The hill of San Colombano
The countries that administer the Doc San Colombano wine production area are: Graffignana, Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Monteleone Winter, Miradolo Terme and San Colombano al Lambro. Among these, those most traditional for culture and for the entity of hilly territory are: San Colombano al Lambro, Miradolo Terme and Graffignana.
San Colombano is the name of rare and singular controlled denomination of origin produced on a characteristic hill, an isolated protuberance, in the middle of the Po Valley, south of the great Milan, between the Lodigiana Plain and the Bassa Pavese; in fact it is located about 40 km away from Milan, about 30 km from Pavia and 15 km from Lodi. It has always been a small wine area for more than a thousand years.
On clear days, from the hill overlooking the town of San Colombano the view sweeps north and reaches the entire Alpine arc, while on the side of Miradolo Terme, towards the south, the view opens up the valley of the Po to the Apennines.
The hill is surrounded by the plains, a land made fertile by the many irrigation canals built in time by men, among which the Roggia Colombana lapping the hill to the north and the Nerone passing to the south.
The plain is a land of fodder, cereals, rice, and the farms produce a milk that is largely transformed into typical PDO and PGI cheeses, such as Grana Padano, pannerone, gorgonzola and mascarpone.
The historical references speak of a quality wine that arises from the laborious relationship between the professionalism of man and the divine vocation of the territory, awarded in 1984 with the recognition of the area with a designation of origin.
The I.G.T. mark
From the 1995 harvest, the area of production of the Doc. San Colombano is also a typical geographical indication area (I.G.T.) “Collina del Milanese”.
With this indication, single-varietal wines are proposed and valued: Verdea, Riesling, Malvasia, Pinot white and red, Chardonnay, Barbera, Croatina, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot: still, sparkling, young, fresh and fruity wines, but also small batches aged in barrel or small carats, some excellent sparkling wine, charmat and classic method, sign of the qualitative and professional improvement of the area. These are typical wines, personalized, prestige and pride of each winery, products with passion and professionalism, which contain the flavors and values of a small hilly area.
(source Consorzio Volontario Vino D.O.C. San Colombano – www.sancolombanodoc.it)