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Gardone Riviera (Brescia) - “The Vittoriale of the Italians”, Cheli Room: the dining room of Gabriele D'Annunzio.

Cover:2 - Roast rabbit with polenta.3 - The Coregone baked in tinfoil with vegetables.

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D'Annunzio, the famous poet, who long lived on the Garda Lake and enjoyed the good living, alwaysspoke about this particular food as a simple reality, but in the same time complicated, so difficult tocombine together the different ingredients, while keeping their own single characteristics of tasty anddelight.

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Somebody may not perfectly know that the visit throughout the wineand gastronomy path in the territory of Brescia is offering a lot of surprises.Early traditions are restored in matter of food taste, colours and aromas and areproposed nowadays with ingredients belonging to a broad territory, made ofmountains, large lakes and fertile planes, offering a vast specific assortment ofproducts.

The Brescia tradition had the merit to keep alive the many varieties ofproducts and therefore to offer a unique flavour food, in the numerous typicalcountry restaurants, as well as in the most famous city ones, both able tocommunicate the pleasure of the good food with secure and natural products.

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7/8 - Franciacorta (Brescia) - Farmhouses and vineyards.

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One of the most famous areas in Italy for wines is with no doubts the Franciacorta, a smallarea extending from the nearby of Brescia to the sides of the Iseo lake.

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An old motto says that “wine generates friendship and joy”.Nobody doubts this; so it is reasonable to remember that Brescia speaks highly of a topquality production of wines.Eight consortiums guarantee the quality of the DOC Botticino, Capriano del Colle,Cellatica, Garda Classic, Lugana, S. Martino della Battaglia, Terre di Franciacorta, andDOCG Franciacorta; wines that are the boast of local producers and a accurate guaranteefor consumers.

Since the year 1800, a writer remembered that “no visitor of the most beautiful and happyareas in Italy and no gourmets ignore the Franciacorta...” The importance of this land isgiven by the exceptional quality of its wines, mainly the whites of the classic method“Champenoise”: a taste fine and delicate, as well as the excellent flavour make of it asuperb sparkling wine, present on the tables of the most celebrated international restaurants.

During the harvest, the wine shops of the most prestigious producers open theirdoors to welcome meetings, events and to propose guided wine tasting. It is a rendezvousno visitors will miss, both for the scene where they are organized (old country residences,palaces, villas open to the public for these events), and for the special occasion to knowand buy sparkling wines and red and white wines of the Franciacorta, cleverly combinedwith typical cold meats and cheeses, in a “merry go round” of music and exhibitions.

The combination of culture, environment and products is exalted by associationsproposing historical and cultural tours, among vineyards, hills and caves of the area; theseinitiatives represent a recall for the tourists, an obligation for the experts and an enjoymentfor the new.

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The quality DOC of the products of the Garda area, and in particular of the Valtenesi, hasbeen mentioned as “Classic”, an adjective gathering many meanings among the experts,since this denomination is given only to the very old cultivation vineyard areas and whichimposes that all producers must be conscious that in their caves only top quality wines mustbe produced.

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11 - Lugana, Red, Chiaretto: the Garda wines. • 12 - Vineyards in Valtenesi. • 13 - Vineyards of the Lugana area.

Another important area for the production of wines is the south-centre of theGarda Lake, extending from the hill of the Valtenesi to the hinterland of Sirmione.

The variety of the white and red wines harmonically combines with a highlycharming landscape, among hills, olive trees and Mediterranean gorgeous vegetation. Inthis land also the “Chiaretto” is produced, “the one night wine”; this name comes fromthe particular and unique system of vineyards (with a special procedure effected in onenight) by every producer and which gives to this wine a particular and unique colour,perfume and fragrance.The excellent combination of this wine to lake fish and extra quality olive oil (all productsof the Garda area) make for one day the tourists become expert sommeliers, involved inthe comparisons of the different kinds of Chiaretto, in the middle of the deep beauty ofthe landscape, that stimulates the people to wonderful voyages on the lake,Confining with the Valtenesi, there is a small area on the back of Sirmione, called Lugana.The wine produced here has colourful reflects (from the bright yellow to most goldentonalities) combined with a unique aroma, immediately recognised for the delicacy andharmony of its taste, rich in personality. To speak about this wine is quite difficult andthe best thing to do is to discover the Lugana with a good plate of lake fish.

The presence of such important wine has developed the birth of the “Wine Roads”,associations proposing to give value to both products and territory. The “Wine Roads”constitute a source of precious information for the visitors, and are in the position tosupply updated news and to give qualified assistance on caves visits, cultural excursionsand shopping of excellent products.The “Wine Roads” are a cultural trend, although promotional, quickly developing in allItaly and representing an important element for territorial value.

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One of them is the Grana Padano, surely the most known and diffuse.Its origins go back to the beginning of the second millennium, when a work of drain of theselands favoured livestock breeding and generated a large availability of milk.

