Superiore Lugana DOC: New Premium White Wine Debuts After Aging
A few months of anxious anticipation remain, and then the unveiling of what will be the new prince among Italian white wines will become a reality! We are obviously talking about the **Superiore Lugana DOC**, which after nearly two years of aging in the cellar, will make its debut on the national and international markets.
The Innovation of Superiore Lugana DOC
This is a highly anticipated development by connoisseurs and enthusiasts of fine wine, which recently received detailed coverage from **Agrisole**, providing a serious and documented mapping of not only the much-awaited Superiore but also the entire production landscape of Lugana DOC.
Early technical tastings of the new Superiore Lugana indicate promising signs of high quality. Certainly, a wine suitable for medium to long-term aging, challenging the long-held belief that white wines are meant to be consumed young.
However, it is well known that a wine with good structure, like **Lugana DOC** — and recently, the renowned international gastronomy and oenology expert Luigi Veronelli reiterated this point once again — is in ideal conditions for aging over a long period with surprisingly excellent results.
Market Situation and Production
The only obstacle to this potential lies in the fact that the international market has only recently become aware of this wine’s exceptional qualities. Produced on the shores of Lake Garda, straddling three provinces — Verona, Brescia, and Mantova — and two regions — Lombardy and Veneto — the production has rapidly sold out. In some wineries, the recent 1998 harvest is practically exhausted.
“We produced enough to meet the requests received by the winery,” – says one of the producers – “but unfortunately we are unable to satisfy further demand.”
The production of Superiore, made 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.
The president of the **Consorzio Tutela Lugana**, Francesco Ghiraldi, recently stated at Agrisole that sales are trending positively, making the rapid depletion of the new Superiore Lugana DOC highly probable.
Municipalities and Production
Five municipalities are involved in the production of Lugana DOC, across its three categories: Lugana DOC still, Lugana DOC sparkling, and Lugana DOC Superiore. Approximately 3 million bottles are produced with a vineyard area of 549.69 hectares planted with Trebbiano di Lugana.
There are 120 companies affiliated with the **Consorzio**, with a total reported production (updated to the 1998 harvest) of 43,000 hl of wine.
The latest note is the possibility allowed by the **OCM Wine** to carry out new planting and replanting of up to 20 hectares, which can enter production from 2033.
