Lugana Superiore DOC: New Italian White Wine Debuting Market
Just a few months of anxious waiting remain, and then the new prince of Italian white wines will become a reality! We are, of course, referring to the Superiore Lugana DOC, which after nearly two years of aging in the cellar, will make its first debut on both national and international markets.
It is a highly anticipated news among tasters and enthusiasts of fine wines, which recently also received coverage from Agrisole, providing a serious and well-documented mapping of the production—not only of the anticipated Superiore but also of the entire Lugana DOC production area.
Characteristics and expectations of the Superiore Lugana
From initial technical tastings, the new Superiore Lugana shows real signs of quality brilliance. Certainly, a wine that will also lend itself to medium- to long-term aging, challenging the common, yet still unverified, belief that white wine is meant to be consumed in its youth.
But it is known that a wine with good structure, like Lugana DOC — as recently emphasized once again by Luigi Veronelli, the renowned master of international enogastronomy — is in the best condition to support extended aging periods, leading to surprising results.
Market situation and production
The only obstacle to this possibility is that the international market has recently recognized the exceptional quality of this wine, produced on the shores of Lake Garda, straddling three provinces—Verona, Brescia, and Mantova—and two regions—Lombardy and Veneto—quickly depleting its stock. In some wineries, even the production from the recent 1998 harvest is now practically exhausted.
“We have produced enough to satisfy the requests already received,” says one producer, “but unfortunately, we are unable to meet further demand.”
Technical characteristics and production
The production of Superiore, obtained from vines with lower yields per hectare, requires a wine with a minimum total alcohol content of 12.0% vol, a minimum total acidity of 5.0 g/l, and a minimum net dry extract of 17.0 g/l.
Francesco Ghiraldi, president of the Consorzio Tutela Lugana, recently stated at Agrisole that sales are on a positive trend, with a rapid depletion expected for the new Superiore Lugana DOC.
Communes and production
Five municipalities are involved in the production of Lugana DOC in its three variants: Lugana DOC still, Lugana DOC sparkling, and Lugana DOC Superiore.
Approximately 3 million bottles produced and 549.69 hectares of vineyards planted with Trebbiano di Lugana. The association includes 120 companies, with a total reported production of 43,000 hectoliters of wine, updated to the 1998 harvest.
Plantings and replantings
The possibility granted by the Common Organisation of the Market (OCM) for wine to carry out new plantings and replantings, totaling 20 hectares, which can come into production from 2033.
