Lombardy, home to Milan, a commercial hub
It is the richest region in Italy, generating a quarter of the country's GDP. As a center of industry, finance, fashion, and media, it attracts many international tourists and continues to captivate the world.
Even in ancient Roman times, Milan flourished as an important city. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, famous noble families such as the Gonzaga of Mantua and the Visconti and Sforza of Milan ruled the city.
Subsequently, foreign rule by France, Spain, and Austria continued, but Lombardy became the center of the Italian unification movement and contributed to the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy. After World War II, it led the Italian economy as the center of the "economic miracle," and many internal migrants flowed in from the south. Currently, it is the most populous region in Italy, with nearly 10 million people living there.
Three representative wine production areas of Lombardy
As mentioned at the beginning, DOC Oltrepò Pavese played a role in supplying wine to the rapidly increasing population due to internal migration, providing large quantities of inexpensive daily wine. Currently, there is a strong trend towards producing high-quality wines. Those made with Pinot Nero are particularly excellent.
In Valtellina, Sondrio province, near the Swiss border, vineyards cling to steep mountain slopes, and viticulture is carried out despite difficult conditions. DOC Valtellina wines are rigorous, with less fruitiness and dominant notes of spice and tanned leather, but their freshness, nuanced depth, and complex flavors are captivating.
The hilly area south of Lake Iseo in Brescia province is the production region of the high-quality traditional method sparkling wine, DOCG Franciacorta. The warm climate created by the lake allows grapes to ripen perfectly, the cool winds blowing from the Prealps extending north of the lake tighten the acidity and aromas, and the morainic soil deposited by glaciers provides the wine with an appropriate mineral content, resulting in vibrant sparkling wines with delightful fruitiness.
Cuisine from traditional rural areas and dishes influenced by foreign cultures through Milan
Common appetizers include Salame Milano, Milanese salami, and Bresaola, a cured beef specialty from Valtellina.
It is a rice-producing region on par with Piedmont, and Risotto alla Milanese, a specialty of Milan, is characterized by its vibrant saffron yellow color.
Minestrone, a vegetable soup, is world-famous. It is also one of the regions in Italy where Polenta is most frequently eaten.
Ravioli, a handmade pasta with eggs, is also enjoyed throughout the region. Pizzoccheri, a buckwheat pasta from the Valtellina region, is eaten with potatoes, savoy cabbage, and cheese.
Famous meat dishes include Costoletta alla Milanese, a Milanese-style cutlet, and Ossobuco, braised veal shanks. Traditional peasant dishes with a long history include Busecca, stewed calf tripe with cannellini beans and tomatoes, and Cassoeula, a stew of pork feet, pig's head, and savoy cabbage.
There is a rich variety of cheeses, with famous ones including Grana Padano, similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, Taleggio, a washed-rind type, and Gorgonzola, a blue-veined type.
Panettone, a Christmas staple, originated in Milan, and Mascarpone, which is very popular in Japan, is also a renowned product from this region.
Source, citations, and references:
"Professional's Italian Wine Manual, Italian Wine 2018-2021 Edition" Publisher: Wine Kingdom Co., Ltd. Supervisor: Isao Miyajima Cooperation: Nichio Shoji Co., Ltd.
