Northern Italy

Lombardy Alpine slopes, lake light

From Franciacorta classic-method bubbles to Valtellina mountain Nebbiolo and Lugana lake-cool whites, Lombardy spans 5 DOCGs across roughly 25,000 hectares of vineyards.

Lombardy is northern Italy at its most diverse. Five DOCG zones share a region with 25 DOCs and over 6,000 producers, working sites that range from 1,200-metre Alpine terraces to lakeside moraines.

Franciacorta sits at the cultural centre, Italy's first traditional-method sparkling DOCG, built around metodo classico from inception. Valtellina runs east-west along the Adda valley, where Nebbiolo (locally called Chiavennasca) is dry-farmed on hand-built stone terraces facing south.

Oltrepo Pavese covers the southern hills below the Po, an Apennine spur that ripens Pinot Nero, Croatina (the Bonarda grape) and Riesling Italico. Around Lake Garda, Lugana whites are made from Turbiana on heavy clays warmed by the lake. The region produces around 1.3 million hectoliters a year, weighted toward white and sparkling categories.

126
Wines in stock
44
Denominations
12
Heritage grapes
£7 +
Starting price
01 · Wine Areas6

Where Lombardy wine takes shape

The named places that explain the region's grapes, styles, and labels, plotted across the map.

01

Franciacorta

Italy's metodo classico heartland, a moraine amphitheatre south of Lake Iseo where Chardonnay and Pinot Nero make traditional-method sparkling wine.

Franciacorta covers around 3,000 hectares between Brescia and Lake Iseo. The DOCG was Italy's first sparkling appellation built exclusively on metodo classico, with mandatory minimum 18 months on the lees for non-vintage and 60 months for Riserva. Soils are a mosaic of glacial morainic gravels, limestone and clay laid down by the retreating Iseo glacier. Erbamat, the late-ripening native white, is now permitted up to 10 percent in the blend as a response to warmer harvests.

02

Valtellina

Alpine Nebbiolo terraces facing south across the Adda valley, where Chiavennasca makes the only mountain DOCG built on hand-built dry stone walls.

Valtellina runs east-west along the Adda between Sondrio and Tirano, the rare Italian mountain zone where Nebbiolo (locally Chiavennasca) ripens reliably above 600 metres. Vineyards climb to 750 metres on terraces held by 2,500 kilometres of dry stone walls, recognised by UNESCO as cultural landscape. Sub-zones from west to east are Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno and Valgella; Sforzato is a dry passito DOCG made from grapes air-dried until December.

03

Oltrepò Pavese

The southern Apennine spur below Pavia, Italy's third-largest Pinot Nero zone and the historic home of Bonarda (Croatina).

Oltrepò Pavese spans 13,500 hectares of hill across the Pavia province south of the Po. It holds the country's largest Pinot Nero plantings outside Trentino-Alto Adige and is the cultural home of Bonarda, the local name for Croatina. The triangular hill area extends from Stradella to the Apennine ridge bordering Piemonte and Emilia, with calcareous-clay soils on south-facing exposures. The Metodo Classico DOCG covers traditional-method sparkling from minimum 70 percent Pinot Nero, with Cruasé designating the rosé style.

04

Lugana and Lake Garda

Heavy clay flats on the southern shore of Lake Garda where Turbiana (Trebbiano di Lugana) makes age-worthy whites with marked salinity.

Lugana DOC straddles Lombardy and Veneto on the morainic plain south of Lake Garda. The variety is Turbiana, a clone closely related to Verdicchio rather than to Trebbiano Toscano. Heavy clay soils retain water and slow ripening, producing whites with structure, acid drive and a saline finish that ages 5 to 15 years in the Riserva and Superiore tiers. Garda DOC covers a wider varietal palette around the lake basin (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot).

05

Valcalepio and Scanzo

The Bergamo hills, where Valcalepio blends Cabernet and Merlot and the tiny Scanzo DOCG makes Italy's smallest DOCG passito red.

