Bri's Best Bottles | IG Live | 10 Wines | 30 Minutes

January 12, 2022

Lugana Wine: The Definitive Guide

There are many well-known Italian wines that we are all familiar with (i.e. Prosecco, Chianti, Barolo, etc), but there are a ton of lesser known Italian wine regions. Wine is such a fragmented industry with consumers facing shelves upon shelves of choices. Lugana wine is not a choice many consumers see on their local shelves, as it is a smaller DOC with most of the wine production consumed within the region.

Lugana Wine: Fresh and New

Turbiana is the white grape used to make Lugana wine, a refreshing and dynamic white wine from the Lugana DOC near Lake Garda in northeast Italy. But I’m betting you’ve never heard of the Turbiana grape of Lugana wine. Why? With over 1,000 indigenous grapes, some slip through the cracks and don’t make it to commercial success. So, let’s discover something new and get out of a wine rut with Lugana wine.

Lugana DOC is located between Lombardia and Veneto on the south shore of Lake Garda. The Lugana region has a Mediterranean climate, but Lake Garda gives maritime influences including cool breezes and relatively mild weather. Lugana DOC was the first all-white wine DOC in Italy. Turbiana, which is a clone of Trebbiano specifically grown in Lugana, is the sole white grape used in Lugana wine. All wines are monovarietal. Sometimes the grape is referred to as Trebbiano di Lugana.

Lugana Wine: Five Ways

We begin with the entry-level Lugana wine, which covers over 90% of the wines that come out of the region. No aging requirements on this one. Next up we have Lugana Superiore where the wine must age for at least one year for this designation. Lugana Riserva must age for at least 24 months (6 mos of which have to be in the bottle).

These wines show bright, fresh citrus and stone fruit aromas and flavors and strong acidity. Also, notes of white flowers and even nuttiness in some Lugana wine expressions. Retail prices hover around $15 to $25.

Less common is the Lugana Vendemmia Tardiva (VT) made from late harvest grapes. And finally, Lugana Spumante sparkling wine. The VT and Spumante Lugana wine styles are both quite difficult to find. I have yet to find them actually!

Lugana Wine: The Producers

Below is a list of key producers of Lugana wine to look out for.

Keep an eye out for Lugana wine and don’t sleep on it! It’s a great alternative Italian white wine. If you love Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, you might find a Lugana wine that you love!

You won’t be able to find Lugana wine at your local grocery store or big box wine retailer. Have a try at your local wine ship, Eataly online, or on Vivino.com

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you’re looking to Up Your Wine Game and Drink Better, consider booking a private in-person or virtual wine tasting experience.

Brianne Cohen is a certified sommelier, wine educator, consultant, and writer based out of Los Angeles.

Since March 2020, Brianne has educated and entertained over 5,000 people through her “Virtual Vino” online wine tastings.

Brianne holds the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Diploma certificate, one of the most coveted wine certifications in the world. When she’s not helping others Up Their Wine Game, she can be found judging at international wine competitions.

Brianne aims to make wine approachable and conversational, to surprise and delight with unexpected, distinctive wine finds, and to give people knowledge (and confidence) about wine in their everyday lives.

Connect With Brianne →

Sample Policy

As a wine writer, I frequently accept samples for review on my website and on my social media channels. Please contact me at brianne@briannecohen.com to discuss sending samples for review. I promise to always be honorable with the samples. I will evaluate all wines in good tasting settings and with no distractions.

All reviews are my opinions, and mine only. Because of the volume of samples I receive, I cannot promise that all samples received will be reviewed, but I will do my best.