Garda Colli Mantovani

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The production zone lies within the Garda Morainic Amphitheatre, at elevations reaching up to 200 metres above sea level.
• The morainic hills are composed of fluvio-glacial sediments, and the soils are loose and permeable, with pronounced surface drainage.
• The first aquifer is found at a depth of 10–30 metres, rising to ground level in low-lying areas.
• The river Mincio forms the principal hydrological axis of the production zone.
• The climate is mild and breezy owing to the presence of Lake Garda, intermediate between Mediterranean and oceanic in character given the degree of continentality, with high mean summer temperatures and mean annual rainfall exceeding 700 mm, concentrated mainly in autumn and spring.

• Archaeological excavations in the morainic hills have uncovered a bowl of grape seeds datable to the Neolithic period, evidence of the ancient origins of viticulture in the Mantua area.
• The correspondence of Isabella d'Este concerning her journey to Cavriana and Lake Garda in September 1535, and the 'Descrizione in compendio del castello di Solferino' of 1588, bear witness to the history of the wines and grape varieties of the hills.

• The late harvest for the white wines is dictated by the climatic conditions of the zone, which allow for wide temperature ranges and humidity levels regulated by the influence of the currents of Lake Garda.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1070
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Vini Mantovani