Valcalepio DOC covers the morainic foothills east of Bergamo from Lake Iseo to Lake d'Endine. The classic dry red is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend; the white is a Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay assemblage. Within Valcalepio sits Moscato di Scanzo DOCG, Italy's smallest DOCG by area at around 30 hectares, producing a rare passito red from Moscato di Scanzo (a black-berried Muscat variant) air-dried for 21 days minimum.

06

Lambrusco Mantovano

The Lombard slice of Lambrusco country on the Po plain south of Mantua, frizzante reds from Lambrusco Viadanese and Maestri.

Lambrusco Mantovano DOC sits on the alluvial Po plain south and east of Mantua, the Lombardy edge of the wider Lambrusco zone that extends into Emilia-Romagna. The dominant varieties are Lambrusco Viadanese and Lambrusco Maestri, blended for rounder, less austere frizzante reds than the Modenese examples. Production is overwhelmingly co-operative and tied to the local pork-and-Parmigiano table.

02 · Regional Guide6

Understanding Lombardy

Layered notes on terroir, history, label rules, taste, drinking window and where to start.

Layer 01

Terroir

Lombardy Terroir

Three radically different terroirs share one region: alpine terraces in Valtellina, glacial moraine in Franciacorta and the Garda lakeshore, and Apennine hills in the Oltrepò.

Lombardy is one of the few Italian regions whose vineyard map cannot be read from a single climate band. Valtellina is genuinely alpine: south-facing terraces 350 to 750 metres on sandy soils derived from granite and gneiss, with diurnal swings well above 15 C. Franciacorta and the Bergamo hills sit on glacial moraine left by the Iseo and Garda glaciers, a mosaic of gravels, clays and limestone that drains hard but holds heat. The Lugana shore is the climatic opposite: heavy plastic clays at 70 to 130 metres, lake-warmed in winter and lake-cooled in summer. South of the Po, Oltrepò Pavese is Apennine country, calcareous clay and sandstone hills that read more like Piemonte's Tortonese than like the rest of Lombardy. The result is a region that produces alpine reds, traditional-method sparkling, age-worthy lake whites and Pinot Nero varietals from sites less than three hours apart by car.

Layer 02

History

Wine History in Lombardy

Lombard wine reaches back to Bronze Age viticulture, with documentary continuity from Roman tax records to the 1961 Franciacorta DOC and the 1995 promotion to DOCG.

Bronze Age finds at Castellaro Lagusello and Lavagnone confirm vine cultivation in the Lake Garda morainic basin before Roman expansion. The Lombards (Longobardi) arriving in the 6th century replaced Roman cellar discipline with a beer culture, and vineyard area collapsed until monastic estates rebuilt it in the 11th and 12th centuries. The modern shape of Lombard wine dates to two 1960s decisions: the 1961 founding of the first Franciacorta cellar making strict metodo classico, and the 1968 Franciacorta DOC. Valtellina was recognised DOC in 1968 and DOCG in 1998 with Sforzato. Franciacorta jumped straight to DOCG in 1995 with the strictest sparkling-wine rule book in Italy. The Oltrepò Metodo Classico DOCG followed in 2007, formalising a Pinot Nero sparkling tradition that had supplied Milan's aperitivo market since the 1870s.

Layer 03

Label rules

How to Read a Lombardy Label

Five DOCGs, 25 DOCs and 14 IGTs with varied disciplinari: Franciacorta and Oltrepò Metodo Classico are tiered by lees ageing, Valtellina by sub-zone and ageing, Lugana by ripeness and sweetness.

Franciacorta is the most regulated. The base appellation requires 18 months on lees, Satèn (white-only, lower bottle pressure) requires 24, vintage 30, and Riserva 60. The disciplinare uses Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco and up to 10 percent Erbamat. Valtellina Superiore DOCG requires 24 months total ageing (12 in oak); Riserva needs 36. Five sub-zones (Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, Valgella) may be named on the label. Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG demands grapes air-dried until at least 1 December and 20 months minimum ageing. Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG requires minimum 70 percent Pinot Nero, 15 months on lees for non-vintage and 24 for Cruasé (rosé). Lugana DOC labels indicate type: Lugana, Lugana Superiore (12 months ageing minimum), Lugana Riserva (24 months), Vendemmia Tardiva and Lugana Spumante.

