Discover Lake Garda and the Bardolino wine region
Discover one of the most beautiful Italian lakes, stunning Lake Garda in the northern Italy wine region of Veneto and one of Italy’s most famous wine regions on its shores, Bardolino
Beautiful Lake Garda in northern Italy
Lake Garda has to be a major contender for one of the best places to visit in northern Italy. Often referred to as a ‘piece of the Mediterranean’ at the foot of the Alps, visit Lake Garda and it will touch your soul - we promise!
With its beautiful landscapes, its art, architecture and history, its lush Mediterranean flora and its wonderful local food and wines, this is a wine tourism destination like no other! There is no shortage of Italian wines to discover here - with some of the best wine regions in Italy spread out around the shores of the lake.
Here we take a close look at one of those Italian wines in the Veneto wine region, a historic appellation famous mostly for its light Italian red wines - Bardolino.
Bardolino on Lake Garda
About Lake Garda
Lake Garda - or Lago di Garda - is a glacial lake in northern Italy. It is Italy’s largest lake at around 50 km long, 17 km at its widest point and 370 sq km. The average depth of the lake is 136 metres.
Lake Garda is characterised by picturesque towns & villages, vineyards, and olive groves, lush vegetation, historic castles and elegant villas. It’s also surrounded by mountains and hills, including the towering peaks of the Italian Alps and the Dolomites to the north. Closest to the lake and popular for outdoor activities and the stunning views are Monte Baldo and Monte Brione.
Lake Garda is known for its relaxed style and its ‘slow tourism’, so this is a place to slow down, to experience the lake’s spectacular beauty, the warm hospitality, the Mediterranean climate and the wonderful produce and gastronomy.
Lake Garda map
Lake Garda or Lake Como
Both of these Italian north lakes are very popular and attract many visitors from around the world and a common question is ‘Lake Garda or Lake Como - which one to visit’?
Both lakes are spectacularly beautiful and if you are able to, you should try to visit both as they are quite different.
Lake Garda is the larger lake and does tend to feel more relaxed and more family friendly - it also offers a greater variety of activities, attracting a broader set of visitors.
Lake Como is on balance, probably more expensive and feels more luxurious.
How to get to Lake Garda
Lake Garda is within easy reach of the key northeast Italy cities, including Milan, Verona and Venice. It can be easily reached by bus and car from Verona in 30 minutes and by train in 15 minutes. (See here for more about combining a visit to Lake Garda and Verona).
For traveling to and around Lake Garda, see here for more information.
When is the best time to visit Lake Garda?
Lake Garda is enjoyable all year round, even in the cooler months, due to its mild climate. It gets super busy in the summer months so visiting outside of this time can be beneficial if you want to avoid the crowds and queues. The landscapes, the light and the sunsets are still stunning! The perfect time for us tends to be April/May and September/October.
Why is Lake Garda so famous?
First and foremost Lake Garda is famous for its breathtaking beauty, crystal clear water and mild climate. Then, as mentioned, visitors flock for the scenic shoreline, mountains, picturesque villages, choice of outdoor activities and the culinary delights, especially the local wine, olive oil and fish.
The beauty of Lake Garda
Lake Garda things to do
Lake Garda is the perfect paradise for water sports and outdoor activity enthusiasts, for lovers of culture and art as well as food and wine.
What is the prettiest town on the lake?
Along 44 km of shoreline you can discover over 20 municipalities and picture-postcard villages.
The most popular villages around the lake include Sirmione and Peschiera del Garda on the southern end of the lake and Bardolino, Lazise and Garda as you proceed north along the the Riviera degli Ulivi shore line.
Italy’s long history is evident with many castles dotted around the lake, for example the Scaliger castles of Lazise, Torre and Malcesine.
In our view, Peschiera is definitely worth visiting, a fortified city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Exploring by foot and by bike
A great way to explore Lake Garda is by bike - see here for information and ideas and for those who prefer to explore under their own steam, there are lots of trekking and hiking trails, either in the mountains or around the lake.
Activities for everyone
Whether you’re looking for that adrenaline fix or an art or culture fix, there’s something for everyone at Lake Garda and of course there are many opportunities to discover and appreciate the wonderful local foods and traditional dishes and the olive oil and wines for which this part of Italy is renowned.
Bardolino
Bardolino is often referred to as a town ‘between the lake and the hills’, overlooked by the Baldo mountain range, lying on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, also called the Riviera degli Ulivi, which extends from Peschiera del Garda to the last Venetian city, Malcesine. It is located between the municipalities of Lazise, to the south, and Garda, to the north, and is about 30 km from Verona.
In Bardolino there is a micro-climate similar to southern Italy and the Mediterranean, which perfectly suits the growing of grapes, lemons and olives.
Bardolino was once an ancient fishing village and is today one of the main tourist destinations on Lake Garda. It’s a lively village, with lots of good accommodation options, places to eat, shops and nightlife. Its location makes it a very popular resort, but its wines are what really puts Bardolino on the map - along also with its extra virgin olive oil and its lake fish.
