Lake Garda Wine Tours: Bardolino, Chiaretto & Lugana

The short version: Lake Garda has three wine shores. The east shore makes Bardolino, a light, cherry-fresh red, and Chiaretto, one of Italy’s best rosés; the south shore around Sirmione makes Lugana, a crisp, mineral white from the Turbiana grape; and the Valtènesi hills on the west shore make Groppello and more Chiaretto. Valpolicella and Amarone are only 20 minutes from the east shore, so many tours combine lake and Verona wines. Here is what to taste and how to book.

At a glance

Shore	What to taste	Base
East (Veneto)	Bardolino red, Chiaretto rose, Custoza white	Bardolino, Lazise, Garda
South	Lugana (Turbiana), still and sparkling	Sirmione, Peschiera, Desenzano
West (Lombardy)	Valtènesi Chiaretto, Groppello	Salò, Moniga, Manerba
Nearby	Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone	20 min from the east shore; Verona 30 min

Bardolino and Chiaretto

The vineyards rising behind Bardolino and Lazise grow the same grapes as Valpolicella (Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara) but make lighter wines: Bardolino is a bright, chillable red, and Chiaretto di Bardolino is a pale, savoury rose that is perfect with lake fish. Family wineries here offer short tastings, often with salumi and cheese, and some boats and e-bike tours stop at them too.

Lugana around Sirmione

On the flat clay south of the lake, around Sirmione and Peschiera, Lugana is made from Turbiana, a local relative of Verdicchio. It is fresh and almondy when young and gains depth with age; there is a sparkling version too. Pair a tasting with a walk through Sirmione’s old town and the Scaliger castle. For the bigger reds next door, see Amarone vs Ripasso vs Valpolicella.

Our pick: the Tasting of the Finest Wines of Lake Garda pours Bardolino, Chiaretto and Lugana at a winery near Verona, with a look at the cellars.

Taste Amarone in the hills: see Valpolicella wine tours from Verona.

Compare all the regions: the best wine tours in Italy.