Layer 04

Taste profile

What Lombardy Tastes Like

Cool acid drive defines almost every Lombard wine: Franciacorta tension, Valtellina pale-and-pointed Nebbiolo, Lugana saline whites, Oltrepò Pinot Nero red fruit.

Most Lombard wines share an acid backbone that is unusual outside the Alps. Franciacorta runs taut and citrus-led, with brioche notes only in older Riserva bottlings; Satèn drops the pressure to 4.5 atmospheres for a creamier mousse. Valtellina Superiore is pale-rimmed and high-acid, with red cherry, dry leaf and rusted-iron notes typical of cool-site Nebbiolo; Sforzato pushes that frame into dried fig and tobacco at 14.5 to 15 percent alcohol. Lugana whites move from green almond and lemon zest in young Annata to nectarine, hazelnut and lake-stone salinity in Riserva. Oltrepò Pinot Nero is on the brighter side of the variety, more red cherry and rose than truffle, while still Bonarda from Croatina is ruby-deep and frizzante-fresh. Moscato di Scanzo finishes the spectrum with raisin, rose and pomegranate at 17 percent.

Layer 05

Drinking window

Drinking Windows and Vintages

Annata Lugana and Bonarda for the year ahead, Valtellina Superiore at 5 to 12 years, Franciacorta non-vintage on release, vintage and Riserva at 5 to 15 years.

Most Lombard wines are made for relatively early drinking, with three exceptions worth cellaring. Franciacorta non-vintage is built to be drunk on release; vintage cuvées hit their stride 4 to 7 years after disgorgement, and Riserva (60 months minimum lees) can hold 10 to 15. Valtellina Superiore opens around year 4 and lasts 12 to 15 years in strong vintages (2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019); Sforzato follows a similar curve at higher alcohol. Lugana Superiore and Riserva surprise drinkers expecting a Trebbiano profile: 2018 and 2019 bottles are still vivid in 2026. Drink Annata Lugana, dry Bonarda and Lambrusco Mantovano within 2 years of vintage. Moscato di Scanzo holds 10 years; the recent strong vintages are 2018 and 2020.

Layer 06

Explore

Visiting Lombardy Wine Country

Three day-trip clusters: Franciacorta from Brescia, Valtellina from Sondrio, Lugana from Sirmione. The Oltrepò and Bergamo hills are best added to a wider trip.

Franciacorta is the easiest first visit: 25 minutes by train from Brescia to Rovato, then a taxi or rental car between cellars in Erbusco, Cazzago San Martino and Adro. Most major estates take bookings on their own site. Valtellina rewards a longer stay; Sondrio is the base, with the Sentiero Valtellina cycle path running the valley floor and dedicated wine cable cars at Sassella. The Trenino Rosso del Bernina from Tirano is the scenic crossing into Switzerland. Lugana is the day-trip option from Verona or Sirmione, with most cellars on the SP25 lake road. Oltrepò Pavese deserves a deliberate detour: it sits closer to Genoa than to Milan and rewards drivers who follow the SP201 Stradella to Casteggio ridge.

03 · Wines To Know6

What to drink from Lombardy

A short shortlist that maps the region: benchmark reds, signature whites and the labels worth a step-up.

Italy's metodo classico flagship

Franciacorta DOCG

Traditional-method sparkling from Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco and up to 10 percent Erbamat. Minimum 18 months on lees, 60 for Riserva. Drink the non-vintage on release; cellar vintage and Riserva 5 to 15 years.

FranciacortaDOCG White grapeChardonnay
Alpine Nebbiolo with five named sub-zones

Valtellina Superiore DOCG

Dry red from Chiavennasca (the local Nebbiolo), aged 24 months minimum (36 for Riserva), 12 of them in oak. Pale rim, high acid, red cherry and rusted-iron Nebbiolo character at 12.5 to 13.5 percent alcohol. Sub-zones from west to east: Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, Valgella.

