Two gentlemen from Verona were recently seen at Osteria Al Carro Armato enjoying a bottle of Valpolicella Classico with a plate of sfilacci di cavallo! Just a typical sight – nothing unusual about that. After all, Verona is the wine center of Veneto. Osterie used to be known for serving wine and simple food, often family style but nowadays their emphasis is on local food specialties with quality wine, and Al Carro Armato is well known for that. The Valpolicella? That’s the most common wine in this area, and it is made from a blend of local red grapes. What about the sfilacci di cavallo? That would be shreds of dried horse meat served on a bed of arugula and possibly some beautifully shaved cheese like Asiago on top. It seems that cavallo (horsemeat) and sometimes asino (donkey) is quite popular in this part of Italy and many other areas in Europe, but most often associated with Verona. That particular dish and numerous others made from horsemeat are offered on many menus in Verona. As much as my foodie instincts want me to explore that further, we have really come to the Veneto to talk about the wine! We’ll save the cavallo for another time!
The Veneto is the eighth largest of the twenty geographic regions of Italy with a population of almost five million people making it the fifth most populated in Italy. You can find the 7000 plus square miles of it in the northeastern corner of Italy bordered by Friuli-Venezia Giulia on the east, Lombardia on the west and Emilia—Romagna on the south. To the north is Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. At the very northernmost corner, the Veneto borders on Austria. Venice is the most populated city and the capital followed in size by Verona, Padua, Vicenza and Treviso.
The Po Valley covers 57% of Veneto and extends from the Carnic Alps, the eastern Dolomites that block the cold temperatures from central Europe, and the Venetian Prealps to the Adriatic Sea. On the coast of the Adriatic Sea is the Venetian Lagoon, a flat terrain made up of ponds and islands, and home to the city of Venice. Like most regions in this part of the world, it has been a part of many empires. The Romans ruled until the fifth century, and at one time it was annexed by the Austrian Empire until a merger with the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. But it is the Republic of Venice that seems to be most memorable as it ruled this part of the world for a millennium – the 7th century AD to the 18th century.
The Veneto has numerous microclimates, indigenous grapes and wine traditions although it doesn’t have a single wine brand recognition like the Chiantis and Brunellos made from Sangiovese in Tuscany or the Barolos and Barbarescos made from Piedmont’s Nebbiolo grapes. There is plenty of diversity in these 7000 square miles and something for everybody. Wines range from Prosecco, a light fragrant sparkling wine that is enjoyed around the world, to the rosés and light reds of Bardolino, to Soave – the region’s most important white wine – and the numerous styles of Valpolicella reds. And then there is Amarone, the famous Veneto flagship wine produced near Verona and made with a unique blend of grapes in their indigenous winemaking process called Appassimento (air-drying) that gives it lots of power and concentration.
Veneto is often lumped together (in a good way!) with the Italian regions of Friuli-Venezia Giula to the east and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol to the north thus completing the formidable wine producing zone known as the Triveneto or Tre Venezie after the Republic of Venice. There are 28 DOCs and 14 DOCGs just in The Veneto alone. Eight of these share territory with bordering regions making The Veneto the largest wine production region in Italy. There are 90,000 hectares or 220,000 acres of vineyards here, and 35,400 hectares are designated as DOC. The annual production totals 8.5 million hectoliters with 21% of which is DOC (90% DOCG, DOC and IGT) which makes The Veneto the biggest DOC producer in Italy. Fifty-five per cent of Veneto DOC wine produced is white.
Tre Venezie as a whole produces more red wine than white, but the Veneto produces more whites under DOC. Production is almost equally divided between white and red and more than 60% of the cultivated grape varieties are native to Italy. The indigenous Glera, Garganega and Corvina Veronese make up almost half of the plantings in Veneto especially in the west where Garganega and Corvina are everywhere.
Verona, Vicenza, Padova and Treviso are some of the main cities of Veneto and all well worth knowing, but there is one city in particular that always stands out. Venice, or Venezia in Italian and the capital of The Veneto, is located in the eastern region on the Adriatic Sea. There is water everywhere – in fact Venice is built on 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. Once the center of the former Venetian Republic with all of its romance, intrigue, and culture, it is known by many names including “The Queen of the Adriatic”, “The Floating City” and “The City of Masks” made famous by its Carnival of Masks. Here are just a few of the famous people who came from Venice: Giacomo Casanova, a playwright and lover, Marco Polo, the explorer and Antonio Vivaldi, the composer.
The Veneto and Venice take their name from the Veneti, a tribe that settled here around 1000 BC. Venice became an important link between the eastern Byzantine Empire and the countries of northern Europe; known for trading spices, food, wine, art work, architecture and glass production. Industry still plays a major role in the Veneto – in fact it is divided into industrial districts that tend to specialize into specific products – Murano for glass, Luxottica eyeglasses in Belluno, but you can find the likes of Benetton and other fashion brands all over Veneto. Tourism is one of the main economic resources. Doesn’t everybody want to go to Venice? The importance of agriculture may have decreased somewhat, but we winelovers know the Veneto is one of Italy’s most important wine-growing areas. Those grapevines are an important crop! And we foodies are in heaven in the Veneto where we can have Asiago and Grana Padano PDO cheeses to go in our risotto with a contorni of white asparagus or risi bici and finished off with tiramisu while sipping on a glass of Soave listening to some music of Vivaldi. Oh, I almost forgot – we must have a glass of Macalan Torcolato to make the experience complete. And now it is time to move on to the grapes and wine. Which one of the 16 Wine Routes should we travel first?
The Grapes and Wines of Veneto
Just like everywhere else in Italy, there were grapevines in the Veneto even before the Greeks, who are mostly given credit for bringing the vines. Supposedly there were wild grapevines here long before Christ when people ate the grapes for food. There is evidence of actual wine production in the 7th century BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Acinatico sweet wine was produced that may be the ancestor of several Reciotos. Just when local wines were becoming famous around the 1600s along came war and disease of the 1700s and 1800s. Thank goodness winemaking was revived and became so important in the Veneto that the very first Italian school for vine growing and oenology was created here in 1876, the Scuola Enological Conegliano G.B. Cerletti, opened in Veneto by decree of Vittorio Emanuele, the king of Italy. Now Veneto’s grape growers are among those most modernized in Italy.
