Garda Doc, a phenomenon under observation

Garda Doc: production grows, perception by press and operators is positive. Everything seems to be going well-in fact, everyone is wondering why!

The annual press conference was held in Lazise (VR), as usual. Garda Wine Stories organized by the Garda Doc Consortium; a denomination that is increasingly a case study. Between Horeca and GDO: numbers, perceptions and prospects., this was the focus of the round table desired by the Consortium, in the figure of its President Paolo Fiorini, in office for four years now.

Garda Doc wines between consistency and cohesion

Four years in which producers’ awareness of and confidence in this designation have grown with consistency e cohesion. Two words often repeated by Fiorini and others during the morning spent listening to issues concerning the market, illuminated by the light of the Lake Garda filtering behind the speakers.

They came to 20 million bottles produced, with Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay leading the way, followed closely by Garda Doc white, the blend. Prevalence, therefore, of white grape varieties, not surprisingly the focus also of the past Vinitaly, followed closely by red berries, native and international, interpreted from pale pink, even mosso, to large structured reds.

Garda Doc comes out a winner in questionnaires conducted by Fabio Piccoli, Wine Meridian, moderator of the conference. Whether industry press or insiders, the Garda brand is unquestionably a winner. This is also confirmed by Helena Mariscal of Mack & Schühle for the German market. More work needs to be done on territorial identity, a concept on which Doc Garda knows it cannot and should not interfere with the ten historical appellations it traces, among the provinces of Verona, Brescia and Mantua.

Garda Doc, what it is and how it works

Yes, because Garda Doc is not an umbrella for other appellations, as many consumers are inclined to think. But a designation in its own right, which coexists in a vast territory with other viticultural declinations. There are more than 30 thousand hectares, and it must be said that they are not all in the vicinity of Lake Garda. The fact remains that Italy’s largest lake, which lends its name to the appellations, is like acting as a collector of emotions and dictates the law when it comes to defining the stylistics of these wines.

Extraordinary body of water, mitigates and conditions the surrounding area even for miles. It renders the scenery of a Nordic land with Mediterranean features; it is adorned on the banks with palm and olive trees, unfailing lemons as well as vines. Here each reed is in perfect balance with itself and with the species with which it coexists. In a defined perfect system that defines the instructions for use of the wines that bear its name.

Garda Doc: instructions for use.

Contemporaneity is another element often brought up. Being contemporary goes beyond fashions, Lucio Ronconi, with the CDA consortium of distributors, points out, as does Daniele Colombo, for Esselunga, for whom being able to Conveying soundness to the consumer is an inescapable dogma in large retailers.

Garda Doc wines thus possess a contemporary essence, in keeping with modern times in which eating habits have changed and are changing, new tastes and flavors have entered, and new consumers are approaching this beverage. New Generations for which a screw cap is not “a screw cap” but simply “a stopper.” Therefore, devoid of prejudice, they can truly enjoy the full essence of Garda Doc wines, provided they know the “instructions for use.”

Oh yes, because we often forget that drinking wine should be taught to those who have never done it. And as for example I, as a Venetian, have no doubt whatsoever about how, when, where and why a spritz should be drunk: in the piazza, at the aperitivo, standing or sitting, in company. So consumers, whether new, old or rediscovered, need guidance when it comes to Garda Doc wine. Inevitably serving as their beacon is Lake Garda, so powerful and so evocative of a “light, always on vacation, positive and dreamy” lifestyle. The pleasure of sharing is at the heart of these wines, so modern, contemporary, accessible, versatile and rich in that element derived from the Lake that we can call emotion or, if you prefer, we can begin to delineate as identity.

Conclusions

In fact, the trend seems to be positive. Producers believe in it and see a real opportunity in this designation. The perception from the outside is positive. There is definitely a need to continue to invest in terms of communication, the road in this regard is endless. Communication and production will have to work hand in hand to build, even in such a large territory, an identity. Identity, however, that is no longer (and this is how it becomes contemporary) only territorial, the child of pedological, agronomic elements, or centuries-old tradition. But it is also humoral and goes to meet a consumer who wants to be reassured but also inspired. We shall see!