Region |
Lombardy |
Country |
Italy |
Morphology of the land |
Plain: 47%
Hill: 12%
Mountain: 41%
|
Hectares of vineyard |
22,521 |
Climate and soil |
In the plains the winters are harsh and the summers are sultry. During autumn and winter there are thick and persistent mists. In the hills the mists are less frequent and the summers are less hot. In the mountains, on the other hand, the climate is very harsh and milder on the prealpine lakes. |
History |
The Lombards in the sixth century AD, occupied almost the entire Peninsula and their territory was called Longobardia. In Lombardy, the cultivation of the vine was already present in prehistory, as shown by the archaeological finds dating back to the Bronze Age, on the shores of Lake Garda and Lake Iseo, belonging to the Vitis vinifera silvestris Gmer. The actual cultivation of the vine of the subspecies Vitis vinifera sativa dates back to the VII-V century. A.C., when Rhaetian populations from the north, South Tyrolean from the east, Etruscans and Ligurians from the south, gave impetus to this culture, teaching relatively more functional vinification techniques, albeit with rather rudimentary sitemas, to local populations. |
Typical products |
Lombardy is a district of great progress, with many interesting names. First of all, the Valtellina Superiore DOCG that produces some red wines, elegant and very structured from nebbiolo, chiavannasca, sfursat or sforzato, produced with dried grapes, a very concentrated wine, rich and spicy with alcohol content of at least 14.5%. Oltrepò Pavese is an area where some single-vine wines are produced with vines originating in Piedmont and from riesling, pinot bianco, pinot grigio and bonarda. Franciacorta are made only with the classic method and were the first wines of the region to be entitled to DOCG, they often have an elegant and complex bouquet and a fresh, soft and harmonious flavor. |
Typical dishes |
Lombardy presents a rather complex gastronomic panorama that is not easy to define, due to the extreme variety of its conformation, due to a notable presence of plains and mountains, as well as numerous lakes and large rivers. The existence of many different cultures, as well as the richness of livestock production and the abundance of fruit and vegetables, among all the PGI Mantuan pear, Viadana melon and Valtellina apple that deserve this recognition, have created a natural opulence, focused on strong meat and dairy dishes, with condiments based on animal fats but also on extra-virgin olive oil DOP Garda and Laghi Lombardi (Lario and Serbino).
The classic Milanese dish is saffron risotto, cooked with meat broth and beef marrow, creamed with butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. In the region there are also rice-based specialties, such as risotto alla campagnola in Lodi, those in Monza, Certosina, jump, Mantua, with perch, with frogs and to the pilot, with salami or salami fresh.
A place of great importance occupies the polenta, made with corn flour, cooked in order to obtain a consistent dough, to be cut and seasoned in many ways, with tomato, meat, cheese or game.
In Lombardy the most slaughtered meat is the pigs, with a production that covers 40% in national availability, which are also at the base of the main dish of the Milanese, the cassola, composed of cabbage and various parts of the pig, from the ribs to the legs, from the pigtail to pork rinds, in addition to the traditional salami of the verzata.
Among the desserts we remember the Easter dove and the panettone, the carnival chatter, fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar, the beans of the dead, with flour, sugar, almonds and pine nuts, San Siro bread, creamed pudding of cream and hazelnuts. |
Red grape varieties |
Barbera, Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Croatina, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco Viadanese, Malvasia, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Pinot Nero
|
White grape varieties |
Chardonnay, Moscato Bianco/Moscato Reale, Pinot Bianco, Riesling Italico, Trebbiano di Soave / Turbiana
|
DOCG |
,
Moscato di Scanzo
,
,
,
|
DOC |
,
Botticino
,
,
Capriano del Colle
,
Casteggio
,
Cellatica
,
,
,
,
Garda Colli Mantovani
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
San Colombano al Lambro
,
,
,
Terre del Colleoni
,
Valcalepio
,
,
Valtenesi
|
IGT |
,
Alto Mincio
,
,
Bergamasca
,
Collina del Milanese
,
Montenetto di Brescia
,
Provincia di Mantova
,
,
Quistello
,
Ronchi di Brescia
,
Ronchi Varesini
,
Sabbioneta
,
,
Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio
,
Terre Lariane
,
Valcamonica
|