Where to stay in Bardolino
To discover Bardolino you could look to stay in Bardolino or in any of the other resorts around the lake, there are lots of options. Staying in Verona is also a good option for exploring the Bardolino wine region.
For more useful information about visiting Bardolino see here.
Bardolino on Lake Garda
The Bardolino wine region
Bardolino is a well known and well established mainly red wine region, as well as rosé.
The Bardolino DOC was established in 1968 and today it covers some 2700 hectares and includes 16 municipalities in the Veneto area of Lake Garda. In the Bardolino area, 2 denomination wines are produced: Bardolino DOC (including “Bardolino Classico DOC” and “Bardolino Chiaretto DOC”), and Bardolino Superiore DOCG. Then in 2018 3 sub-zones were introduced: “La Rocca” (central area along the lake shore), “Montebaldo” (northern piedmont area) and “Sommacampagna” (the southern moraine hills).
Bardolino wines
Bardolino wines are light-bodied, fruity, red wines, made to be drunk young. They are also very versatile wines which can accompany almost any type of dish, but especially Italian cuisine, pairing well with pasta-based dishes and risottos, with soups and with grilled fish from Lake Garda.
Bardolino is known for its ruby-red color, vibrant aromas of red fruits, and a light, refreshing taste. The key grape varieties are corvina, corvinone, and rondinella grapes, similar to the grapes used in Valpolicella, but with a lighter style. In terms of white wines, the key grapes are Trebbiano di Lugana and Gargenega.
Bardolino Chiaretto
The specific rosé ‘Bardolino Chiaretto DOC’ was introduced in 2018.
The rosé Bardolino wine, either still or sparkling, is called ‘Chiaretto’, which refers to its very light pink colour.
Chiaretto is produced from the same grapes as Bardolino, but it only stays in contact with the skins a short amount of time, to give it the light rosé colour.
The Chiaretto Spumante sparkling wine is produced via natural fermentation methods.
Chiaretto, is very popular served as an aperitif, but also pairs well with appetisers of cured meats, fish or vegetables.
Enjoying a glass of Bardolino Chiaretto (at Casetto, see below)
There are about 60 different cellars where you can enjoy a Bardolino wine tasting - with the key ones listed here.
We can highly recommend two of these which we have visited for a Bardolino wine tasting:
Zeni winery
The Zeni winery on the banks of Lake Garda, overlooking the village of Bardolino, proudly dates back to 1870. A 5th generation winery, producing some 2 million bottles of wine per year, Zeni sees hospitality as second nature - almost as important as selling wine!
Zeni Wines, Bardolino, Lake Garda - Source: Winekeller
The view from Zeni’s terrace - Source: Winekeller
Zeni wine museum
Significantly Zeni has a wine museum, the first such museum in the region and something that is seen as a key part of Zeni’s culture, where it is important to educate people, especially the younger generation, about Bardolino wines.
There is an exhibition of ancient machinery and tools, once used for the grape harvest and the winemaking process and the museum also tells the story of the transformation of grapes into wine.
Zeni wine tours and wine tasting
If you visit Zeni, you can wander around the museum and then proceed to the ‘Enoteca’ or wine shop where you can taste 6 different wines free of charge, or you can also pay for a tour of the cellars.
At Zeni you can also enjoy a very unique and special ‘sensory’ wine tasting. Here, you can test your sensory skills by identifying different aromas which make up a variety of wine styles - this is followed by a tasting of 2 wines, paired with local cheeses.
We tasted the amazing Chiaretto Bardolino, old vines, 2023 - voted the best rosé in Italy, followed by a Zeni Amarone Valpolicella, aged in barrique - 16% alcohol, made from dried grapes and then aged in barrique. This was delicious, paired with dark chocolate!
We also recommend you walk up to Zeni’s wonderful roof terrace, with its panoramic views over Lake Garda and the mountains.
Casetto Winery
The view from the terrace at Casetto Winery, Bardolino - Source: Winekeller
Agricola Casetto is a 2nd generation family winery, with 20 hectares of vineyards around Lake Garda, producing a range of red, white and rosé wines. They also have 2 hectares of land dedicated to the production of olive oil.
Having started the successful winery in 1999, father Aldo is now in the process of handing over the reins of the business to daughters Chiara and Alessandra.
We enjoyed an excellent tasting at Casetto, hosted by Chiara and tasted a rosé, 2 whites and a couple of their excellent Bardolino red wines. See here for arranging a tour and tasting.
The Casetto winery is located in a beautiful spot overlooking the lake and from the terrace here you get a stunning view, especially at sunset. You can also stay in one of the apartments built alongside the winery and enjoy the amazing location and lovely outdoor pool!
Casetto is not only in a stunning location, the wines are excellent and the hospitality warm and welcoming.
For more information about visiting Bardolino, see ‘VisitBardolino’
For more information about Lake Garda, see ‘VisitGarda’.
Conclusion and personal highlights
Visiting Lake Garda is a truly memorable experience - we love everything about it, it’s a very special part of the world. What makes it such an amazing destination is that you can easily reach several different top Italian wine regions whilst at the lake and Bardolino is no exception - excellent wines and excellent hospitality!
