Wine and Food Road of the Valcalepio

Lombardy was one of the first regions in Italy to fully develop the idea of Wine Roads, with the promotion of the creation of the Wine and Food Roads of Lombardy network. This is a series of ‘gourmet itineraries’, whose aim is to enhance and promote typical quality wine and food products. The produce, whether it is wine or food, is always produced using the traditions and culture of their territory of origin. There are currently twelve roads recognised by the Region. One of them is the Wine and Food Road of Valcalepio, in the western area of the Province of Bergamo.

Bergamo - Bergamo - Park ofi San Pellegrino Terme

Fototeca ENIT - Gino Cianci

Details

Location route details
Countries and regions	Italy - Lombardy

Description Information in local language

Il Valcalepio

Il Valcalepio ha rappresentato sicuramente la rinascita dell’enologia in terra bergamasca. Mentre negli anni dell’industrializzazione selvaggia l’abbandono dei terreni collinari sembrava inarrestabile, verso la metà degli anni settanta si trovavano le forze per porre le prime basi per una nuova, grande, aventura del vino del Colleoni.

Valcalepio is a hilly area that lies in the west of the Province of Bergamo, on the downriver right bank of the Oglio. However, in vine-growing terms, the Valcalepio comprises a much larger area, starting from Lake Iseo and ending near Lake Como, a stretch of land that extends 60 km in length, although it is never wider than

5-6 km. Therefore it includes the last foothills of the Orobic Prealps and, from a geological point of view, it can be divided into two distinct areas on the basis of soil characteristics: from the hill belt east of Bergamo to Lake Iseo the soils are clayey and calcareous, while in the northwest area of Bergamo the soils are siliceous and clayey.

The DOC wine of this area is made from grapes grown in vineyards covering 300 hectares at altitudes up to 600 metres above sea level.

The Wine and Food Road of the Valcalepio is about 100 km long and is made up of three different routes. The first itinerary is known as The Road of the Convents (I Conventi) and begins at the Capriate S. Gervasio exit on the A4 motorway and ends in Bergamo. Along the way, visitors can admire the Abbey of Sant’Egidio at Sotto il Monte Giovanni XXIII, the Abbey of Pontida and the splendid Church of San Tomè at Almenno San Salvatore.

The second itinerary is named the Heart of the Valcalepio (Cuore della Valcalepio). It starts in Bergamo and finishes in Grumello del Monte. This itinerary includes visits to the city of Bergamo, the Abbey of San Paolo D’Argon, the Oratory of Santa Barbara (inside Villa Suardi, at Trescore Balneatico), frescoed by Lorenzo Lotto, and several castles that belonged to the family of the condottiero Bartolomeo Colleoni.

The third itinerary is named The Lake (Il Lago) and stretches from the Grumello del Monte exit on the A4 motorway towards Sarnico on Lake Iseo, returning via a different route and taking in the fifteenth-century castle, Castel de’ Conti at Castelli Calepio.

Along the route, visitors will have the chance to taste a lot of typical dishes accompanied by the well-known regional wines that are produced on this land (Valcalepio DOC Rosso, Rosso Riserva, Bianco, Moscato Passito, Bergamasca IGT). Some of the area’s must-tries are the Bergamo polenta with braised rabbit, Casonsei of Bergamo, Donizetti cakes or Treviglio cakes. The area’s most typical products are cheeses (Gorgonzola DOP,Grana Padano DOP, Provolone Valpadana DOP, Quartirolo Lombardo DOP, SalvaCremasco DOP, Taleggio DOP, Branzi, Caprini della bergamasca, Formaggelle,Strachitunt), cured meats (Cotechino della bergamasca, Salame dellaBergamasca), oils (Olio Extravergine di Oliva Laghi Lombardi DOP) and Bergamo honey.

To get there by car: A4 Milan-Venice motorway, exits at Capriate, Bergamo, Seriate, Grumello del Monte, Ponte Oglio. By train: By train: Milan-Bergamo-Brescia line.