At 2018 Verona Vinitay, I had a wonderful surprise when I met with Montonale winery that produces Montunal Lugana, made from the selection of the best bunches of Turbiana and takes its name from the vineyards near the small village of Montonale, near southern shore of Lake Garda, a much-visited tourist destination.                                                                     The harvest is performed exclusively by hand, September through the end of October, while the grapes can reach a perfect ripeness thanks to the great sunlight exposure and the good ventilation.
Let me tell you: lugana in not one of my favorite white wines, but I have to tell you that I definitely  loved this one, which was rich in flavour and pleasantly aromatic.
Lugana is a white wine produced between Lombardy and Veneto . An intense pale yellow colour with brilliant hues, offers to your nose intense floral and fruity scents, dominated by aromas of white peach and lemon zest, with balsamic hints of thyme and sage and an intriguing mineral impression of wet. The palate boasts a perfect balance between freshness and concentration with a nice mineral flavour adding elegance and persistence.
It matches the best with whitefish, as trout, perch or the delicate lavarello, one of the most prestigious and appreciated fish of Lake Garda.

Here a lavarello recipe from Trattoria La Goccia that offers local dishes prepared according to the typical Lake Garda recipes , such as bigoli with lake sardines and the pike in carpione. There You ‘ll meet with Stefano, an “oste” in the traditional Italian way that entertains and delights the guests with suggestive descriptions of the dishes and anecdotes of the place.
Ingredients:
Lavarello or Perch of Lake Garda
White flour
Onions or shallots
Lemon peel
Toasted almonds
Lugana or Chiaretto wine
Milk butter
Extra virgin olive oil from Lake Garda
Salt
Preparation:
Wash and clean the perch carefully and floss the obtained fish filet to create the husking.
In a pot prepare separately a sautéed onion with extra virgin olive oil and lemon peel. Place the perch in the pot with the addition of butter and simmer with wine until reduced. Place the fish on the plate and add roasted almonds just before serving.

I suggest to paired it with the Montonale rosé chiaretto named Rosa di Notte, bright pink colour with slight copper hues, scents of red roses, strawberry and pomegranate stand out in the alluring bouquet. The palate has a silky, velvety texture, glazed by refreshing notes of raspberry and intriguing savoury minerality
Buon appetito!