Custoza

Custoza is a tiny little postage-stamp of a DOC located just west of the ancient Roman city of Verona (yup, Shakespeare’s Verona) and just east of Lake Garda. With only 3600 acres of vineyards set into an amphitheater formed by a set of glacial moraines, Custoza makes elegant, scented whites from a variety of grapes.

Viticulture here dates to the neolithic “stilt house” period, but the region became a winemaking center under Rome and then throughout the Middle Ages. The modern DOC dates to 1971, and includes both a base level 98% of produciton) and a Superiore level (2%). Annual production within the DOC (including sparkling and dessert versions) is approximately 13,000,000 bottles.

The same property extends into the Bardolino DOC and they also produce a Bardolino Chiaretto from the classic trio of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. A few hours maceration, quick, low-temperature fermentation and about a month resting in the bottle to produce a fresh, lively rose that takes you back to a cafe in the Piazza San Marco!

guesthouse

Seiterre also operates a lovely agriturismo at this location, halfway from Milan to Ravenna and just a few miles from Lake Garda, Verona, Mantua, and the lovely villages of Valleggio, Borghetto. Between the guesthouses and onsite restaurant(s) including a risottoria specializing in their own rice, it’s a perfect base to explore the Po Valley and the fringes of the Italian Alps!

Seiterre

Founded in 1877 by Gian Batista Rizzi, Seiterre is a family firm that now owns a total of six superb wine estates throughout northern Italy. Today, 4th-generation brothers Luigino and Claudo Rizzi manage these holdings, including the Tenuta San Leone in Salionze, 83 acres of rolling vineyards on the banks of the Mincio River which drains the southern end of Lake Garda, a massive post-glacial lake hemmed into its Alpine valley by massive moraine deposits.

Current DOC regulations allow 9 varieties in Custoza Bianco, including Garganega, Bianca Fernanda (a local Cortese clone), Trebbiano, Friulano, Malvasia, Riesling Italico, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Manzoni Bianco. Garganega, Cortese, Friulano and Trebbiano are however the favored varieties.

The WineS

Seiterre’s Custoza Bianco is a blend of Garganega, Trebbiano, Cortese and Friulano. Harvested in the early morning to capture better acidity, the wine is vinified at low temperature in stainless steel before racking off the lees and bottling. Bright and fresh with notes of underripe peach and elderflower… a great example of the style and a perfect pairing with a shrimp and spring vegetable risotto.