Garda Classico Wine Fair and Competitions Showcase Local Excellence
The event and competitions
One of the most anticipated and beloved events in the Garda area returns from Friday the 25th: of course, this refers to the Fiera del Vino Garda Classico Doc, a popular festival of great notoriety and also home to one of the three official competitions organized annually by the Consorzio del Garda Classico to monitor the quality of the protected productions.
This year, according to the tasting panels’ results, the focus has been primarily on reds and on a typical and exclusive product of the lower Garda area, such as Chiaretto, meeting expectations for a harvest that has been talked about in absolutely enthusiastic terms since last September.
The results and evaluations of the wines
Regarding the official Garda Classico competition, 50% of the Garda Classico Doc Rosso and Rosso Superiore passed the tasting panels, earning a Excellent score (12 out of 24 reds and 9 out of 18 Superiors). The whites performed less well, affected by the exceptional climatic conditions of the pre-harvest phase: only four “Excellent” scores out of 20 samples presented.
In the internal selection organized by the Fiera Committee, also in collaboration with the Consorzio, tasting panels evaluated the quality of the wines officially entered in the competitions held in Moniga and Puegnago. The Chiaretti (18 out of 27 labels received “Excellent”) and Groppelli (11 out of 22) performed very well.
Awards and Exhibitions
Excellent results were also achieved for the selection of Garda Bresciano Dop extra virgin olive oil, organized by Aipol in collaboration with the Fiera Committee: 9 companies were awarded out of 12 participating.
As usual, the awards will be presented during the opening ceremony of the Fiera, scheduled for Sunday morning the 27th in the courtyard of the Castello di Polpenazze, attended by local, provincial, and regional authorities. The fair, however, will open as mentioned at 4 p.m. on Friday.
Program and activities
The program follows tradition: local typical dishes with the unmissable spit roasts, ballroom dance (only on Friday, Sunday, and Monday evenings), and Garda Classico wines served at the tasting stand by the 28 wineries that once again sold out the available spots as early as February.
Wines entered in the competition can also be tasted at the Corte degli Assaggi, where visitors can undertake comparative tastings and share their impressions using sheets provided by the producers.
Appointments and entertainment
The Sunday schedule is packed: it starts at 10 a.m. with the ribbon-cutting, continues with the Holy Mass with authorities’ presence and with awards, and concludes with public opening for the midday lunch.
In the afternoon, entertainment will be provided by the Banda di Polpenazze (4:30 p.m.), a guided tasting of Garda Classico wines with Corrado Gugnasco (5 p.m.), and a wandering folk group from Pavullo in Modena (5:30 p.m.).
As usual, Monday afternoon is dedicated to producer meetings with Category Associations (restaurateurs, sommeliers, etc.) and Confraternities. In the evening, before the last round of ballroom dance and the final spit roast, awards will be given for the paintings and photographs of the competitions, organized as always by the Library. These collections have seen renewed interest this year.
Overseeing the operation of the complex organization of the Fiera, as always, will be the volunteers from various associations and sports groups present in the area (from Hunters to Fanti, from the Valtenesi Sports Association to Carata, and the Polisportiva group). It is mainly thanks to their work that this event, rooted in tradition and local character, can be renewed and presented to an ever-growing audience each year.
