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Bardolino Superiore Classico wines are produced under the Bardolino Superiore DOCG, specifically from vineyards in the original, classico, vineyard area of the Bardolino region. Wines which are designated Superiore Classico DOCG also have a higher minimum alcohol requirement, and must be aged for at least one year before release.
Grape varieties
Bardolino wines can be a blend of 35 to 80 percent Corvina, up to 20 percent Corvinone, and 10 to 40 percent Rondinella grapes, complemented by up to 15 percent Molinara. In the past decade or so the traditional blend has been beefed up with additions of such grapes as Barbera, Sangiovese, Marzemino, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are permitted up to 20 percent in total under the DOCG's production laws.
History
When the Bardolino viticultural area was significantly expanded in the 1970s, it became necessary to differentiate between the higher-quality terroir in the original vineyard zone and the lesser land beyond it. The southern extension of the zone, with its high-yielding, fertile soils, was particularly of concern, as the wines it generated were rarely of the quality created from the classico vines.
Several Italian DOCs have a "Classico" viticultural area (Chianti, Valpolicella and Soave are the most salient examples).
As such, Bardolino Superiore DOCG and Bardolino DOC share the same "Classico" area: Bardolino's heartland around the eponymous town on the southeastern shore of Lake Garda.
The official limits of Bardolino Classico are defined according to the geology and topography of the land rather than by commune boundaries. The villages of Cavaio, Garda, Lazise, Affi, Costermano and Bardolino itself are covered either entirely or in part.
For more information on the Bardolino region, its wines and its vines, please see Bardolino.