Valtellina SuperioreDOCG Red grapeNebbiolo
Italy's only mountain passito red

Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG

Dry passito from Chiavennasca grapes air-dried until at least 1 December, then aged 20 months minimum. Reaches 14.5 to 15 percent alcohol with dried fig, tobacco and walnut on a still-vibrant Nebbiolo acid spine. Among Italy's only DOCG-level dry passito reds.

Sforzato di Valtellina/Sfursat di ValtellinaDOCG Red grapeNebbiolo
Lake Garda's age-worthy Turbiana white

Lugana DOC

White from Turbiana (a Verdicchio relative, not a Trebbiano) on heavy clays at the southern end of Lake Garda. Five legal types: Lugana annata, Superiore (12 months ageing), Riserva (24 months), Vendemmia Tardiva, Spumante. Saline finish, ages 5 to 15 years in the upper tiers.

LuganaDOC
Italy's third-largest Pinot Nero zone

Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Nero

Both still and traditional-method sparkling. The DOCG Metodo Classico requires minimum 70 percent Pinot Nero, with Cruasé designating the rosé style. Still Pinot Nero DOC is bright, red-fruited and cool-toned, sitting closer to Burgundy's Hautes-Côtes than to Trentino in style.

Oltrepò Pavese Metodo ClassicoDOCG
Italy's smallest DOCG passito red

Moscato di Scanzo DOCG

Rare passito red from Moscato di Scanzo (a black-berried Muscat variant) grown on around 30 hectares east of Bergamo. Grapes are air-dried 21 days minimum, then aged 24 months. Roses, raisin and pomegranate at 17 percent alcohol. Drink at 6 to 10 years.

Scanzo/Moscato di ScanzoDOCG
04 · Heritage Grapes9

The grapes behind the bottle

9 curated guides with editorial content. Pronunciations, traits and the regional footprint of each variety.

Barbera

One of the most approachable red wines in Italy, Barbera (“bar-BAY-rah”) is a fresh and fruity wine that is always present on the tables of the inhabitants of Piedmont.

Region Lombardy
Tannin
Body

Explore Barbera

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white grape with a clear Italian role: Franciacorta DOCG and Alta Langa DOCG include it in metodo classico sparkling wines, while Sicilia DOC gives it a warmer still-wine voice.

Region Lombardy
Acidity
Body

Explore Chardonnay

Erbamat

Erbamat is an ancient white grape from the Brescia hills of Lombardy, almost lost in the twentieth century and now welcomed back into the Franciacorta DOCG as a fourth permitted variety.

Region Lombardy
Acidity
Body

Explore Erbamat

Lambrusco

Lambrusco (Lahm-BROO-sko) is a family of grapes that produces fun sparkling wines, both sweet and dry, that are among the most popular in the world.

Region Lombardy
Tannin
Body

Explore Lambrusco

Malvasia di Candia

Malvasia di Candia is a white grape with two faces: a workhorse biotype that anchors the Lazio whites of Frascati DOCG and the Castelli Romani, and the genetically distinct Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, the perfumed Emilian clone that defines Colli Piacentini DOC and Colli di Parma DOC.

Region Lombardy
Acidity
Body

Explore Malvasia di Candia

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo (Nay-bee-OH-lo) is a native Italian variety cultivated in the northern regions, whose name derives from the word “Nebbia” which is Italian for fog.

Region Lombardy
Tannin
Body

Explore Nebbiolo

Turbiana

Turbiana is the white grape of Lugana DOC, grown on the clay-rich morainic shores south of Lake Garda across Lombardy and Veneto.

Region Lombardy
Acidity
Body

Explore Turbiana

Browse all grape guides

05 · Editor's Picks126

Wines from Lombardy

A starter selection from the catalogue. Pour them as a regional flight.

View all 126 wines

06 · La Tavola6

The table of Lombardy

Mountain, pasture and coast on one plate. Pour the regional wine alongside.

Lombard food and Lombard wine share an alpine clarity. Risotto alla milanese, with its saffron heart, asks for an aged Franciacorta Riserva or a structured Lugana Riserva.