The Veneto got into big business wine production in the 1960s and 70s with their mass-produced whites Soave and Pinot Grigio and Valpolicella reds because we Americans and the Brits were buying their inexpensive tasteless wines in a big way! Thank goodness for us, while the cheap stuff still exists, the high quality (and naturally pricier!) versions are now available. Veneto upped its wine game in the 1990s, and there are now formidable reds and fruity white wines just waiting for us to drink!
Further proof of the significance of winemaking in the Veneto, specifically the Verona Province) is Vinitaly, the most important wine fair of Italy which happens every spring in Verona. Vinitaly is an international 4 day event featuring an average of 3000 wines from every corner of Italy and three dozen countries making it the largest wine exhibition in the world.
Wine areas
The “state” of Veneto is divided into six administrative provinces: Verona, Vicenza, Padova (Padua), Treviso, Belluno and Rovigo plus one municipality – Venice. The wine regions or zones are basically divided into the same geographic areas. However there are two very distinguishable wine areas in The Veneto with a transition in the middle between the two.
The Eastern part is close to the Venice Lagoon between the hills of Treviso, plain of Piave River and Adriatic coast. This is where you will typically find Prosecco made from the Glera grape, plus Merlot, Carmenere, Verduzzo, Raboso Piave, Refosco, Tocai, Verdiso, and Marzemino made in Lison, Lison-Pramaggiore, Montello e Colli Asolani and Colli di Conegliano.
The Western part is close to Lake Garda and Verona in the province of Verona and home to Valpolicella, Soave, Bardolino, Lugana and Custoza. Notable wines here are made from Corvina, Rondinella, Garganega, Trebbiano of Soave and Oseleta grapes. They all grow well here in the fertile volcanic soil of Verona.
The Central part is a transition between East and West where the hills of Colli Euganei are close to Padova and Vicenza Provinces. You will also find Colli Berici and Breganze here. There is a lot of wine produced here, but the best wine comes from the hills. Padova is famous for its special Mediterranean microclimate and Moscato fior d’arancio, a sparkling dessert wine.
Grapes of the Veneto
There are over 850 documented grapes growing in Italy, and you will find many of them here in the Veneto – some native to the region, others that grow all over Italy, and then there are the international varieties widely grown in the country.
The best wine in The Veneto comes from the vines planted near hills because great wine comes from well drained volcanic soil with some sand, clay and gravel mixed in but not from the fertile farmlands where vegetables and fruits (including grapes) grow profusely.
Grapes are now grown by the Guyot system in the East instead of the old traditional system of Sylvoz, but in the West you will find grapevines on the more traditional Pergola system. For you winelover geeks, in the Sylvoz system grapes are growing downward from a taller trunk which requires a lot of time for cane pruning and bending and tying of the canes. The Guyot system is one of the least complicated and easiest to maintain. It is head-trained with a permanent main trunk, plus one cane and a spur for a “single Guyot” or two canes and spurs for a “double Guyot”. Then there is the Pergola system of training vines above head height so that grapes hang down under the shade of the canopy. We could write an entire article on the art of grape vine growing.
“Classic” wines are made from native grapes like Glera and Corvina, but since Veneto wines have come into such a high demand on the world’s market, they also grow international varieties like Cabernets, Chardonnay and Pinots. Many of the grapes most widely planted are listed here; however there are many others some of which are mentioned in the individual wine zones.
WHITE GRAPES
Chardonnay: Can make some decent New-World style wines here in Veneto.
Garganega (gar-GAN-nehga): The basis of Soave; grows well in volcanic soils; makes crisp dry white wines; flinty with citrus, honey and almond and has been the leading grape here since the Renaissance.
Glera: It was originally native to the Istrian Peninsula, now Croatia, and used to be known as “Prosecco”. It’s the basis for Prosecco DOC and DOCG still and sparkling wines.
Pinot Bianco (Blanc): Planted in central and eastern Veneto and usually appears in a blend.
Pinot Grigio(Gris): Planted across northeast Italy known as “Delle Venezie” an almost brand new DOC; it’s one of Italy’s largest exports and makes a nice light wine but not as good as those of Friuli or Alto Adige. Who hasn’t heard of Santa Margherita? It made Pinot Grigio popular! The Veneto can claim more Pinot Grigio grapevines than any other region of Italy.
Trebbiano di Soave: This grape is more than likely a Verdicchio Bianco and is blended with Garganega to make Soave and Bianco di Custoza. It is a synonym of Trebbiano di Lugana – a white grape also used in Soave wines.
Trebbiano Toscano: Used in less expensive Soaves and other Veneto whites.
Vespaiolo: An indigenous grape made famous as a dessert wine, Torcolato.
RED GRAPES
Cabernet Sauvignon: Not often made into notable wines in this region, but the traditional Bordeaux grapes became quite important here after phylloxerra. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot have been cultivated here now for almost 200 years. The Cabernet Franc is usually bottled together with Cabernet Sauvignon as a blend labeled “Cabernet”.
Carménère: You will find most of Italy’s Carménère right here in Veneto along with Malbec (called Malbech in Italy).
Corvina Veronese: The leading indigenous red grape which is used in the Amarone, Valpolicella and most Bardolino blends. The name comes from “corvo” or crow referring to the black color of the grapes.
Marzemino: This is a dark-skinned late ripening grape grown in the Veneto, but also in Trentino-Alto Adige, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. It makes up 95% of sweet Colli di Conegliano Refrontolo passito wines. It’s grassy, herbal and has a sour cherry tang. Other wine areas use it more often as a blending grape. Opera lovers may recognize the name as being mentioned in Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni.
Merlot: Merlot took over after the scourge of phylloxerra and is now one of the most widely planted red grapes in Veneto. There are more Merlot grape vines here than any other region of Italy, and they are used to make simple wines.
Molinara: Used in the blend of Amarone, Valpolicella and some Bardolinos.
Negrara: A minor blending grape grown in northeastern Italy, mainly Veneto.
