BETWEEN LUGANA, VALTÈNESI AND THE MORAINIC HILLS: WHERE VINES STAND BY THE LAKE
The secret terroirs of one of the world’s best-loved wine destinations
Thirty-five thousand hectares devoted to the growing of vines, no less than 10 historical appellations and a tradition steeped in myth: this is what defines Garda’s wine-growing tradition, with its attention to detail and good soil, which have always set the standard. What’s the secret? A unique subsoil and the perfect amount of light. This is how the prestigious Benaco labels came into being, from Lugana to Amarone, through Chiaretto, Custoza, Groppello or Marzemino. The scents and flavours of Garda’s wines will immediately transport you to those sweet summer evenings, when holding a cool, crystal clear glass in your hand you admire the endless horizon.
The oldest plough in the world at Lake Garda: it was used to grow vines over 4,000 years ago
The favourite toasts of the Etruscans, Emperor Augustus and Giosuè Carducci
Over the centuries, winegrowers have contributed to tracing the contours of ancient farms and winding dirt tracks, defining the parishes and villages, weaving together people’s lives and work up and down the soft hills overlooking the Benaco, slumbering in the Mediterranean torpor. Their symbiotic relationship has continued for millennia, as evidenced by the extraordinary discovery half a century ago of the supports of a pile-dwelling. In Lavagnone, the small glacial basin behind Desenzano, the oldest plough in existence was found, a prehistoric artefact that is evidence of man’s association with the cultivation of vines.
Then came the Etruscans, a noble race of ancient Italy, the Cenomani, the Raeti and the Romans. And the vine was always an object of worship and love. Cato the Censor spoke of it in the third and fourth centuries B.C.: he sang the praises of the ‘vinum raetico‘ that only the hinterland of Lake Garda could produce. Fine whites that were appreciated at the table of Julius Caesar or vigorous reds that were prized at the banquets of Emperor Augustus. But many others over the last two millennia have celebrated the refined fruit of sumptuous grapes warmed under the Garda sun.
Three areas where vines grow majestically under Italian skies
Fine Lugana
The area of Lugana, gently nestled between the provinces of Brescia and Verona, stretches along the morainic plain to the south of the lake, where in ancient times the ancient ‘Selva lucana’ was known. Some grape seeds dating back to the Bronze Age are proof of its agricultural vocation that, through a succession of peoples and techniques, has favoured and perfected the cultivation of vines. Lake Garda’s temperate microclimate has made it the cradle of exceptional cultivars, whose strong roots penetrate the calcareous clays, which are rich in mineral salts. Hard in times of drought and muddy with the first rains, it is a land that has taught farmers the value of sacrifice and care, offering in return products of the highest quality.
Soft Valténesi
To the south-west of the lake, scattered villages and elegant dwellings shelter rows of flourishing vines on terraces. They grow among fragrant jasmine, osmanthus, wisteria or honeysuckle plants, while streams gurgle softly close by. The blue-violet berries of its vines, already dear to the Etruscans, produce the ruby red nectar of Groppello, with its slightly fruity, spicy aroma. The classic local variety, these vines are delicate and fragile, in need of expert and diligent care, loving gestures of daily devotion.
Ancient morainic hills
Equally ancient are the cultivations on the hills that run down from the lower side of Lake Garda side towards the Mantua area. Their unique morphology is a memory imprinted on the landscape by the glacier that, whether retreating or advancing, shaped it at the time of the first ice ages. Rocks, stones, clay and silt were deposited and over time transformed into gentle hills and valleys, where spring water created dark, fertile soil.
The Romans introduced the art of wine growing, which continued into the early Middle Ages thanks to the assiduous work of the monks. As the noblest families, from the Gonzaga to the Della Scala, valued the art of wine growing, the white berries of the delicate Custoza or the aromatic Trebbiano returned to the Garda sun. Dotted with castles and ruins, these fiercely contested lands today rest under blankets of hornbeams, oaks and junipers. The perfect setting for the vine leaves that tightly grip their long supports in tender embraces.
Vine leaves: a precious secret of well-being since antiquity
Energising benefits from the plant of life
Smooth and velvety on the surface, vine leaves are strong and veined underneath, so that they can be fully exposed to the sun. Vine leaves are resilient, tenacious and elegant; they change with the seasons and guide the plant as it grows, determining its shape. The grapevine is considered a symbol of life and vitality, as it has been throughout history. Egyptian hieroglyphics, Cretan vessels, Babylonian bricks or the secret Roman cults bear witness to the fact that the vine leaf is just as valuable as the fruit, and its countless health benefits have always been known.
The grape vine is an irregularly shaped trailer that, without human intervention, grows to a height of several metres, an incredible biochemical laboratory that produces the sugary sweetness of grapes from water and carbon dioxide. The Sumerians already associated this ‘herb of life’ with immortality and eternal youth. Today, science has proven them right: the leaves have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and to act as vasoprotectors.
Vine leaves are rich in polyphenols and bioflavonoids, which together with other active ingredients contained in ‘vitis vinifera’, are great allies of the microcirculation and a fundamental aid to anti-cellulite action. They also combat oedema and water retention.
The peak of skin benefits in autumn
Our experts at Secretum Gardae combine the latest formulation science and technology with a deep understanding of nature, its respect and the precious beauty secrets it passes on. That is why at SG we know that autumn is the best time to harvest and process vine leaves. For this reason, we have carefully researched the plants of the best organic crops in Lake Garda to provide our customers with the best that this magnificent land has to offer.
Between October and November (when the vines turn mahogany) the active ingredients in the leaves reach their maximum concentration: a secret that our predecessors knew only too well. This is when vitamins B, C and E release their maximum anti-ageing power, while magnesium, potassium and iron provide the skin with oxygenating and antioxidant benefits.
AQUA V, the exceptional moisturising and smoothing serum from Secretum Gardae, provides the ingenious combination of 5 different hyaluronic acid weights: a unique solution that achieved using the most innovative cosmetic engineering. Its exceptional balance achieves perfection thanks to the blend of vine with water lily extracts from Lake Garda.