Cotoletta and ossobuco both lean into Valtellina Superiore, whose dry-farmed Nebbiolo cuts veal fat without overpowering bone marrow. Pizzoccheri, the buckwheat-and-cabbage pasta of Valtellina, calls for a youthful Sforzato.

Aperitivo hour belongs to Franciacorta Saten and to dry Bonarda from the Oltrepo. Gorgonzola finishes the meal with a glass of Moscato di Scanzo, the rare Bergamasco passito DOCG.

Casoncelli, plated

Casoncelli

Casoncelli alla bergamasca

Crescent-shaped stuffed pasta from Bergamo, filled with beef, Grana Padano, amaretti biscuits, raisins, pear and breadcrumbs, dressed with butter, sage and pancetta. A Lombard Sunday primo. Pairs with Valcalepio Rosso or a structured Valtellina red.

Check Pasta pairings
Cotoletta alla Milanese on stoneware bowl with Bread Crumbs, Butter, Egg

Cotoletta alla Milanese

Cotoletta alla Milanese is the Lombard pan-fried veal, bone-in rib cut, pounded flat, breaded and cooked in clarified butter. The Austro-Hungarian Vienna-schnitzel argument has been going on for 200 years; Milan is the winner on the butter. Oltrepo Pavese Bonarda is the Lombard red of choice; Franciacorta DOCG is the celebration bottle; a lighter Pinot Nero suits the summer version with rocket and tomato.

Check Meats pairings
Gorgonzola, pear, and walnut risotto, plated

Gorgonzola, pear, and walnut risotto

This risotto combines the creamy, bold flavor of Gorgonzola, the sweet, floral notes of pear, and the rich, earthy taste of walnuts. A full-bodied red like Cabernet Sauvignon, with its commanding tannins and notes of black cherry and blackberry, can stand up to the risotto's flavors, complementing the Gorgonzola and walnuts. The wine's body and moderate to high alcohol content ensure it can handle the dish's complexity and intensity.

Check Risotto pairings
Ossobuco alla Milanese on stoneware bowl with Beef Broth, Carrot, Celery

Ossobuco alla Milanese

Ossobuco alla Milanese is the cross-cut veal shank braised until the marrow gives, finished with a raw gremolata of parsley, lemon zest and garlic. The risotto alla Milanese is the rice course served alongside, not underneath. Gattinara DOCG or a Valtellina Superiore DOCG, both Nebbiolo, bring the tannin structure the collagen asks for; Barbera d'Asti is the lighter weekday alternative.

Check Meats pairings
Panettone on stoneware bowl with Butter, Candied Peel, Egg

Panettone

Panettone is Milan's Christmas loaf, a tall dome of slow-leavened brioche packed with candied citrus and raisins, the result of a 36-hour triple-rise lievitazione. Moscato d'Asti DOCG is the Italian Christmas tradition; a chilled Franciacorta Dosaggio Zero or Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG take the modern elegant pair.

Check Desserts pairings
Pizzoccheri, plated

Pizzoccheri

Pizzoccheri della Valtellina

Buckwheat tagliatelle layered with Savoy cabbage, potatoes, Casera DOP cheese and butter sizzled with garlic and sage. The signature primo of Valtellina in Lombardy, where it is De.Co. (Denominazione Comunale) protected. Pairs with Valtellina Superiore Sassella or Inferno DOCG.

Check Pasta pairings
07 · On The Ground16

Explore Lombardy by place

Wine routes, towns and wineries to follow when you go.

Wine routes

1 day, 80 km

Strada del Franciacorta

The 80-kilometre loop through the Franciacorta DOCG amphitheatre, linking 19 communes between Brescia and Lake Iseo.

  1. Erbusco
  2. Bellavista
  3. Mosnel
  4. Guido Berlucchi
  5. Ferghettina
2 days, 70 km

Strada del Vino della Valtellina

The 70-kilometre east-west valley route from Morbegno to Tirano, following the Adda and the Sentiero del Vino terrace path.

