Lombardy

Lombardy, known as Lombardia, in Italian, is the largest and most populous region of italy and the driving force behind the country’s post-Second World War economic boom, the dynamo which has given Milan and its hinterland one of Europe’s highest standards of living.

Lombardy’s principal centres of viticulture are in the hills, divided among no fewer than 22 docs and five docgs which cater mainly for the many local palates, and are rarely seen on export markets. Currently the five most important areas, each producing very distinct styles of wine, if of various quality, are franciacorta, lugana, oltrepò pavese, valtellina, and lambrusco Mantovano around the city of Mantua. These 1,000 ha/2,475 acres of vineyards are a continuation of the Lambrusco cultivation area in Emilia-Romagna. Most of its produce is on an industrial scale but more artisanal dry wines are appearing on the domestic market.