Wine of the Week! 10/23/23

Le Fraghe Bardolino

Normally $19.99 / Now on Sale for $15.96
80% Corvina, 20% Rondinella

Way up in north central Italy sits Lake Garda, the largest lake on the peninsula. Less than 10 miles across at its widest (on its southern end), it stretches for over 30 miles, challenging the foothills of the Alps at its top. It straddles the provinces of Lombardy and Veneto and is convenient to Brescia to west, Verona to the east, and Trento to the north. Let us, however, focus on its southeastern shore, where we find the town of Bardolino, the namesake of the surrounding wine region (a sub-region of Veneto-Friuli).

People believe that winemaking started in Bardolino in Roman times. However — although we have found 15th century writings about wine there — it isn’t until the 19th Century that people start calling the region’s light-bodied reds made from local grapes like Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara “Bardolinos.” Today (and since 1984), a couple of miles outside of town, in the shadow of Mount Baldo, is where you’ll find Azienda Agricola Le Fraghe, run by Matilde Poggi.

[For a tour of the wines around Lake Garda listen to our very own Erin Scala’s podcast episode on the region.]

Poggi makes her Bardolino out of her organically grown Corvina and Rondinella, with the lion’s share being the former. She elicits a surprisingly full taste for how light-bodied this red is. Deep, dry date or fig-like fruit nestle in soft but rustic tannins. Have this wine with mushroom tortellini or spinach gnocchi.