  1. Sondrio
  2. Nino Negri
  3. Sandro Fay
  4. Conti Sertoli Salis
  5. Tirano station
1 day, 100 km

Strada del Vino dell'Oltrepò Pavese

The 100-kilometre Apennine ridge loop linking Stradella, Casteggio and Montescano in the Oltrepò Pavese DOC and DOCG.

  1. Casteggio
  2. Travaglino
  3. Frecciarossa
  4. Monsupello
  5. Montescano ridge
Half day, 50 km

Strada dei Vini del Garda

The Lake Garda southern shore and Lugana DOC route, around 50 kilometres from Sirmione to Desenzano and the Valtenesi headland.

  1. Sirmione
  2. Ca' dei Frati
  3. Costaripa
  4. Pasini San Giovanni

Wine towns

Erbusco

The Franciacorta capital, home to most flagship metodo classico cellars and the Cantine Aperte trail.

Erbusco hosts the headquarters of Bellavista, Cavalleri, Castello Bonomi and Mosnel within a 4 km radius, with another dozen cellars open by booking. The town centre is small enough to walk between the consortium offices and a tasting cellar on the same afternoon.

Brescia

Sondrio

The Valtellina base town, midway between the Sassella and Grumello sub-zones, with the consortium HQ and the Sentiero Valtellina vineyard trail.

Sondrio is where the major Valtellina houses (Nino Negri, Rainoldi, Aldo Rainoldi, Ar.Pe.Pe.) keep their main cellars. The Castello Grumello above the town is the photogenic vineyard viewpoint; Castel Masegra is the modern wine museum.

Sondrio

Casteggio

The eastern gateway of Oltrepò Pavese, the Roman Clastidium that gave the area its earliest documented vineyard mention.

Casteggio anchors the Oltrepò ridge of Pinot Nero and Riesling Italico growers. The Strada del Vino dell'Oltrepò passes through here, and the town's MuseoArcheologico documents 2,000 years of viticulture in the hills.

Pavia

Sirmione

The Lugana peninsula town on Lake Garda, the historic centre of Turbiana production and lake-side wine tourism.

Sirmione sits on the Lugana DOC's northern boundary. Ca' dei Frati, Cà Maiol, Provenza and Citari all keep tasting rooms within 10 km. The town's lake-front is the natural lunch base, and the SP25 lake road connects the major Lugana cellars.

Brescia

Bergamo

The Bergamo hills capital, gateway to Valcalepio DOC and the tiny Scanzo DOCG passito red.

Bergamo's Città Alta sits inside the Valcalepio production zone. The Strada del Vino Valcalepio runs east from the city through Scanzorosciate (Moscato di Scanzo DOCG) toward Lake Iseo, linking 25 wineries.

Bergamo

Mantua

The Renaissance Po-plain capital and the heart of Lambrusco Mantovano DOC.

Mantua anchors Lambrusco Mantovano on the Po plain south of the city. The local food culture (tortelli di zucca, salame, Parmigiano) is the natural pairing context for the dry to amabile frizzante reds. The Palazzo Te is the cultural anchor for any wine-and-food visit.

Mantua

Wineries to follow

Azienda Agricola Bellavista Est. 1977
Lombardy · Erbusco

Azienda Agricola Bellavista

Founding-generation Franciacorta house on the Bellavista hill above Lake Iseo. Vittorio Moretti planted in 1977, daughter Francesca now leads the cellar with consultant Richard Geoffroy; the long-aged Vittorio Moretti Riserva is its calling card.

14wines From £26.30
Guido Berlucchi
Lombardy · Borgonato

Guido Berlucchi

Guido Berlucchi (Borgonato). The cellar that produced Italy's first metodo classico in 1961. Today Franciacorta's largest single producer, with the Palazzo Lana Riserva at the apex.

7wines From £23
Azienda Agricola Il Mosnel Est. 1836
Lombardy · Camignone di Passirano

Azienda Agricola Il Mosnel

Il Mosnel (Camignone di Passirano). Five-generation Barboglio family estate at the centre of Franciacorta, with 41 hectares of certified-organic Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero around 16th-century cellars. The millesimato EBB is the house anchor, made from estate Chardonnay vinified in small oak ovals.

