I just came back from a three-day tasting trip around Lake Garda, exploring Bardolino and Custoza, the lesser-known “other” wines of the region. While we were already familiar with these appellations and have been stocking a
producer from the area that makes some of the best wines, it was fascinating to be reminded of the hundreds of styles being produced.
Bardolino and Custoza are small appellations compared to their neighbours, yet both boast hundreds of wineries, each interpreting the wines in their own way depending on the grapes they grow. Discovering so much variety within such a small area is at the same time frustrating and exciting. Frustrating because they lack a clearly identifiable style—especially the Bardolino—but exciting for that very same reason.
Another highlight is that most producers are small or medium-sized, and the majority follow organic viticulture, with a few embracing biodynamic practices.
Custoza remains relatively unknown, overshadowed by its bigger Veneto neighbours - Soave and Lugana - and the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio. Bardolino, on the other hand, especially in the UK, still carries the damages made in the 1980s, when it was one of the most widely consumed wines. Today, mentioning Bardolino often triggers a negative reaction: “I’ll pass, give me something else.”
Yet Bardolino is not only a superb everyday wine, but in the right hands, with perfect grapes, it can compete with some of the best. During the trip, my fellow importers and I often compared it to Pinot Noir, and it frequently offers far better value for money. Interestingly, while many producers globally fight to keep alcohol levels low, Bardolino generally sits between 12% and 13%, despite the region feeling the effects of climate change with earlier harvests over the past few years.
The challenge - or charm - of Bardolino and Custoza is that both are blends, and each winemaker interprets them differently. The exciting part. In Bardolino, the primary grapes are Corvina and Rondinella. Personally, I love the freshness Corvina brings, and this aligns with the style of the winery we import from. I also enjoyed tasting white wines made from Corvina, so-called Blanc de Rouge - white wines made from red grape varieties, demonstrating the grape’s versatility.
Custoza, meanwhile, is primarily a blend of Garganega (the same grape as Soave), Trebbianello (a local variety related to Friulano), and Bianca Fernanda (a local Cortese clone), with other grapes allowed such as Malvasia, Riesling Italico or Renano, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, and Incrocio Manzoni. Different blends yield distinct wines.
Bardolino comes in three versions:
Bardolino,
Bardolino Chiaretto,
Bardolino Superiore, and Bardolino Riserva or “Sottozona.” The Bardolino area has been divided into three subzones - La Rocca, Sommacampagna, and Monte Baldo - each with its own characteristics. In the Riserva or Sottozona wine, winemakers enjoy greater freedom, leading to notable differences not only in the blend, but also in winemaking style. As readers of my blog know, I don’t see much point in creating new appellations or crus or sottozone; often, they confuse consumers and push them away from the wine altogether.
The same applies to
Custoza, which includes Custoza, Custoza Superiore, Custoza Riserva, as well as Custoza Spumante and Custoza Passito. I tasted some Custoza Superiore that could rival high-prestige white wines, not just Italian, both in quality and potential, and it is now on our “to import” list.
One of the joys of these trips is tasting very limited-production wines and older vintages. We did a vertical tasting of Bardolino from 2014 to 2024, with the 2014 vintage still drinkable, offering insight into the wine’s ageing potential and the influence of each vintage.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip with remarkable wines that truly deserve more attention. Every time we include one of these wines in a tasting, people are genuinely delighted, they are a hidden gem for wine lovers willing to give them a chance.
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