DOP Bardolino Chiaretto wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

Bardolino Chiaretto D.O.P. is produced on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, in the province of Verona, in the Veneto region. The production area covers sixteen communes, six of which make up the historic Classico zone: Affi, Bardolino, Garda, Lazise, Costermano sul Garda and Cavaion Veronese, joined by ten further communes stretching toward the plain and the lower slopes of Monte Baldo. The vineyards lie within the morainic amphitheatre shaped by the lake's ancient glaciers: hills with gentle elevation changes, rocky outcrops in the north, and fluvioglacial plains running between the morainic formations. The climate, softened by the lake, blends Mediterranean influences along the shore, continental conditions inland, and mountain conditions at higher elevation. The wines rely mainly on corvina, complemented by corvinone, rondinella, molinara and other red varieties authorized in the province of Verona.

The wines of this appellation

Bardolino Chiaretto is distinguished from red Bardolino by its rosé vinification, carried out with a very brief skin maceration that limits the extraction of colour and tannin. Three expressions exist: Chiaretto, Chiaretto Classico, from the historic zone, and Chiaretto Spumante, a sparkling version. The colour is a bright, luminous pink. The nose offers delicate aromas of small red fruits — raspberry, redcurrant, blueberry, wild strawberry — lifted by subtle spiced notes. On the palate the wine is fresh and fruity, with a juicy sensation of red fruit and a liveliness that reflects its youth. Light and easy-drinking, it shows its best in the first years after harvest. Its versatility at the table makes it a match for antipasti, fish, white meats and light pasta dishes, equally suited to an aperitif or throughout a meal.