Lombardy is Italy’s over-achiever. It is the industrial and financial center of the entire country, with multi-national companies throughout Brescia, Bergamo and especially Milan. It is not the top producer of wine in terms of quantity, but produces excellent wines all the same. The region is quite diverse, with many different climates and terroirs, hence different types of wines, ranging from the country’s best sparklers to elegant reds. Lombardy as a whole has about five DOCG wines and twenty-twenty-two DOC wines, but the main players are in fact the traditional-method sparkling wines of Franciacorta, the gorgeous Valtellina reds and finally Oltrepo’ Pavese and Lake Garda, with its wonderful native varieties and interesting lakeside styles. Lombardy’s vineyards extend about 22,900 hectares (56,000 acres), producing 1.3 hectoliters of wine per year. Franciacorta is also highly dedicated to sustainability and to organic grape production making it a leader in Italy. The main grapes grown are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo as well as local grapes like Marzemino and Croatina.
