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Bardolino is a light red wine made on the eastern shores of Lake Garda, in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy. Its DOC title was granted in 1968.
Wines made in the original, traditional vineyard areas, close to the lakeside town of Bardolino itself, are designated as Classico. The slightly more robust, stronger Bardolino Superiore wines were granted independent DOCG status in 2001.
Grape varieties
Like its more famous neighbor, Valpolicella, the wine is made from a blend of Corvina and Rondinella. The former constitutes 35–65 percent of any Bardolino or Bardolino Classico wine, contributing structure, weight and a sour cherry aroma. Rondinella is responsible for the wine's characteristic and appealingly fresh, herby flavor. A component of up to 20 percent Molinara is also permitted.
Changes to the DOC restrictions of Bardolino, and its superior DOCG wine Bardolino Superiore, have meant that Barbera, Sangiovese, Marzemino, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon may also be used in the blend. This is limited to a combined maximum of 20 percent.
Corvina is widely recognized as the superior grape here, and in western Veneto more widely. However its supremacy was challenged in the 1970s and 1980s by Molinara, due to the high yields it can achieve. Thankfully Corvina's potential was never forgotten, and it continues to provide body and color to the wines.
Bardolino novello
Bardolino (and indeed Valpolicella) wines have been subject to many comparisons with Beaujolais over the years. This was emphasized when Bardolino Novello was introduced in 1987 as an answer to Beaujolais' nouveau wines. Many other Italian DOCs had also begun to produce novello wines by that point.
Vineyard location and climate
The Bardolino vineyards are located on the eastern shores of Lake Garda, below the alpine foothills which continue up into Trentino-Alto Adige. The climate here is understandably fresh. Lake breezes and cool mountain air blowing across the area from the west and north respectively.
The lake also slightly moderates temperature variations, and reflects sunlight back onto the more elevated vineyards. This helps the fruit to reach full phenolic ripeness over the course of the growing season. This combination of cool temperatures and bright sunshine is responsible for emphasizing the bright, fruity qualities of Bardolino wines.
Soils
As in Chianti and Valpolicella, the viticultural zone here was dramatically expanded in the 1960s and 1970s. The impact of this was less obvious than in Valpolicella, where the terrain is less variable and vineyard siting is more important. The key trend observable in Bardolino is that the soils are richer in the south than the north. This leads to higher yields in the south, and a corresponding drop in quality.
Wine museum
Tourists in the area can visit the wine museum situated at Cantina Zeni. This lies on a hill just ouside Bardolino town.
