Lake Garda Wine and Flavour Route




Lake Garda Wine and Flavour Route (La Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori del Garda) was founded in 2001 with the main aim of promoting history, culture and art through the wines and flavours of the Brescian shore of the lake, responding to the growing demand for food and wine tourism.
A non-profit association that brings together representatives of food and wine, hospitality and culture, offering tourists the pleasure of a rural holiday focussing on the typical features of the territory. A territory that extends between the hills of the hinterland and the shores of the lake, from Limone to Sirmione, and enjoys a mild microclimate throughout the year, transparent, clean water, sunny and easily accessible beaches and breath-taking landscapes, which all make Lake Garda a unique place that has already enraptured millions of tourists.

Through the approximately one hundred associates selected according to a strict quality protocol, including wineries, oil mills, farmhouses, hotels, restaurants, craftsmen, municipalities and cultural associations, foundations and museums, the Wine Road, in actual fact the art and flavours road, offers an effective alternative to get to know the territory. The alternative comprises a new way to experience the authentic essence of Garda Bresciano. The essence that can be found in the places and landscapes, inhabitants and dialects, but especially in the tradition that is offered to you at the table. The territory of the Lake Garda Wine and Flavour Route includes the production area of the three wines with Controlled Denomination of Origin: Lugana, Valtènesi and San Martino della Battaglia. Another highlight of this amazing land is the DOP extra virgin olive oil, characterised by a very low degree of acidity, which makes it delicate. The main ingredient of Garda cuisine is fish. The lake, which is clean and fishy, is abundant with trout, eels, choregon, pike, perch, the rare and precious carp and, before the summer season, sardines and alborelle. The local cheeses, fresh or aged, are quality cheeses. In addition to Grana Padano, there is Garda cheese, the exquisite Valtènesi cheeses and those of Tremosine too. We should not forget the precious Valtènesi truffles, both white and black, and last but not least, the cured meats, including coppa aged in Garda Classico red wine, Brescia’s soppressa and salami with fillet. Not only the wine, but also the food is an integral part of the history and the "construction" of the landscape. What unites the restaurants and farmhouses that join the Association is the promotion and preservation of typical Garda gastronomy, in the use of traditional raw materials and the correct pairings with the wines.

The Lake Garda Wine and Flavour Route well complements the lakeside tourist offer, whose banks and territories are already renowned tourist destinations. To respond adequately to the needs of the food and wine tourist, the Route has put together different types of customisable itineraries, ranging from a daily tour with a visit to wineries, oil mills, nursery greenhouses to a multi-day tour that combines art with tasting and nature with gastronomy. The landscape and flavours are the immediate keys to understanding Lake Garda, but those who want to further their knowledge about the territory may choose from the numerous castles, villas and historic residences, archaeological sites and sacred buildings in the area.

There are also numerous sports available including windsurfing, golf, horseback riding and sailing. The landscape offers an exceptional leisure park that includes mountains, hills, valleys, rivers and the lake. An authentic Eden for fishermen and for all those who love to go for leisurely strolls. Hotels, farmhouses, Bed & Breakfasts pop up along the Route offering tradition, quality and organisation to meet the most diverse needs of tourists who are always looking for a food and wine experience and more. The dining options deserve a separate mention. All the restaurants and farmhouses belonging to the Association are linked by the promotion and preservation of the typical Garda gastronomy, in the use of traditional raw materials and in the correct pairings with the wines. There is, therefore, an abundance of artistic, environmental, cultural, sports and food and wine attractions to enjoy in the territory of Garda Brescia.