Oseleta: The name means “little bird” because of the small berry size. Once thought to be extinct but revived in the 1990s and is gaining some winemaking interest, it’s now added in small amounts to Amarones and Valpolicellas.
Raboso (Raboso Piave): Planted primarily in eastern Veneto; it makes dark, tannic, high acid and alcohol wine. “Raboso” means “angry”, and that is the sensation you get in the mouth when you drink it too young. It used to be highly cultivated but not much these days.
Refosco: An old family of very dark-skinned grapes native to Veneto and her neighbors: Friuli, Trentino, Istria and Karst. Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso grows in the Veneto Venezia and Treviso plus Friuli. It makes deep colored wine full-bodied with discernible tannins, black fruit and almond. Not many make it to the US. Other Refoscos in the family include our old friend Teran from Karst in Slovenia and Croatian Istria.
Rondinella: It’s the offspring of Corvina and the second most important grape in Amarone, Valpolicella and Bardolino.
Rossignola: An indigenous grape grown in Veneto since at least the early 19th century.
Amarone/Valpolicella blend: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara – Indigenous reds in Valpolicella used to make Amarone, Ripasso and Recioto dessert wine. They have large berries and thick skins that are able to stand up to Appassimento process.
The Veneto DOCs, Wine Roads and their Wines
Two of the best known wines from The Veneto are the white Soave and the red Valpolicella. The leading wines are Amarone (red), Pinot Grigio (white), and then there is Prosecco! There are other wines you should also know about like Bardolino (red), Bianco di Custoza (white), Recioto Della Valpolicella (sweet red) and Recioto di Soave (sweet white) and grapes like Raboso, Refosco and Vespaiolo. Here is where you will find them.
As we mentioned earlier, there are 28 DOCs and 14 DOCGs plus some IGTs in the Veneto. Due to the varied geographical makeup and the resulting micro climates, specialized wines are produced throughout the region. Some of the best known examples are the Amarone from Valpolicella, Prosecco from Valdobbiadene and the whites of Soave. The three best known DOC wines are Bardolino (from the town of Bardolino along Lake Garda), Valpolicella and Soave. There are many other noteworthy wines and DOCs like the Amarone of Verona, but we won’t touch on all of them.
Veneto was the first Italian wine region to institute a Strada del Vino or “wine road”. Special road signs were erected with information on the vines and wines they were made into, and if you follow it over some hilly vineyards, you eventually wander through the Valdobbiadene to the Conegliano DOC zones. The road is open to traffic but you will find many walkers and cyclists out exploring the vineyards. We are going to follow our own “wine road” and look into some distinct and amazing wine areas.
Western Veneto
Valpolicella – Verona Province
The Valpolicella Valley is made up of three valleys crossed by three streams which flow down into the Adige River. It is a hilly area with lush full landscape along Lake Garda in the Verona Province located in the western part of the Veneto. The vineyards start just outside the city of Verona and stretch towards Lake Garda in the west where more traditional wine is made and to the east, where some younger winemakers are making modern history. The Strada del vino takes you through the countryside where vines grow alongside cherries and olive groves. The climate is supposed to be continental, but the nearby lake gives it more of a Mediterranean-type microclimate. Here is where you will find that very famous wine: Amarone della Valpolicella! You will also find four different styles of wine made from a blend of the same indigenous grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and sometimes Molinara. The Valpolicella DOC was established in 1968 but with the popularity and world-wide appreciation of Amarone and the change in guidelines for production of “recioti” wines, the Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG and Recioto della Valpolicella became DOCGs in 2010 along with distinction of the Valpolicella Ripasso DOC.
Valpolicella (which means “valley of many cellars”) has been trying to shake that mass marketed bad wine reputation and has been overlooked by serious wine drinkers, but is now coming back into favor with important world-class wines. There are many good wines here once you understand what is in the wines and the hierarchy of styles. Valpolicella can be complicated as there are five different levels of Valpolicella wine with Amarone della Valpolicella being at the top of the ladder. Starting at the bottom of the ladder is a nice weeknight drinking wine – Valpolicella Classico. Its DOC produces more wine than any others. This is a good pizza/pasta wine and won’t break the bank. Next up the ladder is – Valpolicella Superiore DOC. This one is more concentrated and darker in color and of course costs just a bit more. Save it for the weekend! And on the next step up – Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso DOC. It’s also called Ripasso della Valpolicella and has its very own DOC. And then there is the top of the ladder – Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG. These grapes have been dried for 4-5 months which ferments the sugars to dryness. There is a minimum of 2 years aging prior to release but lots of producers wait up to 5 years. You can keep it in your cellar for 10 – 20 years. It usually has 15-16% alcohol, and you know it when you drink it! Take your credit card when you buy it. And if you really really want to splurge, go for a single vineyard Amarone della Valpolicella. Take two credit cards for that one!
Rumor has it that Amarone was born in 1936 when a forgotten barrel of Recioto Amara was found in the Cantina Sociale Valpolicella. The head of the winery tasted it and said “This is not an Amaro, it is an Amarone!” We don’t know if that is a true story, but many winelovers are thankful for the discovery.
Some alternative winemaking methods in the region
Appassimento:
Want to make some Amarone? Consider the Appassimento method. The regular blend of grapes (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara and sometimes Negrara) designated for Amarone are left to hang on the vine until they are extra ripe. Then whole bunches are picked and spread out to dry on bamboo shelving or left hanging to air dry in cool drying lofts for three to four months. Once the grapes dry and shrivel up like raisins, they lose about one-third of their weight in water. When they are crushed and fermented, they make a 15-16% alcohol wine that is very rich and concentrated. Next is aging for two years or more – four years for a riserva – before they can be released. Some of the aging may take place in small oak barrels which gives it even more powerful flavors. It is easy to see why the Amarone winemaker must have great skill and is worthy of the extra price.
Recioto:
Red or white sweet wines are made by this method. Recioto comes from the word recie which is dialect for “ears” and refers to the lobes, or ears, of a bunch of grapes. The ears are the part of the bunch most exposed to sun and are therefore, the ripest grapes. To make a recioto wine, the ears or whatever else of the bunch is the ripest are dried until the sugar is very concentrated. A percentage of the natural residual grape sugar is left in the wine during fermentation making some very rich and elegant Soave and Valpolicella.
