ugana is a wine of remote origins and during its history it has achieved many successes and received wide recognition. It is produced to the south of Lake Garda in a small area between Peschiera and Desenzano. Other communes in the territory are Lonato, Pozzolengo and Sirmione, all in the province of Brescia.The favorable climatic conditions due to the effects of the great mass of lake water have always favored lush growth by the vines planted around Garda's shores. The wines coming from the north, south, east and west of the lake are now clearly distinguished one from another. But they were once lumped together as Rhetic wines by such important ancient writers as Pliny and Virgil. In the era of Pietro Aretino, Lugana was already considered an excellent wine. Later, Bacci, in his De Naturali historia vinorum, described Lugana as a "regal wine."
Bacci's assessment of the quality of the wine was anticipated by many centuries. It is reported that the Gothic King Deodatus, who lived around the middle of the first millennium of the Christian era, heard about the wine and, being intrigued by its reputation, ordered that large quantities of it be brought to Rome to enliven his banquets.
