Since the mists of time this area of lake Garda has been interested by the presence of man and wine. It is not by chance that right here has been found a 4000 years old plough, the most ancient one ever built, probably man was already using it to tame wild vines and to create wonderful wines. Already in the first century, wines from Lake Garda had found a willing and admired audience in ancient Rome. They called the wine Vino Retico. Yes, the Romans loved it – in fact, Emperor Augustus loved to serve it during his fantastic banquets.

You may not know it, but the traditional cuisine of Lake Garda is beyond your imagination. Let’s start with fish: the waters here are home to more than 25 different types of fantastic fish such as whitefish, pike, perch. Do you love carp? Lake Garda has a rare kind to enjoy, with a soft white or pinkish flesh that’s rich in flavor – one of the best I’ve tried.

And that’s just the fish – the delicacies made on land are pretty stellar, too. The ancient Romans, smart people, knew a good thing when they saw it, and figured this area would work pretty well – turns out they were right, and Lake Garda is the furthest Italian area where you can produce extra virgin olive oil. And it’s just as good now as it was then – this fruity, delicate, light oil is absolute perfection when I drizzle it over any dish.

All these incredible smells and aromas of fresh cheese make me think of the beautiful hills and mountains where the cows and sheep graze on that fresh, green grass – no wonder these farmhouse cheeses taste so amazing!