visible; both accept visits by appointment.

Practical Notes

• By car: The eastern shore (Bardolino) is 30–40 minutes from Verona by car; the southern shore (Lugana) is accessible from the A4 at Desenzano. The western shore (Valtenesi) adds another 20–30 minutes around the lake.
• Combining itineraries: Bardolino and Valpolicella are neighbouring zones — a full day can cover both. Lugana pairs naturally with Sirmione (Roman ruins, thermal spa, historic centre on a peninsula).
• Appointments: Le Vigne di San Pietro requires advance booking; Zeni and most larger Lugana producers have regular opening hours. Check individual winery websites before visiting.
• Custoza DOC: Just south of Lake Garda near Valeggio sul Mincio, the Custoza zone produces a white blend (Garganega, Trebbiano, Fernanda/Cortese) that is often overlooked but worth seeking out from producers like Cavalchina.