Ripasso:
The winemaker actually macerates Amarone skins and solids with fresh Valpolicella Classico for several weeks to make this one, which is of course fuller body and rich. Ripasso means “to pass over” or “do something again”. After this wine has spent time with those Amarone skins and solids, it comes out jammy almost like Zinfandel.
Secondo Marco
Secondo Marco is the vineyard brand created in 2008 by Marco Speri, son of Benedetto Speri, the patriarch of a legendary winemaking family in the Valpolicella Classico zone. Benedetto was an excellent role model. After all, he worked with the Bertani family to make some of the very first Amarones. After working for his father for 25 years, Marco decided to make wine according to his own vision. Secondo Marco wines are made to be elegant, food-friendly and focus on higher acidity, lower alcohol and less residual sugar. His 37 acres of vineyards in the town of Fumane are in the perfect spot to make that happen – between Verona and Lake Garda in the foothills of the Lessinia mountains where they get fresh air from the mountains and warm breezes from the lake, and the soil is rich in mineral salts. The Speris have done their research and decided that their traditional pergola vineyard training system could be improved if they modified it with a Y-shaped trellis. The results are more light, breeze and protective foliage allowing the grape bunches to grow and hang perfectly. They don’t require invasive maintenance and are easier to pick. Secondo Marco produces about 55,000 bottles total a year of Valpolicella Classico and Classico Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG and Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG.
Secondo Marco Ripasso della Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2013
The Ripasso is a medium-bodied red wine made by fermenting in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at low temperature to preserve freshness and fragrance. Then it’s aged in cement until March. Next step is refermentation on skins of dried grapes that were previously used to make Amarone. It was aged in Slavonian oak for 18 months and in the bottle for 6 more months. The resulting wine is rich and textural on the palate with plenty of ripe and dried, red fruit flavors, spice and floral notes. The grapes are a blend of 60% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella and 5% other local grapes. 15,000 bottles of it were produced. 14% alcohol.
Tenuta Valleselle
Tenuta Valleselle is a family estate surrounded by 12 hectares of vineyards on the hills of Lake Garda in Bardolino. The Tinazzi Family bought the estate in 1986 from the Camaldolese Friars. Corvina, Molinara, Rondinella, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are planted there along with over 1500 olive trees. It remains a family business began by Eugenio Tinazzi, followed by his son Gian Andrea, and now with the help of his sons Francesca and Giorgio. The company has expanded with properties in Valpolicella and Puglia, and they sell their wines in over 30 countries around the world. They are a family tied to wine even in the origin of their name. “Tinazzi”, in ancient Veronese tradition, were containers similar to barrels where the grapes were pressed to ferment.
Tenuta Valleselle “Aurum” Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2005 Tinazzi
The Aurum Amarone is made from this blend: Corvina 60%, Rondinella 20%, Corvinone 15% and Molinara 5%. Corvinone is a black grape native to the Veneto region of Italy except for 2.5 acres in Argentina. It is usually blended for Valpolicella and Amarone and has become more popular than Molinara due to its denser color and superior flavor. Corvinone plantings in Italy have now increased from 220 acres to 2300 acres and Molinara decreased from 3200 to 1500. The grape brings raspberry, cherry, plum and chocolate flavors to the wine. The resulting wine is a very bright ruby color with notes of ripe red fruit and a spicy sensation. It’s fresh on the palate with good tannins ending with elegant notes of coffee. It was aged 24 months in wood. Alcohol level is 15%.
Lugana – Verona Province…..and Lombardy
Now let’s head slightly to the south along the east bank of Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. Lake Garda forms over 30 miles of The Veneto’s western border. If you head down to the southern end of the lake, there is a much lesser known but you-should-know- about wine area, the Lugana DOC, a newcomer to the DOC scene established in 1967. The Lugana DOC actually straddles both The Veneto and Lombardia, but we’ll save Lombardia for another adventure. You may already remember that my beloved Franciacorta comes from Lombardia, so we can’t go wrong there either! Lugana was the first DOC designated in Lombardia. Mild breezes from the lake make for a fairly constant temperature with little difference between day and night. Lugana’s terroir is chalky limestone with clay soils rich in mineral salts that make some unique and great white wine from Trebbiano di Lugana, better known locally as the Turbiana grape. Turbiana is quite possibly related to the Marche grape Verdicchio. The basic Lugana wine makes up about 90% of production and there must be at least 90% Turbiana in the bottle; however there is also Lugana superior, Lugana Reserva which has been aged for at least 24 months, a late harvest and Spumante wine. Turbiana makes wines pale lemon in color, with soft acidity and floral and white peach aromas. They grow near fishing villages, so what do you think we should pair them with? If you said seafood, naturally you would be correct! I have also heard that it pairs really well with roasted vegetables, especially zucchini.
Zenato Winery
The Zenato Winery is located in San Benedetto di Lugana, 15 miles west of Verona on the shores of Lake Garda. Zenato, founded in 1960 by Sergio and Carla Zenato, has 75 hectares of vineyards in Lugana and Valpolicella. They make white and red wines with the goal being to showcase the land, the local grapes and the history of the area. They first made their good reputation with the local grape Trebbiano di Lugana; then in the 1990s bought land and started making wines in Valpolicella at the Costalunga estate in Sant’Ambrogio. They grow Corvina and Rondinella there, two of the famous grapes needed to make Amarone. Now the Zenato children Nadia and Alberto maintain and expand the Zenato vision while continuing the wines based in Valpolicella and Lugana with 175 acres under vine. Their current annual production is 2 million bottles. In Lugana, they make a still white Trebbiano wine from the Lugana San Benedetto DOC, a classic method Brut sparkling and a “Pas Dose” classic method sparkling from Lugana DOC. There are also Garda and Bardolino wines including Chiaretto, Italian rosé. In Valpolicella, they produce Valpolicellas, Amarones, Recioto and IGT wines.
