When eating out in restaurants in Bergamo, look out for a wine called Chiaretto.
If you enjoy Bardolino wine, you will love Bardolino Chiaretto Classico, even if you are not normally a fan of rosé wines.
It is probably a gross oversimplification to say that Chiaretto is a pink version of Bardolino, but the wine comes from the same production zone and has the same delicate hint of raspberries and blackberries, with a subtle spice all of its own.
It is ideal for drinking when you don’t want to order a red wine, as it has the lightness and freshness of a good Italian white wine combined with the delicate fruitiness of a young Bardolino.
Chiaretto is made from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes, which have been grown in the ideal climate of Lake Garda, not far from Bergamo. The wine is a delightful coral pink when bottled and is best drunk young. The picture shows a bottle of 2009 Villabella Bardolino Chiaretto.
The good news is you will probably be able to find it back home as 70 per cent of all doc wines produced in the Bardolino classico zone are exported.
The main buyers are Germany, France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, the US and Japan.
Bardolino wine producers report an increase in popularity for their Chiaretto labels, with 10 million bottles sold in 2009 and sales looking better still for this year.
The Bardolino wine consortium (Consorzio Tutelavino Bardolino Doc) says that Chiaretto goes well with antipasti, pasta dishes, fish, seafood and white meat. (For more information about Bardolino wines visit www.ilbardolino.com)
The consortium recommends Chiaretto as a good accompaniment for ravioli in particular and so I have no hesitation in suggesting that you try a glass of it with the traditional Bergamo dish, casoncelli alla bergamasca. Salute!
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| Bardolino on Lake Garda |
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