Winery of the Month – JULY 2019
Ca Maiol Winery

In 1967, the Contato family started a winery with 12 hectares of land near Lake Garda in the heart of the Lugana DOC.  This region has been producing wines since Roman times.  As a matter of fact, the remains of the fabulous roman villa have been found and are believed to be the residence of Catullus, a famous roman poet who wrote about the grandeur of the white wines of the area.

The winery is made up of four farmhouses, the oldest of which dates back to 1710.  Today, the wine making facilities have been moved to an ultra-modern underground facility built in 2000.  The modern touches mix with hand harvesting and rigorous berry selection to provide some of the finest wines Lugana has to offer.  They were the first winery to earn “tre bicchieri”, which is the highest rating given by Gambero Rosso, the Italian version of Wine Spectator.

Lugana

Lugana is a white wine only region on the shores of Lake Garda.  The Name Lugana is thought to come from the Latin Lacus Lucanus (lake in the woods.) The grape for this wine is called Turbiana or Trebbiano de Lugana or several other names, it is rather confusing.  With that said, a Lugana has to be 90% Turbiana or whatever name you would like to call this grape.  It is much simpler to just drink it and call it a Lugana.  The wine has apple and stone fruit along with a hint of almond.  The wine has a medium body with a refreshing acidity and slight chalky note from the many layers of limestone in the soil.  Less than 40,000 cases are produced. 
Regularly $19.99   Sale $14.99

Chiaretto Lugana

Here we have a rose wine made up of: Groppello, Barbera, Sangiovese, and Marzemino.  If you have never heard of two of these grapes don’t worry about it, neither have 99% of the wine drinking world.  In Italian literature it has the romantic name of “one night wine” coming from the fact that the wine spends only one night aging on its skins.  The wine is very floral in nose and taste with strawberry and red raspberry flavors.  A slightly heavier wine than Provencal rose.  4500 cases produced. 
Regularly $19.99     Sale $14.99

Giome

This wine is a blend of the same four grapes that make up the Rose.  All of the grapes are vinified separately and then blended together to create a medium bodied wine that transports the drinker to the shores of Lake Garda.  Flavors of red berries, pipe tobacco and some spice notes.  This red will go great with grilled meats. 
Regularly $19.99  Sale $14.99