Talk-A-Vino

 “Drink your Lugana young, very young and you will enjoy its freshness. Drink it after two or three years and you will enjoy its fullness. Drink it after ten years and you will be amazed by its dignified authoritativeness. Lugana wines, a rarity of their kind, have an extraordinary ability to make themselves known. If you taste a Lugana, and you are a competent taster, you cannot forget it”

– Luigi Veronelli

Imagine yourself sitting by the lake, a beautiful lake.

Source: Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC

Let’s make it more precise, to make the picture vivid.

Imagine yourself sitting by Lake Garda in Northern Italy, on a beautiful summer day. The water is tranquil, there are tiny waves and an endless horizon. Next to you, there is a little table with a glass of white wine. You take the glass, take a sip of the wine. The wine is delicious, it is locally made, it is called Lugana, and you take another sip of the liquid pleasure. You capture the moment of this pure, hedonistic pleasure in your memory, Next, you put the glass down and go back to your happy thoughts. In that moment, life is absolutely perfect.

What if I will tell you that you don’t have to travel to Italy right this moment to experience this life’s perfection? What if this experience can come to you?

If you live in New York or the New York area or plan to visit the city over the next few weeks, you are in luck. Instead of you going to Lugana, Lugana is coming to you. The Lugana wine experience is coming to New York. And this Lugana experience will move past just the Lugana wine itself – it will bring you the ultimate gourmet’s salvation – wine and food paired together.

Starting on Monday, June 12th, 19 producers from Lugana will have their wines paired at a series of dinners taking place at 6 New York restaurants (I will give you a full list of restaurants and producers in a minute). All the wines will be specifically paired with the dishes – and as someone who never visited Lugana, I was really curious about what one can expect to find on such special dinner menus. I reached out to Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC which is organizing this event, and asked a simple question (or two): What is the traditional Lugana food? What are the traditional pairings for the Lugana dishes and wines? Here is the reply that I received:

“Like all Italian wines with century-long traditions linking them to their place of origin, Lugana is lovingly paired with the classic gastronomic repertoire of the region. This of course includes dishes of freshwater fish: from the lake, river or stream, whether noble or poor. But even better-known sea fish can be happily matched with this refined and versatile white. Therefore the “base” version can be readily paired with seafood antipasti, fried pessìn (small fish or whitebait from the paddy fields), boiled bass, boiled shrimps and large carp. The Superiore and the Riserva are literally the perfect partner for richer and more complex dishes, such as pike in sauce (boiled pike with anchovies lightly sautéed in oil, from Lake Garda of course), grilled eel, trout with grape, risotto with frogs, as well as grilled crustaceans, peppered clams, salted bass, and several white meat dishes, such as chicken, capon and rabbit (especially roasted in the oven).  The Vendemmia Tardiva (late harvest) wines are ideally matched with cheeses, from the fresher varieties such as ricotta, robiola and crescenza, to the more seasoned and flavoursome such as several exquisite D.O.P. cheeses like Monte Veronese, Grana Padano and Provolone Valpadana. Spumante has a broad range of possible pairings, since this “bubbly” wine can be served right throughout the meal. However, since a spumante is usually uncorked at the beginning of a lunch or dinner, why not try it with all types of antipasto, ranging from the broad range of tasty local cold meats to the wide variety of egg-based dishes. Instead avoid serving it with dessert.  The versatility of this wine does not stop here. International tastes are certainly no obstacle for Lugana. This white wine, either in its “base” version, Spumante, Superiore or Riserva, is in fact the perfect match for raw fish, from the Japanese sashimi and sushi to all the variations on the theme proposed at the international level. It is also ideal with salmon and tuna and the perfect match for seafood finger food.  Ideal serving temperature (in broad bowl tulip-shaped wine glasses for all varieties): Lugana Spumante at 8°C; Lugana “base” at 12°C; Lugana Superiore and Riserva at 14°C; Lugana Vendemmia Tardiva at 12°C.”

Lugana wines are produced from the local indigenous variety called Turbiana. Lugana wines can be still, sparkling, and late harvest (sweet), but no matter what the style is, they are literally guaranteed to be delicious. I had an opportunity to do a little preview of what someone might anticipate experiencing during the tasting – here are my notes on 3 wines that will be presented during the tasting:

2022 Corte Sermana Cromalgo Lugana DOC (13% ABV)
Straw pale
Beautiful intensity of tropical fruit, lemon and honey
Lemon and lemon zest, a hint of white peach and underripe white plum, tart, perfectly structured, with medium-long, tart finish
8, delicious.

2022 Ottella Lugana DOC (12.5% ABV)
Straw pale
Tropical fruit, guava, lemon, honey, herbaceous undertones
Crisp, fresh, tight, Meyer lemon, clean acidity, a tiny hint of gunflint.
8, imbues seafood craving

2022 Perla del Garda Lugana DOP (12.5% ABV)
Straw pale
Tropical fruit, honey, fresh, inviting, enticing, seductive. It says “drink me”
Beautiful. Fresh Whitestone fruit, cut through acidity, lemon. Crisp, fresh, delicious. A happy wine that can transpose you.
8+, superb. Had a few friends try this wine too, and they were literally blown away by it.

As promised, here is the list of participating restaurants, dinner dates, and the wines which will be poured at each:

IL FIORISTA (Monday, June 12, 2023)
Le Morette, Mandorlara 2022
Cantine Di Verona, Torre di Falasco 2022
Tommasi, Le Fornaci

VICEVERSA (Tuesday, June 13, 2023)
Ca’ Maiol, Lugana Prestige 2022
Scolari, Lugana Doc Premium 2022
Zenato, Riserva 2020

GNOCCO (Monday, June 19, 2023)
Sguardi di Terra, Riserva 2018 Fachetnabia
Selva Capuzza, Selva 2021
Ceresa, Ceresa 2022
Montonale, Montunal 2022

HEARTH (Monday, June 19, 2023)
Zeni 1870, Vigne Alte 2022
Tenuta Roveglia, Vigne Catullo Riserva 2019
Famiglia Olivini, Lugana 2022

MISIRIZZI (Wednesday, June 21, 2023)
Pasini, Il Lugana 2022
Perla del Garda, Madonna della Scoperta 2021
Citari, Conchiglia 2022

OSTERIA CARLINA TRIBECA (Thursday, June 22, 2023)
Corte Sermana, Riserva 2017
Vigneti Villabella, Lugana 2022
Ottella, Lugana 2022

You can find additional details of the Lugana festivities in New York on the Destination Lugana website.

This is not every day that instead of you going to your travel destination to experience delicious life’s offerings, the travel destination comes to you. This is your chance for a memorable experience and I hope you will not miss it.

And I will be sure to tell you more… Who knows, maybe we will run into each other during one of the dinners. Cheers!