Vine growing in Bergamo dates back presumably to the Roman age, so that it is reported of an ancient temple dedicated to Bacchus in the old suburb of San Lorenzo. Nowadays vine is grown in Valcalepio, a hilly area between the River Adda and Lake Iseo. The name “Calepio” seems to come from the Greek word “Kalos-Epias”, which should mean “Good Land, Sweet Land”. The ground is indeed very fruitful and the temperature is mild because of the proximity of the lake, ideal for vine growing and for the production of very excellent quality. Some archaeological excavations attested the existence of Roman settlements in this pleasant valley. Nowadays Valcalepio is a very busy area, with many factories, well known throughout Italy in first place for the production of valuable DOC wines, among which Moscato di Scanzo Passito DOC stands out, one of the major wines in Bergamo’s oenology. Valcalepio has represented the revival of oenology in the land of Bergamo, especially at the beginning of the 1970s thanks to experimentation and planting of some autochthonic species of vine and other improving types up to today’s vines which obtained the renowned DOC certification (1976) for the Rosso, Bianco and Moscato Passito. 

The most important species of vines in the province of Bergamo are the following:
- black grape: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Incrocio Terzi n.3, Franconia, Marzemino, Schiava Lombarda, Schiava Meranese and Moscato di Scanzo;
- white grape: Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Manzoni Bianco, Riesling, Prosecco, Moscato Giallo.

Also some autochthon varieties still survive, like Merera, Altulina, Gafforella, but they are not of great importance in Bergamo’s oenological outline. The establishment of Consorzio Tutela Valcalepio was an important means of facilitation and protection of Bergamo’s wines, so that nowadays the province of Bergamo can boast of wines of very good standard which are in no way inferior to the most renowned wines. In 1993 a change was introduced to the disciplinary procedures which establish the introduction of a new kind of red wine: “La Riserva”, characterized by a longer seasoning that magnifies the quality of the wine. Thanks to the passage of this new decree-law the cultivation and processing of the autochthon vines (like Moscato passito) tend to be considered more important. 

Vine lands
The rocks of  Bergamo’s hills formed in the Mesozoic, about 100 million years ago. During their formation period, where there is now the hilly area there was a wide sea basin; so the rocks are made up of sedimentary materials later joined together at the bottom of this basin. The range of the soils influences a lot the single vine-growing and wine-productions, so that to justify remarkable differences among vines grown in different contexts. The soils range from deep and clayey ones, like in the western area of Bergamo which produce more structured wines and of a stronger colour, to the eastern area (Grumello and Scanzorosciate) characterized by drier soils, therefore suitable to the production of very valuable aromatic wines.