Ciao Tutti!
This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Lugana Mandolara DOC ($20.99, 12.5% ABV) from the Le Morette winery near Verona in the Veneto. “Le Morette” translates as “blackberries” for the blackberry bushes that are native to the region in general and to the shores of Lake Garda in particular. It is also the name of the famous diving duck found in the area.
Lugana is a small wine region along the southern banks of Lake Garda and is famous for this white grape, Turbiana, which is grown for both sparkling and still wines. Several years ago, the region was threatened when tracks for a high speed bullet train were proposed from Kiev to Lisbon. For other regions, this would have been progress, but for Lugana, it would have been a disaster. Lugana is wedged between the southern shore of Lake Garda and another region, Lombardy, so there was no room for relocating vines and the vines would be lost forever.
The proposed new tracks would have covered an area only a quarter mile away from the existing tracks. Wine producers fought back by creating the Consorzio of Lugana. Their petition pointed out if the bullet train used part of the existing rail line, only four minutes of travel time would be lost. David slew Goliath and modifications were made to the train route. Then the project was abandoned and this unique wine heritage area was preserved for future generations.
In the early 1960’, Gino Zenato, founded a vine nursery company to produce vines for viticulture but he soon began to produce his own wine. Twenty-one years later, Gino’s son Valerio joined his father’s company and raised the bar for the wines that became known for their high quality, strong identity with their terroir, minerality, and structure. The third generation of Fabio and Paolo now work alongside their father.
Emily and I tasted this wine recently with our rep and we liked its fresh bouquet, fruity taste with hints of pear, citrus and white flowers that ends with a trace of bitter almond that is characteristic of this indigenous grape. Pair with seafood, pasta, salads or as an aperitivo.
Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste of this delicious white wine!
Cin Cin,
Jenn
Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center, 218 N. Washington St., in Easton, MD
Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.
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