Zenato Lugana Metodo Classico Brut 2013
The Zenato Brut is made from 100% Trebbiano di Lugana grapes. They were vinified with natural yeasts at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks, then blended and bottled for the second fermentation in the bottle which is the classic method for making sparkling wine. It was matured for 2 years in the bottle, then clarified and disgorged. The resulting wine should be straw yellow with golden highlights, an intense aroma of white flowers with hints of pear and apple and a bit of peach and citrus. It should be excellent as an aperitif or with meals. 12.5% alcohol.
Bardolino – Verona Province
Head up north along the eastern bank of Lake Garda and you will find the flat fertile plain of Bardolino which was given DOC status in 1968. What Lugana is to white wine, Bardolino is to red! It is often a blend of those same three native grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara – although you won’t find the Molinara much longer in this blend. The winemakers of Bardolino are phasing it out. You may already know that these are the same three grapes found in the Valpolicella wine region to the east. All three grapes have a purpose – Corvina gives the wine some sour cherries and structure while the Rondinella brings along some bright berries. Evidently the Molinara doesn’t have much purpose any more since they are phasing it out!
Bardolino is quite different from Valpolicella even though it is made from the same grapes. Named after the town of Bardolino on Lake Garda, this wine is light-bodied, more pink than red, has some faint cherry flavors and sometimes a little spice. It used to be slightly sweet and sold very inexpensively at Italian markets and to the summer tourists on Lake Garda. Now the serious winemakers are going for quality and making quite drinkable Bardolino wines. The reds generally have less Corvina and more Rondinella than Valpolicellas giving them a more uncomplicated fresh, fruit driven flavor profile with notes of sweet berries like ripe cherries with a slightly spicy finish. Go for the Classico for a step up wine experience. Bardolino is also turned into an inexpensive rosé wine called Chiaretto. Bardolino have often been compared to Beaujolais over the years especially when a Novella was introduced in 1987. There is a more robust Bardolino Superiore which was granted DOCG status in 2001. They also make Chiaretto Spumante, a sparkling rosé. A few producers you might try are La Fraghe, Recchio and Zenato.
Zenato Bardolino Chiaretto 2017
Zenato’s Bardolino Chiaretto is made from a blend of 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 10% Molinara that grows on the southeast shore of Lake Garda between Bardolino and Peschiera. The “rosé” color comes from fermentation with contact from the red wine grapes. The harvested grapes are destemmed and then left to macerate for some hours before a soft pressing. The resulting wine is an intense coral pink color with purplish highlights, a bouquet of white flowers and fresh red fruit with notes of raspberry and currants. It should be excellent with hors d’oeuvres, first courses, lake fish and white meat
Garda – Verona Province……and Lombardy
The Garda DOC was fairly recently awarded (2005) to qualify wines from single-vine varieties that were previously grown where varieties were all blended. Now there are single-varietal Garda DOC from white grapes Chardonnay, Cortese, Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon, Trebbiano, and Riesling Italico and red grapes Cabernet France, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Corvina, Marzemino, Merlot and Pinot Nero. This area overlooks Lake Garda where vineyards alternate with olive trees and produces about 520,000 cases a year. Part of this 2000 acre wine region is shared with Lombardia. The Classico subzone of Garda DOC became part of the Riviera del Garda Classico DOC in 2017.
Soave – Verona Province
Now let’s move southeast below Valpolicella region, but still in the western part of Veneto, and just east of Verona to where millions of bottles of white wine are made every year. Soave is one of those Italian wines most people probably recognize right up there along with Pinot Grigio and Chianti. And Soave was one of the first zones in Italy (1931) – along with Chianti – to be recognized officially as having potential to make fine wine. But does anyone really know what is Soave? Actually it’s a hilly area covering about 6000 hectares that is home to a fabulous white native grape called Garganega. When you have tasted good Garganega, you will really appreciate its notes of almonds and lemon peel with a lot of depth of acidity. The wine should be smooth or “soave” – suave in Italian – light and fresh with flavors of peach, honeydew, orange zest and some marjoram. Soave first gained DOC status in 1968 and Garganega joined the ranks of other popular grapes like Trebbiano di Toscana, Chardonnay, Trebbiano di Soave and Pinot Bianco which unfortunately led to mass production of low quality cheap, boring, bland jugwines. Big producers like Bolla were some of our only choices back in those days. Lucky for us that has now changed. Quality-conscious producers make classic while complex and satisfying white wines from Garganega now that Trebbiano Toscano and Pinot Bianco are not permitted in the official Soave blend. Garganega must make up at least 70% of Soave with a maximum of 30% Chardonnay and Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio). In addition to Soave DOC, we have Soave Classico DOC, Soave Colli Scaligeri DOC, Soave Superiore DOCG, Soave Classico Superiore DOCG and Soave Superiore Riserva DOCG all of which have at least 70% Garganega in the bottle and often up to 100% Garganega. “Superiore” indicates that the wines were aged for at least 8 months and it was made from higher quality grapes. As you can imagine, the price of this wine can vary widely – from less than $15 to over $50. A $30 bottle of Suavia Classico Monte Carbonare Garganega really got my attention, and I would happily search out another bottle or two! Some other quality producers of Soave you may want to try are Pieropan, Inama, Gini and Zenato and just about every producer from the volcanic hills around the village of Soave.
Pieropan
Pieropan is the oldest family-run estate in Soave and has been considered by many to be a top producer of Soave wines. It was founded in the village of Soave in 1880 by Gustavo Pieropan who was dedicated to his business until 1964. In the 1950s and 60s all production was done by hand. Leonildo Pieropan “invented” Recioto di Soave, which is a concentrated dessert wine. They were the first winery to market a single-vineyard Soave Classico with the release of Calvarino in 1971. This was considered to be the rebirth of quality winegrowing in Soave. Five generations later, Andrea and Dario Pieropan now manage the family business. Their wine cellars are a successful blend of tradition with modern technology. The Pieropans practice organic farming on their estate of 74 acres and carry out their work harmoniously with the landscape. They now oversee numerous acclaimed vineyards but La Rocca and Calvarino are the most praised. They yield small crops of highly concentrated Garganega and Trebbiano grapes on their three single vineyards.
