Zesty lemon-lime and pineapple scents mingle with gentle notes of anise, white flowers and crushed stones. Light- to medium-bodied, this fresh white delivers a burst of snappy lime flavor, with palate-cleansing acidity and a gentle floral accent to its citrusy fruit. The wine is crisp, bone-dry and wonderfully refreshing, with a lingering mineral tang that reminds us of the sea.
Pineapple, papaya, fennel, rosemary and lemon oil.
This bright, citrusy white wine hails from steep slopes around the southwestern shores of Lake Garda, Italy's largest lake, located about halfway between Venice and Milan. These slopes provide a unique environment for Trebbiano di Lugana (known locally simply as Lugana), a variety of the Trebbiano grape that yields wines with more weight, character and complexity than any other Trebbiano variety. Provenza is a small winery owned by the Contato family, who purchased a historic estate, Cascina Maiolo, about 40 years ago. (The Contatos named the winery Provenza after their family's origins in Provence but kept the Maiolo name on their wines to honor the history of the ancient property.) Wine has been made on the Maiolo lands since at least 1710. Its vineyards are situated on hillsides of chalky clay, which are perfect for growing Trebbiano di Lugana. Fabio Contato, son of founder Walter Contato, makes the wines, while his sister, Patrizia, and their mother, Cesarina (now in her 80s), run much of the rest of the winery. Fabio Contato vinified this white in stainless-steel tanks, which allows the wine's pure fruit flavors to come through.
This is a lovely sipping wine to serve with hors d'oeuvres and refresh the palate before a meal. While light compared to full-bodied whites like Chardonnay, the Provenza Trebbiano di Lugana has enough body to make it an excellent accompaniment to grilled, poached or baked fish dishes, especially freshwater varieties like bass, trout and perch. Moreover, poultry and light cheeses are superb companions to this wine. The Provenza will work well with my simple recipe for Chicken Salad with Fennel Spice. When making the salad, I like to shred the meat by hand, combine it with celery heart and red onion, and dress the mixture liberally with my best olive oil, lemon juice, and--the secret ingredient--fennel spice. Don't forget a crusty baguette!
Lake Garda is Italy's largest and most visited lake. The lake is 31 miles long but only 10 miles wide at its widest point in the south. The distance around the lake is about 100 miles.
