📜 Bardolino

Bardolino is an Italian protected designation of origin (DOC, PDO) for red, rosé and sparkling wines from the eastern shore of Lake Garda, in the province of Verona, Veneto. It has been in the EU register since 18 September 1973.

The main varieties are Corvina (also called Cruina), Corvinone, Molinara and Rondinella. The grapes must be grown in all or part of 16 municipalities: Bardolino, Garda, Lazise, Affi, Costermano, Cavaion Veronese, Torri del Benaco, Caprino Veronese, Rivoli Veronese, Pastrengo, Bussolengo, Sona, Sommacampagna, Castelnuovo del Garda, Peschiera del Garda and Valeggio sul Mincio. The vineyards lie on glacial moraines east of the lake.

The specification covers Bardolino and Bardolino Classico (ruby red turning garnet with age, dry), Chiaretto and Chiaretto Classico (rosé, light pink tending to orange, residual sugar up to 9 g/l), Chiaretto Spumante (sparkling rosé made by the tank or traditional method), and Novello and Classico Novello. Novello must be bottled by 31 December of the harvest year and made by 100% carbonic maceration. Minimum total acidity is 4.5 g/l for reds and 5 g/l for rosé, sparkling and novello wines.

Three sub-areas may be named on the label: Montebaldo (Affi, Cavaion Veronese, Costermano and Rivoli Veronese), La Rocca (Bardolino, Castelnuovo del Garda, Garda, Lazise, Peschiera del Garda and Torri del Benaco) and Sommacampagna (Bussolengo, Pastrengo, Sommacampagna, Sona and Valeggio sul Mincio). They require a minimum sugar-free extract of 20 g/l.

The maximum yield is 12,000 kg of grapes per hectare, and 10,000 kg/ha for the three sub-areas.