Pieropan La Rocca Soave Classico, 2016
The La Rocca Vineyard is located on the Monte Rocchetta hill, just below the medieval castle built by the Scaligeri family in the town of Soave. The soil is chalky and clay; La Rocca sits 200-300 meters above sea level requiring several long narrow terraces facing southwest. The microclimate produces wine with a unique perfume and distinctive mineral taste. The Pieropans first produced wine here under this label in 1978. The 100% Garganega grapes are handpicked, destemmed and crushed, and then get a short maceration with skin contact in 2500 liter barrels. After fermentation, it is racked into barrels of between 2000 and 500 liters where they age on the lees for around a year, then held in bottle for some time before release. The resulting wine is brilliant and intense yellow in color with golden hints, notes of exotic fruit and nuts on the nose, soft on the palate with hints of spice, length and elegance. Alcohol content is 13%. It pairs well with complex dishes particularly porcini risottos, salmon, scallops and crab.
Bianco di Custoza – Verona Province
There are almost 3000 acres of Custoza DOC vineyards between the south shore of Lake Garda and Verona. Bianco di Custoza is a white DOC wine often labeled simply as Custoza. It could be seen as the white equal to the red Bardolino since the two DOCs overlap significantly. There are nine grapes allowed for use in this Bianco but most winemakers use just three: Trebbiano Toscano (20-45%), Garganega (20-40%) and Trebbianello (5-30%). The wine is straw yellow towards golden yellow, fruity and slightly aromatic fragrance and velvety flavor. There is also a Superiore which must be 11% alcohol which is 1.5% higher than the standard version. This is an unusual requirement as all other Superiore wines only need to be .5 – 1% higher.
Monti Lessini – Verona Province……and Vicenza
Monti Lessini was granted DOC status in 1987 and has just 99 acres. It’s a hilly area with volcanic soils that extends through both provinces. The interesting note here is the native white grape Durello which has a very high natural acidity coming from the plant, not the soil, and results in a unique flavor. It is also called “Juliet’s Wine” because Shakespeare mentioned it in “Romeo and Juliet”. About 54,000 cases of wine are produced here which also include Chardonnay, Garganega, and the other usual whites.
Arcole – Verona Province……..and Vicenza
There are about 300 acres in this newly created (2000) DOC that borders between the provinces of Verona and Vicenza. The white wines of the DOC Chardonnay, Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are said to be pale yellow straw colored with floral notes and great complexity. The reds, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Merlot are supposed to make “wines of great character”. So far, they are producing about 32,000 cases a year.
Merlara – Verona Province ……and Padova
The Merlara DOC was created in 2000 to represent 67 acres of vineyards shared between the Verona and Padova Provinces. It is centered around the town of Merlara, 30 miles southeast of Verona and on the northern side of the Adige River. Winemakers produce white (Bianco) blends from Tai (Friulano), Chardonnay, Malvasia, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Riesling plus rosso blends from Cabernets, Merlot, Carmenere, Marzemino, Raboso and Refosco. They also make varietal wines.
Valdadige Terradeiforti – Verona Province………and Trentino
Yes, this is another of those “shared” wine regions. It’s a DOC of Trentino Province with just 52 acres of vineyards, 20 wineries and 1,000 winegrowers – a number of which are actually in the Verona Province. Grapevines know no boundaries! Once a subzone of Valdadige DOC, It was established as a separate DOC in 2006. They grow white DOC Terradeiforti Valdadige Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay passito. Then there is red DOC Terradeiforti Valdadige Casetta and Enantio. The Casetta grape is an obscure red from Trentino-Alto Adige locally known as Foja Tonda. It has been in the Adige Valley for centuries and is used mainly to make IGT wines. It is supposed to taste somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah with black cherries, tobacco and sweet spices. The Enantio is a red grape previously known as Lambrusco a Folglia Frastagliata which is totally unrelated to the Lambrusco grapes in Emilia-Romagna. It is however related to Lagrein and Teroldego, other grapes of this region. It is supposed to be highly acidic with deep color, and can be aged in oak.
Central Veneto
Colli Berici – Vicenza Province
The Berici Hills were formed a millennium ago from an ancient seabed and have a terroir very different from the other alpine areas. Winegrowing dates back to the earliest settlement in this rural area of limestone hills and extraordinary beauty in the heart of the Veneto plain, just south of Vicenza. Tocai Rosso is the typical grapevine of the area producing ruby red wine with vibrant fragrance and fruity dry floral flavor. There are numerous DOC grapes in the Berici Hills: Chardonnay, Garganego, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon, Spumante and Tocai Italico for whites and Cabernet, Merlot and Barbarano for reds. The Barbarano (Tai Rosso) is closely related to Sardinian Cannonau and French Grenache. Colli Berici became a DOC in 1973.
Breganze – Vicenza Province
Evidence shows that grapevines were growing in Breganze as long ago as 1300 to 1600, that it has been making quality wines since the 18th century, and became a DOC in 1969. Winegrowers here typically focus on native grapes, especially Vespaiolo. There are a number of Breganze DOC designations: Bianco, Bianco Superiore, Rosso and Rosso Superiore plus numerous other designations like Breganze Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Cabernet, Pinot Nero and Marzemino all made DOC and Superiore DOC. Then there are the “Riserva”s for a number of wines put on the market after an ageing period of at least two years.
Maculan
Founded in 1947 by Giovanni Maculan, the Maculan family has been making wine for three generations in Breganze, a small town in the Province of Vicenza in the north center of Veneto and close to Asiago. The estate has 40 hectares of vines and olive trees, and currently manages the cultivation of 30 select growers. Fausto Maculan, who took over in the 1970s and made the business a benchmark producer in Italy, has passed on the baton to his daughters Angela and Maria Vittoria. Fausto is considered to be a pioneer of quality Italian winemaking. His motto is: “A small winery making great products”. He was among the first to put the varietal name and his name on the front wine labels and to invest in labor intensive vineyard management and modern day quality winemaking techniques. Maculan uses both local and international grapes; the soils are mainly volcanic. Some of the much lesser known wines made here are almost cult-like by winelovers in the know. Maculan’s most renowned wine is Torcolato, which is one of the most famous dessert wines of Veneto, and made from the Vespaiolo grape.
