he land along the southern rim of Lake Garda is flat but only a short distance inland there is a series of hilly slopes that creates what is known as the "Mantuan Morainic Amphitheater." Special climatic conditions resulting from the effects of the great mass of lake water have favored the growth of lush vineyards in the area.
Today, distinctions are made among the wines produced to the south, north, east and west of the lake. Long ago, however, all of them were generally referred to as Rhetic wines. That generalization goes back at least as far as the writings of Pliny and Virgil.
The varieties typical of both regions are cultivated in the vineyards of the area, which is divided between Lombardy and the Veneto. In the grape mixture for the district's reds and rosés, for example, Sangiovese and Merlot are combined with Molinara, Cabernet, Negrara and Rossanella, while the whites represent blends of various clones of Trebbiano with Garganega, Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco.
Consorzio Tutela Vini Colli Mantovani
c/o CCIAA
Largo di Porta Pradella
46100 Mantova (MN)
ITALY
phone: (+39) 0376/234420
fax: (+39) 0376/234429
This page was written by Stefano Milioni. Background image and most photos in this section courtesy of Giuliano Bugialli, all right reserved (see Copyright and Credits).
he land along the southern rim of Lake Garda is flat but only a short distance inland there is a series of hilly slopes that creates what is known as the "Mantuan Morainic Amphitheater." Special climatic conditions resulting from the effects of the great mass of lake water have favored the growth of lush vineyards in the area.