Chiaretto del Garda
Thanks to the mild climate and the particular soil properties, vines and olives thrive around Lake Garda.
The fine wines produced in the Moniga del Garda area include a DOC wine: the Chiaretto del Garda. For this wine, they use the first grapes of the vintage of the Garda Classico. It is a rosé wine with an intense fragrance, and one of the first Italian wines to receive a controlled designation of origin, as early as 21 July 1967.
A few years earlier, the Regional Cooperative Consorzio della Tutela dei Vini Bresciani regulated the winemaking technique. Nevertheless, the production of wine here has been the same since the 19th century.
The secret of Chiaretto is that grape must and grape pulp or pomace are mixed. The pomace is mainly responsible for the colouring and provides some important ingredients. The crucial moment is when the must and the pulp are separated again and this changes each year on the course of the season and the degree of ripeness of the grapes.
The modern techniques of winemaking and, in particular, the careful control of the temperature during fermentation finally highlights and allows the intense aroma of sweet forest fruits and flowers. It is evident that the experience and knowledge of the exact procedure are essential to be able to produce a genuinely excellent Chiaretto.