Study / Region guides
Lombardy (Lombardia)
5 DOCGs and 18 DOCs. Examined in Unit 1: Northern Italy.
- Borders
- Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige
- Wine provinces
- Pavia, Brescia, Bergamo, Sondrio, Mantova, Milan, Lodi
The land
Lombardy runs from the Alps down to the Po. The big lakes, Maggiore, Como, Iseo and Garda, soften the climate around them.
There are four areas to know. Valtellina is an alpine valley in the far north where terraces line the Adda river. Franciacorta sits on glacial moraine south of Lake Iseo. Oltrepò Pavese is in the Apennine foothills south of the Po. Lugana and the Garda shore are in the east.
Valtellina runs east to west, so its terraces on the north bank face due south.
The grapes
Nebbiolo is called Chiavennasca in Valtellina. Franciacorta relies on Chardonnay and Pinot Nero with some Pinot Bianco. Oltrepò Pavese has more Pinot Nero than anywhere else in Italy, along with Croatina, which is sold there as Bonarda.
Lugana's grape is Turbiana, also called Trebbiano di Lugana.
Which grape leads which appellation
- Nebbiolo 3
- Sforzato di Valtellina (Sfursat), Valtellina Superiore, Valtellina Rosso (Rosso di Valtellina)
- Barbera 2
- Botticino, Casteggio
- Pinot Nero 2
- Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico, Pinot Nero dell'Oltrepò Pavese
- Croatina 1
- Bonarda dell'Oltrepò Pavese
- Marzemino 1
- Cellatica
Local names
- Blaufränkisch
- Franconia, in Terre di Colleoni (Colleoni)
- Chiavennasca
- Nebbiolo, in Sforzato di Valtellina (Sfursat), Valtellina Superiore, Valtellina Rosso (Rosso di Valtellina)
- Grappello Ruberti
- Lambrusco Viadanese, in Lambrusco Mantovano
- Incrocio Manzoni
- Manzoni Bianco, in Terre di Colleoni (Colleoni)
- Renano
- Riesling, in Oltrepò Pavese
- Turbiana
- Trebbiano di Soave, in Capriano del Colle
- Ughetta
- Vespolina, in Buttafuoco dell'Oltrepò Pavese, Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepò Pavese
In the vineyard and cellar
Franciacorta is made only by the metodo classico and asks for longer on the lees than Champagne's minimum. Satèn is its softer blanc de blancs.
Sforzato di Valtellina is a dry red from Nebbiolo grapes dried for about three months, in the manner of Amarone.
History and trade
Milan has always been the market on the doorstep. Franciacorta as a sparkling wine dates only from 1961, and in 1995 it became the first metodo classico wine in Italy to be made a DOCG.
The DOCGs
Oldest first. The year is when each one became a DOCG.
