Lugana Coast to Coast: 28 Wineries From the Shores of Lake Garda Tour the U.S. with the ‘Destination Lugana’ Campaign

Lugana wines concluded the U.S. leg of its third annual ‘Destination Lugana’ tour of major wine markets, including Miami, New York, San Francisco and Tampa.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, May 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC (Lugana wines) successfully concluded the U.S. leg of its third annual ‘Destination Lugana’ tour, bringing 28 wineries from Italy’s Lugana region to major wine markets, including Miami, New York, San Francisco and - for the first time - Tampa, Florida. The multi-city tour welcomed over 200 wine trade professionals through a dynamic series of industry lunches, masterclasses, and open tastings designed to showcase the versatility and distinctive identity of Lugana wines.

At each stop, participants were invited to engage in a sensory journey designed to evoke the region’s landscape and atmosphere. Guests began their experience with a blindfolded audio immersion inspired by the sounds of Lake Garda, while sampling a welcome wine. They were then invited to write postcards from Lugana to friends and colleagues.

During the paired lunches, guests explored the breadth of Lugana’s expressions – from fresh and mineral-driven styles to more age-worthy wines – through guided tastings led by local wine experts, alongside thoughtfully curated menus at some of the country’s top restaurants.

Tampa Debut: A Strong Start in a Growing Market
For the first time, the tour kicked off in Tampa, a city with an increasingly sophisticated food and wine scene. Buyers from importation, distribution, and on-and off-premise businesses from the broad Tampa Bay area gathered at Michelin-starred Rocca, where an exceptional four-course lunch was paired with Lugana wines.
The room reflected strong enthusiasm for the category, with industry professionals engaging in lively discussions. Speaker Zach Pace guided guests through the region’s identity, highlighting the vibrancy, elegance, and characteristic minerality of Lugana wines and how these qualities resonate particularly well with Florida’s climate and culinary landscape.

Miami: An Occasion for Celebration
The tour continued in Miami with a trade lunch at Brickell’s iconic Sexy Fish, where local wine personality Jacqueline Coleman commanded a crowd of some of Miami’s most dynamic wine buyers. A passionate advocate for the region and its wines, Coleman shared insights from her visits to Lugana, recalling not only Lake Garda’s stunning scenery, but also its fascinating physiological influence on the region’s terroir.
In Florida, Lugana wines also partnered with the Star Wine List of the Year awards, sponsoring the award for Florida’s Best By-the-Glass List. The winner, Bourbon Steak Miami, was awarded a trip to the Lugana region.

New York: A Sip of the Big Apple
The journey continued to New York, where local wine and dining authority Wanda Mann captivated guests with her signature blend of knowledge and charm. A well-established U.S. market for a diverse global selection of wines, the New York event saw particularly strong attendance from importers, with prominent restaurant and retail buyers also joining the conversation.
In the evening, Tribeca Wine Merchants opened its doors to interested consumers, offering tasting pours from a huge selection of Lugana wines.

San Francisco: Continued Momentum
The tour reached the West Coast at San Francisco’s renowned a16 with an interactive masterclass for over 60 trade buyers led by Shelley Lindgren—acclaimed wine writer, Napa wine producer, Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana, owner of the a16 restaurant group, and a leading authority on Italian wine in California. Lindgren, who is set to open a highly anticipated restaurant at San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building this summer, reflected on the region's growing presence in California, noting that Lugana is successfully transitioning from a "hidden gem" to a staple for local wine lovers. "There is such a market for a wine like this," she shared, emphasizing its crisp, mineral, and dry profile, as well as its exceptional ability to pair beautifully with diverse cuisines, making it an ideal choice for the dynamic West Coast market.

The Market for Lugana Wines
As interest in Italian white wines continues to expand, Lugana’s combination of freshness, structure, and gastronomic versatility positions the region as one of Italy’s most compelling and dynamic appellations.
In all markets, the opportunity to taste Lugana wines extended beyond the limited capacity of the seated lunches, with additional buyers, journalists, and influencers invited to participate in open tastings, allowing for broader discovery of the full range of wines both currently imported to the U.S. and seeking representation.
The demonstrated success of the Destination Lugana tour allows Lugana DOC to strengthen its trade presence in targeted U.S. markets, deepening relationships with trade partners while showcasing the region’s unique identity, quality standards, and growing relevance.

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According to Consorzio Lugana President Fabio Zenato, “we continue to find great satisfaction from our endeavors in the U.S. and from the avid interest we consistently receive from this market. White wines now account for a plurality of Italian wine exports, and Lugana is well positioned to benefit from this evolution.”

Participating producers included both those currently available and those yet to be distributed in the US: Aldegheri, Avanzi, Borgo La Caccia, Bosco, Ca’ Lojera, Ca’ Maiol, Cantina Bertagna, Cantine Scolari, Cantina Castioni, Citari, Cobue, Corte Sermana, Famiglia Olivini, Le Morette, Marangona, Monte Cicogna, Montonale, Nunzio Ghiraldi, Pasini San Giovanni, Perla del Garda, Pilandro, Podere Selva Capuzza, Pratello, Seiterre Viticoltori dal 1877, Tenuta Malavasi, Villa Meneghello and Zenato.

The Destination Lugana tour will continue to London in July.

About Lugana DOC
The Lugana region is nestled on the southern shores of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, formed by glacial activity more than 10,000 years ago. Lugana is one of the few wine regions that crosses over two provinces - Brescia and Verona - and two regions - Lombardy and Veneto. Today, the Lugana region spans 2,600 hectares with 214 members producing approximately 28 million bottles a year.

Indigenous to the region, the late-ripening Turbiana grape is the key to the versatility of these wines. Planted in mineral-rich, clay-dense soils, Turbiana maintains high levels of tartaric acid, creating freshness in young wines and aging potential of a decade or more in Reserve wines. ‘Destination Lugana’ presents the five unique styles of Lugana wines, including Spumante, Lugana, Lugana Superiore, Lugana Riserva, and Vendemmia Tardiva.

Erica Nonni
Nonni Strategic Marketing
hello@nonnimarketing.com

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