📜 Ronchi Varesini

Ronchi Varesini is an Italian protected geographical indication (PGI, formerly IGT) for wines from communes of the province of Varese, Lombardy, within the Po basin bounded by the Prealpine chain to the north and by Lake Maggiore and the Ticino river to the west; the communes may lie wholly or partly in the zone.

The specification covers red and rosé wines, and white wines, also frizzante. Minimum total alcohol is 11% vol for all types; minimum total acidity is 4.5 g/l as tartaric acid; minimum non-reducing extract is 14 g/l for white, 15 g/l for rosé and 18 g/l for red.

Many varieties are listed, including Barbera, Croatina, Nebbiolo, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Erbaluce. The maximum yield is 14,000 kg of grapes per hectare (112 hl/ha).

Ronchi Varesini is the whole administrative territory of the communes of Varese province: entire communes, not selected plots. A ministerial decree of 11 October 2005 approved the name, and it was amended in 2009 and 2011. The scale is modest: the 2018 register showed only about 3.5 ha of vines and around 265 hl of wine. It is a small indication from the far north of Lombardy.