Following the wine routes means following a path that unwinds through the depths of local traditions. Just outside the city, the cities in the Circuito offer the chance to live exciting experiences in nature and history, where you can discover wineries and taste their products, visit vineyards on hills studded with strongholds and castles. Or see medieval villages and find a restaurant serving local wine and lively company.
Pianura Padana produces excellent wines. From the noble Franciacorta to the popular Lambrusco, from the less famous Erbaluce to the well-known Barbera, these are only few examples of the delicacies offered by this territory.

In Lombardy, around Bergamo you can find the Calepio valley, whose name probably comes from the Greek Kalos-Epias meaning 'good land, delicate land'. The land is fertile here, with a particularly mild climate thanks to the presence of the lake, and produces Valcalepio wine, a product that helped Bergamo wine making thrive.
In the province of Brescia there are the wineries of Strada dei vini e sapori del Garda, producing Lugana, Garda Classico and San Martino della Battaglia. Also Strada vino colli dei Longobardi, which includes vineyards around Brescia, the Pusterla, the largest urban vineyard in the world. But the star that shines bright over all other wines is the route Strada del Franciacorta, which unfolds along suggestive scenarios and fascinating villages, and produces one of the most appreciated wines in the world. There is no wine route in the territory around Monza, but the most important wines are produced on the rolling hills of Montevecchia, where producers have combined the traditional winemaking art of their ancestors with modern techniques.
Strada del Vino San Colombano e dei Sapori Lodigiani in Lodi covers 60 km, from Milan to the provinces of Cremona and Piacenza, revolving around the production of Colombano wine. This product was awarded the CDO label in 1984 because the grapes used for production are cultivated exclusively in the hilly area that includes the Municipalities of San Colombano al Lambro near Milan, Graffignana and Sant'Angelo in Lodi province, and Miradolo Terme and Monteleone in Pavia province. Strada dei vini e dei sapori dell'Oltrepò Pavese is the most interesting itinerary: the route starts on the plain and reaches the tallest Apennine hilltops. The hills of Oltrepò rank third in Italy for hectares of grapevine land (13,500) and are the first area for vine growing and wine making in Lombardy, where 55% of the wine in the whole region is produced.
The Strada touches upon hills bordered with century-old vineyards, studded with churches, tall bell towers and imposing castles on the hills. On Piacenza hills you can drive on Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori dei Colli Piacentini. From west to east this itinerary reaches Val Tidone, Val Trebbia, Val Nure, Val d'Arda, full of villas and castles and suggestive villages. The area produces white Ortrugo wine and red Gutturnio to be accompanied with top quality cured meats and cheeses, but also truffles, potatoes, tomatoes and numerous varieties of ancient fruits that survived the invasion of modern biotechnologies. Going south, Strada del Prosciutto e dei Vini dei Colli di Parma unfolds over about 100 km along the hilly area between Val di Taro and Val d'Enza.
This is the heart of Parma food valley, boasting products renowned all over the world such as Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano, accompanied by Malvasia and other CDO wines from Colli di Parma. Don't forget other typical food from this area: salame di Felino, coppa di Parma, and other cured meats from local tradition. The two gourmet food routes in Reggio Emilia are linked to great wines. Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori delle Corti Reggiane develops over 300 km on the lowlands known as 'la Bassa', studded with palaces, castles, porticoed squares and paintings that testify to an illustrious past.
Fresh, sparkling, characteristic Lambrusco wine is the perfect match for gourmet food in the area. Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori Colline di Scandiano e Canossa covers over 200 km of land between the plain and the hills to the south of Via Emilia, on a scenario that recalls the historical period of Matilda, and produces excellent wines such as Sauvignon, Malvasia, Lambrusco, Chardonnay, Marzemino, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Modena also boasts two gourmet wine routes. Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori della Pianura Modenese unwinds through the lowlands that produce Lambrusco di Sorbara and Salamino di Santa Croce. The varieties grown along Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori "Città Castelli Ciliegi" are various and cover the hilly area to the south of Via Emilia between Bologna and Modena. The most famous among these wines is the ruby red sparkling Lambrusco Grasparossa from Modena, and Pignoletto, the most typical white wine from Bologna.