Lugana DOC Wines Shine at Villafranca Enological Competition
The participation of Lugana DOC wines in the recent Interprovincial Enological Competition held in Villafranca, organized by ONAV (National Organization of Wine Tasters) and the Villafranca di Verona Trade Fair Authority, was highly positive. The competition, in its first edition, saw the presentation of 80 samples from 66 wineries from the provinces of Brescia, Mantua, and Verona.
Among them, 28 samples received the Targa Città di Villafranca, an award reserved for wines that scored 88/100 or higher in tastings conducted by a panel of experts and enologists.
The Lugana DOC sparkling wines achieved significant success, a tangible sign of the propensity of these wines for sparkling production, also thanks to the excellent work carried out by the producers themselves. This is despite the longstanding contention of renowned enogastronomic expert Luigi Veronelli, who considered it a true sin to bubble a Lugana DOC because it deserves to be enjoyed in its original still format.
Regarding sparkling production, Veronelli pointed out that wines of inferior quality are usually used, which are not entirely suitable for traditional commercialization. This explains why Lugana DOC sparkling wines are increasingly appreciated, not only at this competition but also in many other occasions and tastings, gaining rightful recognition on the international scene of DOC sparkling wines.
Awarded wineries and production data
The following wineries in Villafranca received awards: Valerio Zenato, Cantina Marangona, Fratelli Fraccaroli, Cantina Rebay, Cantina Otella, Cantina Co’ De Fer.
In 1997, 14,008.39 hectoliters of Lugana DOC still wine were produced, totaling 1,867,785 bottles; for sparkling production, 963.05 hectoliters, equivalent to 86,407 bottles, were used for the Charmat method, while 494.56 hectoliters, or 52,379 bottles, were allocated to traditional bottle-fermentation sparkling wine.
In 1998, the total declared production of Lugana DOC wine was 43,008 hectoliters, compared to 32,812 in 1997. The vineyard surface registered is 549.69 hectares, an increase of 15.8 hectares compared to the previous year, and there are 120 companies registered in the Vintners’ Register.
