LOMBARDY

Scents&Flavours

Not everyone knows that Lombardy, the region of services and tertiary sector par excellence, hub of the big Italian financial companies, is also a large agricultural area. Indeed, this large area rich in waterways is plenty of important products in the plain, the hill and the mountain areas.

And the products of the earth come onto the table processed by excellent agricultural companies. An appealing economic industry, today growing thanks to the interest in local products, the curiosity for local production, and the food and wine tourism.

Grana Padano and Gorgonzola, the most famous, are among the cheeses coming by the rich pastures. But without leaving aside the rarest and most valued cheeses like Bettelmatt, Bitto, Provolone Valpadana DOP, Salva Cremasco, Valtellina Casera, Taleggio and the niche cheese Strachitunt.

In addition, the Lombard production includes cured meats like Bresaola della Valtellina, Salame Milano, Salame Mantovano and Salame d’Oca di Mortara.

The fine long grain Carnaroli rice, corn, and buckwheat give rise to typical dishes: risotto alla milanese, polenta taragna, pizzoccheri valtellinesi.

The most famous Italian dessert in the world is Panettone, now with extended seasonality, plus we find the excellent Torrone di Cremona, whilst the Offelle di Parona, Pavese biscuits, are rarer and more delicate.

But the Lombard wines explode into unforgettable smells, scents, and aromas.

The several types of terroir and vineyards allow producing many and diverse DOC and DOCG wines. They range from Oltrepò Pavese, one of the most suitable Italian areas for the cultivation of Pinot Noir, to Franciacorta DOCG, which is known as one of the Italian classic methods for sparkling wines.

From Valtellina, mountain area, where Nebbiolo grape is cultivated with excellent results and great red wines such as Sforzato are produced, we move to the morainic soils around Lake Garda that give rise to the highly appreciated white wine Lugana.