0wines
Nino Negri Est. 1897
Lombardy · Chiuro

Nino Negri

Nino Negri (Chiuro). Founded 1897, with cellars dug under the fifteenth-century Palazzo Quadrio. Thirty-three hectares of estate vineyards across Grumello, Inferno and Valgella plus fruit from over 200 Valtellina grower families. The Sfursat 5 Stelle is the modern benchmark for Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG.

8wines From £19.90
Sandro Fay Est. 1973
Lombardy · San Giacomo di Teglio

Sandro Fay

Sandro Fay (San Giacomo di Teglio). Family estate founded in 1973, now run by Sandro with his children Marco and Elena. Reference grower for the Valgella sub-zone of Valtellina Superiore DOCG, working Chiavennasca on terraced granite between 350 and 900 metres. The Carterìa Riserva and the Sforzato Ronco del Picchio anchor the 15-hectare estate.

0wines
Azienda Agricola Ca’ dei Frati
Lombardy · Lugana di Sirmione

Azienda Agricola Ca’ dei Frati

Ca' dei Frati (Lugana di Sirmione). Dal Cero family estate since 1939, reference Lugana producer that helped create the Lugana DOC in 1969. Long-aged 100% Turbiana for I Frati and the cru Brolettino, plus a small Pietro Dal Cero Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG.

9wines From £14.59
08 · Common Questions9

Ask the sommelier

Quick answers about Lombardy. Numbers, denominations, food and what to start with.

Lombardy's headline wines are Franciacorta DOCG (traditional-method sparkling), Valtellina Superiore DOCG and Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG (Alpine Nebbiolo dry and passito), Lugana DOC (age-worthy Turbiana whites from Lake Garda), Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Nero (still and metodo classico) and the rare Moscato di Scanzo DOCG passito red. Together they cover sparkling, mountain red, lake white and Pinot Nero categories within a single region.

Franciacorta is made by the traditional method, with secondary fermentation in the bottle and a minimum 18 months on lees (60 for Riserva). Prosecco is made by the Charmat method, with secondary fermentation in tank and a few months minimum on lees. Franciacorta uses Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco and Erbamat. Prosecco uses Glera. The two wines target different palates and different price points.

Chiavennasca is the Valtellina name for Nebbiolo. Compared with Barolo, Valtellina Superiore is paler in colour, lighter in body and lower in alcohol (12.5 to 13.5 percent rather than 14.5 plus), with red-cherry rather than tar character. The grape is the same, but Valtellina's mountain altitude, sandy granite soils and cooler harvests produce a more linear, high-acid expression.

No. Lugana is made from Turbiana, which DNA studies have shown to be closely related to Verdicchio rather than to Trebbiano Toscano. The historic name Trebbiano di Lugana is misleading. Lugana whites have structure, acid drive and a saline finish that ages 5 to 15 years in the Riserva and Superiore tiers, behaviour closer to Verdicchio than to most Trebbiano.

Bonarda dell'Oltrepò Pavese DOC is made primarily from Croatina, not from the Bonarda Piemontese variety used in Piemonte. The wine is usually frizzante, ruby-deep, dry to softly amabile, and built for everyday Lombard food. Sangue di Giuda is the sweet-style sister, and Buttafuoco is the still, more structured Croatina-Barbera blend from the same hills.

Risotto alla milanese with aged Franciacorta Riserva or Lugana Riserva. Cotoletta and ossobuco with Valtellina Superiore. Pizzoccheri with young Sforzato. Bonarda dell'Oltrepò with salame and Lambrusco Mantovano with tortelli di zucca. Gorgonzola with Moscato di Scanzo passito.

We currently list 126 wines from Lombardy, starting from £6.80. Browse them all on our wines page.

We currently curate 9 active Lombardy grape guides, including Barbera, Chardonnay, Erbamat, Lambrusco, Malvasia di Candia, and more. This is an editorial selection, not the complete regional grape list.

Lombardy is renowned for dishes including Casoncelli, Cotoletta alla Milanese, Gorgonzola, pear, and walnut risotto, Ossobuco alla Milanese.

09 · Keep Exploring

Your next pour

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