Maculan Torcolato 2012 Breganze DOC, Vicenza
Torcolato is made primarily from 100% Vespaiolo grapes after they suffer a slight case of botrytis, then picked and stored in special drying lofts for four months to concentrate the flavors and sugar as in the Appassimento method. It was later aged for one year in French oak barriques. The name “Torcolato” means “twisted” in Italian and refers to the way the winery workers tie up the bunches of grapes with twine and then twist them so that the air circulates around them to promise perfect drying. According to Maculan the resulting wine is brilliant gold in color, has intense aromas of honey, flowers, vanilla and a bit of wood spices, is sweet and full-bodied on the palate with a clear lively finish. It should pair perfectly with pastries, almond cakes, aged cheese like Asiago and very strong cheese like blue. Only 1500 cases of the 2012 were made; its 14% alcohol and Wine Spectator rated it 92 points commenting that it had accents of glazed apricots and salted caramels.
Asiago DOPWe can’t talk about the Breganze wine route without giving particular mention to Asiago, not only a town in the area but home to one of my favorite Italian cheeses, Asiago DOP. Asiago is a cow’s milk cheese (vaccino) that can be either bold flavored Asiago d’Allevo DOP – made from raw milk and aged for 3 months (mezzano), 9 plus months (vecchio) or aged up to two years (stravecchio) – or it can be fresh Asiago Pressato DOP made from pasteurized milk which has a smooth sweet taste. DOP stands for Denominazione d’Origine Protetta or Protected Designation of Origin.
Gambellara – Vicenza Province
The Gambellara DOC (1970) creates the border between Vicenza and Verona Provinces. Its volcanic origin makes it quite favorable for vine growing, and the principal white grape is Garganega. There are about 279,000 cases of wine made here by 20 wineries on 546 acres who produce three types of DOC wines: Gambellara DOC, Gambellara Vin Santo and Gambellara Recioto DOCG. Recioto is the flagship of the DOCs since the process is rather unique. The Vin Santo is only made in the best vintages and can be kept in the winery for 50 years without deterioration.
Bagnoli di Sopra – Padova Province
The Bagnoli DOC (just 47 acres) was established in 1995, and a separate Bagnoli Friularo DOCG in 2011; however, the region has been associated with growing grapes and making wine for 1000 years. The Benedictine monks, who defined the importance of winemaking here, had their seat in Bagnoli di Sopra from 964. The principal white grapes are Chardonnay, Friulano, Marzemina Bianca and Sauvignon Blanc. Red grapes are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cavrara, Corbina, Merlot, Raboso, Refosco and Turchetta. Friulara is the local name for Raboso; therefore Friularo di Bagnoli is literally “Raboso from Bagnoli”. Bagnoli is a village just south of the Colli Euganei hills. In addition to dry wines, they also make sweet passito and vendemmia tardiva (late-harvest) styles.
Colli Euganei – Padova Province
The hills of Euganei are volcanic in origin and a number of DOC wines are produced here in the Po Valley of the Padova Province, but specialties of this area given DOC status in 1969 include Colli Euganei Pinello, a straw yellow wine with hints of green, fresh and delicate plus a Colli Euganei Serprino, a sparkling pale yellow bright wine and Colli Euganei Fior d’Arancio which has lingering intense fragrance typical of its grape, Moscato Giallo. The ancient Pinella grape is indigenous to this area and just 25 acres of it exist. The Serprino grape is said to be the same as Glera. The Fior d’Arancio, whose name means “orange blossom” is a sweet passito wine made from Moscato Gialla grapes, and biscotti is a highly recommended pairing.
Eastern and Northeastern Veneto
Prosecco – Belluno, Padova, Treviso, Venezia and Vicenza Provinces
Like Champagne is to France, Prosecco is to Italy. Prosecco, the sparkling wine made from the Glera grape, reigns supreme in 5 provinces of Veneto and 4 provinces of the Friuli-Venezia Giula regions of Italy. There are 57,000 plus acres in vineyards as of 2017 producing almost 37 million cases of the fizzy stuff in 2017. It’s been one of the Italians favorite aperitivos and the most sold sparkling wine in the US because it is refreshing, light, often dry (but you can get it sweet, too) and comes at a good price-point. The Prosecco producing area was established as a DOC in 2009 but the name came from the little village of Prosecco near Trieste, where the grape and wine was thought to come from. The Glera grape must make up a minimum of 85% of all grapes used to make Prosecco. The other 15% may include local grapes Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera and Glera Lunga and international grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero. It must all be white wine – there is no such thing as Prosecco Rosato! Some producers use a blend including a red-skinned grape and label the wine Rosa Spumante. White sparklers not meeting guidelines for Prosecco are also called Spumante.
The Glera is a white grape variety that has nut-brown vines growing golden yellow grapes. The vines are vertically training, thinned, pinched and tied to encourage the aromatic substances to settle on the grapes. The first half of September is when the grape characteristics are the best for winemaking and perfect for producing quality Prosecco. DOC Prosecco is produced in nine provinces of Veneto and Friuli- Venezia Giulia, Prosecco Superiore DOCG comes in two forms: Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene (val-dob-YAH-dinnay) Superiore DOCG which can only be made between those two towns in Treviso, and the smaller Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG made near the town of Asolo.
The Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG sparkling is made on the hillsides in far smaller quantity – about 6900 hectares in Conegliano/ Valdobbiadene and about 1800 hectares for Asolo. The hills are steep enough to require all the work be done by hand, which increases the quality as well as the price! Interestingly enough, Stefano Ferrante, head winemaker at Zonin, supposedly said while presenting a masterclass that Prosecco drinkers – outside of Italy – don’t care if it is DOC or DOCG. That may be the case for the occasional wine consumer, but I must say that I will certainly be on the alert to judge for myself.
