Turbiana grapes at Cà dei Frati in Lombardy

Lombardy, located in northern Italy with 90 UNESCO World Heritage sites, continues to enjoy being one of most populous and richest region with Milan the second largest city after Rome. Always prosperous Milan has a cuisine made for those who can afford expensive ingredients like saffron and foods like osso bucco. Layers of richness are offset by the light, tart grapes of the region. 

Beyond lighter and tarter grapes, Lombardy’s size and diverse geography including alpine lakes, tall peaks, broad lakes, glacial moraines, and broad plains means it lacks one dominant and recognizable grape or style, which makes it harder to fathom for consumers. This month, I am hosting the Italian Food, Wine, and Travel group of wine writers as we explore the diverse terrain and wines of Lombardy, a region that the Wine Media Conference visited in 2022 where I went on excursions into the DOCs of Valtellina in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and Lugana which straddles the border with Veneto.

Read my invite post here to learn more about Lombardy’s long history of winemaking and about the various DOCs, grapes, and wine styles.

And while as much as I am enamored by Continue reading →