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Brescia is a province among the most important in Italy for the production of milk and speakshighly of an ancient dairy tradition. Many are the kind of cheese everybody can taste, fromthose internationally protected and patented, to the most simple handcrafted, generallysupplying the local market.

15 - The “Grana Padano”.16 - Production of robiola cheese.17 - The caprino cheese (made of goat milk) of the Camonica Valley.18 - The triumph of Brescia province cheeses.

To this matter, the mountains of the Brescia territory is a real paradise for thepassionate who wants to enjoy the discovery of kinds of cheese almost impossible to findand of a unique taste; nevertheless, many selected products of top quality are commonlydistributed and since long the market shows to definitely appreciate them.

Nowadays, this cheese is produced in a territory including the whole Po Valley and itsharmonic and unmistakable flavour is a primary component of the gastronomic Italiantradition.

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Another excellent cheese of the Brescia territory tradition is the Bagoss, typical cheese of theSabbia valley; hard and low in fat, mature and characteristic of this area, it represents oneof the most interesting and researched products, also thanks to its unmistakable flavour.

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19/22 - The Bagoss and the Bagoss counter.20/21 - The Taleggio and the Dish of Cheeses.

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We suggest the buy of the Bagoss directly at the dairy producing places, among the lakes,forests and mountains, forming an environment of great charm and transferring to thischeese the unique savours of its land. Also the mountain area of the Camonica valley offers, since early times, a numberof dairy goods. Their names are sometimes unknown (not only to foreigners): small cheeseforms but very aromatic, delicate cheese, mature products evocating mountain flavours,combined with thousands of other savoured goods, created in mountain farms and takingto exciting and particular discoveries.

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The hills of the Garda and Iseo lakes present a primary production of excellent olive oil, withtheir harmonic structure and fruity and low acidity taste.

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It is better then to hurry the buying of this product, maybe during the nice and folkloristicevents that accompany the time for the oil maturation, combined with particular food andinvolving tourists and experts.

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23 - The olive harvest.

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From the numerous olive trees, fundamental components of the lake landscape,a perfect oil is created, characterising the local as well as the international food.This is a product of top quality, even though of a limited output, appreciated by the expertsand present everywhere. The growing international demand has given a push to thecultivation of olive trees and to an increase in its production, although developed in therespect of the environment with strict control rules; but it is this protection effected togrant quality and origin in the Brescia province that makes its production limited.

It is never to forget that the use of the olive oil in the restaurant cooking is somethingmore than a genuine and quality ingredient, but it becomes a gift, as well as an ambassadorof the Brescia tradition.

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What are, then, the main characteristics of the Brescia cooking, with such a number of productsavailable?The good food and the nice company are soul well-being.

A particular chapter could be dedicated to meat (many breeding are present in the territory)that is certified and strictly controlled in all phases from growing to distribution, in warrantyof its quality and for consumers’ protection.

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27 - The Coregone with polenta.28 - The Brescia province different kinds of meat.29 - The pheasant with polenta.

We immediately say that the typical Brescia food is antique, tasty and rich in personality;it could wisely combine its land products to delightful proposals. And it is just in thisdelicate balance one of the secrets of its sensational success: tradition and innovation arealways bound to its territory.It is curious to see that every area in the territory has nevertheless its own feature, basedon local tradit ion and ingredients, keeping strong their relationship.In the low land, south to Brescia, (area of hunting, rivers and fertile country plains)excellent cold meat, salami and river fish food are proposed; Garda, Iseo and Idro havea food mainly based on the lakes fishes, dressed with olive oil and proposed in differentways; while the mountain valleys have pork meats, salami, cheese, pasta flavoured withherbs and woods perfumes.

Another important chapter should be dedicated to the cultivation of the spealt,present in the Brescia plain since early times and lately subject to an interesting cookingrecovery. Another to the many kinds of cakes, incredible temptation for children andgrown ups... but in this way it is impossible to come to an end.

Then, what is the element distinguishing the food in the Brescia area?Simply the fact to be rich in aromas, genuine, but never informal. The food here

is not archaeology, but it always adapts to man and his needs. Maybe, it stands in thissimple truth the only secret of a large success that has taken Brescia among the mostimportant destinations of the most refined gourmets, who appreciate the combination ofhealthy products and the respect of a local culture, proposed in a modern way and withgreat sensitivity.

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www.bresciatourism.itinfo@bresciatourism.it

Provinciadi BRESCIA

BRESCIATOURISMInitiative of:

PRO-BRIXIAAzienda Speciale della CAMERA DI COMMERCIO di Brescia

In co-operation with:

Ascom e Confesercenti di Brescia

Graphic design:Clerici & Associati (Brescia)

Pictures:Archivio de “Il Vittoriale degli Italiani” (4)Lonati (1, 2, 3, 6a, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)Pini (5, 6b, 12, 13, 19, 21, 22, 23)

Translations:Work Media (Brescia)

Printing:Staged (Brescia) - June 2002

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