One of our food and wine excursions led us to the region of Trentino, northeast of Lake Garda. This route took us up through the Pre-Alps and towards the Brenner Pass, the border between Italy and Austria. This awe inspiring landscape of mountains and vineyards began to suggest a different historical and cultural region. The Austrian influence could really be felt here, in both the architectural details of the buildings and in the terrain itself.
We arrived at the family run De Tarczal Winery which sits along the river Adige, in Marano. It was a beautifully clear, sunny day, and the inside courtyard was in full bloom with colorful hanging arrangements and trailing grape vines.
Wonderful little historic details could be spotted everywhere, as the property had once been owned by an admiral in the Austro-Hungarian army. The winery was named for the wine-growing village of Tarzcal in Hungary.
Below the old stone floor, we toured the fragrant wine cellars, and arched aging room filled with large wooden barrels.
We then ventured up to the tasting room to sample a variety of different wines, and some really delicious Chardonnay and Marzemino wine jellies.
The selection was really interesting including both red and white wines. We tasted Chardonnay, Moscato Giallo, Pinot Bianco, and Marzemino Superiore, a red wine of the Trentino region. According to De Tarzcal's description "Even Mozart was enchanted with the character of Marzemino with its gentle fragrance and taste of forest berries and sang in "Don Giovanni" about this typical wine of the valley Isera."
After our tasting, we went next door to the family's restaurant for lunch.
Our meal was delicious. We started with a cured beef, drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil, and shaved parmigiano, followed by polenta with tiny mushrooms, and then savory bread and leek gnocchi in a light butter and cheese sauce. We also had a chance to try the winery's specialty wine, Selezione Husar, a "pure Marzemino" and of course it was delicious. I left that day with a selection of the wine jellies to take home.
After lunch we drove south down the east side of Lake Garda. We passed through all of the summer vacation towns, as people gathered along the water's edge, mountains standing proudly in the background.
We stopped to walk around in the beautiful little vacation town of Malcesine, with it's little shops, restaurants along the water, and villas sitting high above on the hillside.
A few days later, we took a short 15 minute drive from the Borgo San Donino to the town of Sirmione, on the south side of Lake Garda. The town is rich in history, known for its Scaliger Castle, Ancient Roman Villas, and Thermal Baths. We happened to be there on a weekend, so the town was bustling with Italian vacationers, and it also happened to be the day of the Grilled Sardine festival.
We walked around the town, dipped our toes in the lake, and then took a boat ride around the peninsula. The water was a bright blue-green and the sun was crystal clear and bright. There couldn't have been a better way to spend such a beautiful summer day!
On the way back into the town, we passed through the fortress and had to duck our heads as we passed under the old draw bridge.
What a wonderful introduction to the Lago di Garda region! Stay tuned for our adventures in the Balsamic region of Modena, Cheese making (and tasting) and more wine in Soave! Ciao for now!
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