| Appellation | DOCG since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franciacorta | 1995 | Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco, Erbamat | Brescia |
| Valtellina Superiore | 1998 | Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca), min 90% | Sondrio |
| Sforzato di Valtellina (Sfursat) | 2003 | Nebbiolo (locally Chiavennasca), min 90% | Sondrio |
| Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico | 2007 | Pinot Nero (min 70%), Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco | Pavia |
| Scanzo (Moscato di Scanzo) | 2009 | Moscato di Scanzo (red-skinned Muscat) | Bergamo |
The DOCs
| Appellation | DOC since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonarda dell'Oltrepò Pavese | 2010 | Croatina (min 85%), Barbera, Uva Rara, Vespolina | Pavia |
| Botticino | 1968 | Barbera (min 30%), Marzemino (min 20%), Sangiovese, Schiava | Brescia |
| Buttafuoco dell'Oltrepò Pavese | 2010 | Barbera, Croatina, Uva Rara, Ughetta (Vespolina) | Pavia |
| Capriano del Colle | 1980 | Marzemino, Merlot, Sangiovese; Trebbiano di Soave (Turbiana) | Brescia |
| Casteggio | 2010 | Barbera (min 65%), Croatina, Uva Rara, Vespolina, Pinot Nero | Pavia |
| Cellatica | 1968 | Marzemino (min 30%), Barbera (min 30%), Schiava Gentile (min 10%), Incrocio Terzi | Brescia |
| Curtefranca | 1967 | Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco; Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera, Nebbiolo | Brescia |
| Garda Colli Mantovani | 1976 | Garganega, Trebbiano, Chardonnay; Merlot, Cabernet, Rondinella, Sangiovese | Mantova |
| Lambrusco Mantovano | 1987 | Lambrusco Viadanese (Grappello Ruberti), Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco Salamino, Ancellotta | Mantova |
| Oltrepò Pavese | 1970 | Barbera, Croatina, Riesling (Italico and Renano), Pinot Nero, Moscato, Uva Rara | Pavia |
| Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio | 2010 | Pinot Grigio | Pavia |
| Pinot Nero dell'Oltrepò Pavese | 2010 | Pinot Nero (min 85%) | Pavia |
| Riviera del Garda Classico | 1967 | Groppello, Marzemino, Barbera, Sangiovese | Brescia |
| San Colombano al Lambro | 1984 | Croatina, Barbera, Uva Rara, Verdea; Chardonnay, Pinot Nero | Milan, Lodi, Pavia |
| Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepò Pavese | 2010 | Barbera, Croatina, Uva Rara, Ughetta (Vespolina) | Pavia |
| Terre di Colleoni (Colleoni) | 2011 | Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Incrocio Manzoni; Merlot, Cabernet, Franconia (Blaufränkisch), Incrocio Terzi n.1 | Bergamo |
| Valcalepio | 1976 | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon; Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio; Moscato di Scanzo | Bergamo |
| Valtellina Rosso (Rosso di Valtellina) | 1968 | Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca), min 90% | Sondrio |
Facts that get tested
The kind of thing an exam asks about Lombardy. Cover the answers and try them.
How long must non-vintage Franciacorta spend on its lees?
18 months. 18 months, against 15 for non-vintage Champagne. Satèn and Rosé need 24.
How long must Franciacorta Riserva spend on its lees?
60 months. Five years. Millesimato needs 30 months.
What sets Franciacorta Satèn apart?
White grapes only and a lower bottle pressure. Satèn is a blanc de blancs from Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, bottled below 5 atmospheres for a softer, creamier fizz.
Franciacorta lies just south of which lake?
Iseo. The hills are glacial moraine left at the foot of Lake Iseo, in the province of Brescia.
Which local white grape was added to the Franciacorta rules in 2017 for its acidity?
Erbamat. Erbamat ripens late and keeps its acid, which helps as summers get hotter. It can make up to 10% of the blend.
Sforzato di Valtellina is
A dry red from dried Nebbiolo grapes. Also written Sfursat. The grapes dry for about three months and the wine is fermented dry, in the manner of Amarone.
Which of these is not a Valtellina Superiore subzone?
Buttafuoco. The five are Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno and Valgella. Buttafuoco is a red from Oltrepò Pavese.
Valtellina's terraced vineyards follow which river?
Adda. The valley runs east to west, so the vines on the north bank face due south and catch the sun all day.
Oltrepò Pavese is Italy's largest source of which grape?
Pinot Nero. It has around 3,000 hectares of Pinot Nero, much of it for metodo classico.
Bonarda dell'Oltrepò Pavese is made from which grape?
Croatina. In Oltrepò, Bonarda is the local name for Croatina. It has nothing to do with Piedmont's Bonarda.
Moscato di Scanzo, one of Italy's smallest DOCGs, is
A sweet red passito. It comes from a red Moscato grown in a single commune near Bergamo.
Think you've got it?
Twenty questions on Lombardy, with every wrong answer drawn from the region and its neighbours.
Quiz me on Lombardy