The Rives and Cartizze
Since 2009 the Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene producers have had the option of using the name of the village of their wine’s origin to the label. “Rive di………..” on the label means that they are one of the 15 communes of 43 villages from the hills conforming to the wine-growing standards of that special DOCG zone. Producers tend to reserve this designation for their top wines; therefore you should expect that this bottle of Prosecco was made with extra special care from the highest quality grapes. Each “Rive” should express the particular terroir of the hillside – the soil, exposure and microclimate. Yields in the Rives are reduced to 13 tons of grapes per hectare and they are always picked by hand. If you are still looking for THE special sparkler, there is single-vineyard Superiore di Cartizze DOCG, made from 260 acres of vines on the 1001 foot high vineyard on the hill of Cartizze. This one is the Grand Cru of Proseccos! The producers don’t even to bother mentioning “Prosecco” on the front label, just the Superiore di Cartizze.
How they make it…or more confusion with Prosecco vs Spumante
Prosecco is usually produced using the Charmat method: secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks rather than in the bottle like méthode Champenoise. Prosecco DOC wine can be “Spumante” sparkling, “Frizzante” semi-sparkling or “Tranquillo” still wine, but Spumante is the most famous and popular and has longer lasting bubbles. The level of sweetness is based on EU Regulations. “Brut” can contain up to 12 grams/liter of residual sugar, “Extra Dry” has 12-17 g/l and “Dry” has 17-32 g/l. Very little still wine is produced and even less is exported. Glera grapes made in Prosecco style outside of the DOC/DOCGs would be non-protected such as “IGT-Veneto, less expensive and possibly of dubious quality.
It is important to mention that the term “Spumante” is a wide class that covers all sparkling wines made in that particular vinification method. There is a Prosecco Spumante, but Spumantes in general may include grapes other than Glera. Spumantes are made in the Metodo Classico (champenoise method) with refermentation in the bottle or by the Charmat method (second fermentation in the tank).
Col Fondo
The Charmat method for making sparkling wine was invented in 1895 by Professor Federico Martinotti and the pressurized tanks were designed, built and patented in 1910 by Eugene Charmat. So how did they make it before then? There is a small number of producers going back to the traditional old method used before the 9th Century of refermenting or finishing the first alcoholic fermentation in the bottle. This process is called col fondo. They leave the yeasts in the bottle instead of disgorging which causes sediment to accumulate on the bottom (il fondo) ending up with cloudy funky sour tasting and smelling wines. The official term for this style is “Rifermentato in Bottiglia”; the wines are not even always labeled Col Fondo.
The Prosecco Wine Route
The Strada del Vino Prosecco winds through the hills and vineyards between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. There are about 25 miles of twists and turns on this route through hills, tiny villages and along mountain tops in the northeastern corner of the region. There are some 175 wineries here with vineyards everywhere, which travel writer Mark Ellwood said in Conde Nast Traveler a few years back it is “akin to Sonoma twenty years ago”. You can even follow the arrows that lead you up a path to a Prosecco vending machine on top of a high hill. You can buy a bottle of Prosecco and some snacks to enjoy at a table among the vines if you haven’t tasted enough yet – or you just want to take time to enjoy the view! But please drive slowly and carefully as the road is narrow and hugs the edge of some steep cliffs.
Zardetto
The Zardetto family goes back over a hundred years ago when Bepi Zardetto lost his horse and cart loaded with wine barrels during the retreat from Caporetto on the Italian front of WWI. Since that time Ernesto Zardetto has won silver medals for his “sweet wine” and Zardetto Prosecco has had great success on the international market. Fabio Zardetto, the sole owner since 1998, has brought new energy to the company. In 2002 he began building a new and modern winery to specialize in sparkling Prosecco. They are located in the heart of Prosecco country between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Fabio oversees the entire process from the vine to the customer, utilizing his knowledge of every hill and terroir in the Prosecco DOC to source only the very best grapes. Those include Zardetto-owned vineyards in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, Prosecco DOC designated for cru wines, high quality co-op wineries in Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG hills and the Prosecco DOC. Their winemaking philosophy is to collect and separate grapes from each vineyard allowing them to express their specific features, then chilling and pressing them gently. After the initial fermentation with yeast, the second fermentation occurs in large pressured tank called “autoclave” (called the Italian method) over a period of nearly 40 days. This gives the Prosecco its flowery, fruity taste that we love! It is finally filtered and bottled. Zardetto has 88 acres of their own under vine and total production is 1.9 million bottles a year.
Zardetto Prosecco Dry Z Brut Organic Prosecco DOC
Z Prosecco is Fabio Zardetto’s very first organic Prosecco. He used carefully selected and certified organically grown Glera grapes from various vineyards northeast of Conegliano. The tasting notes tell us to expect a lemon-yellow color with elegant bubbles forming hearty white froth. There should be aromas of white flowers, apricot and herbs; citrus, orange blossoms and stone fruits on the palate and lingering fresh citrus and floral notes on the finish. It should be perfect as an aperitif. Alcohol level is 11%.
Colli di Conegliano – Treviso Province
This area covers 59 acres of vineyards in the hills around the town of Conegliano. It was established as a DOC in 1993 and elevated to DOCG status in 2011 to include the red and white still wines produced in this area which is usually associated with the production of Prosecco. The base wine of this subzone is a dry white made from Manzoni Bianco, Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay and sometimes a tiny bit of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. The few red wines made are from Cabernet and Merlot grapes. What this area is noted for is sweet passito wines: a sweet red Colli di Conegliano Refrontolo Passito, which is dried-grape wine made from Marzemino, and a sweet white Torchiato di Fregona, made from air-dried Glera, Berdiso and Boschera grapes. Just under 15,000 cases are produced here.
Corti Benedettine – Padova Province
This little known outside-of-Veneto region was just granted DOC status in 2004 and extends to the southeast of Padova Province and south of Venice Province. The designation was more intended to mark an important historical period in the social and economic development of the area. Winegrowing here dates back to Roman times during the second Republic, but it was the Benedictine Monks religious group that owned large areas of land here for almost 1000 years. They had to reclaim the wetlands to cultivate it which took a great amount of expertise. They built canals and drainage systems to create Corti which held living quarters for the friars and houses for the farmers. They historically produced quality wine from native grapes Raboso, Refosco, Tocai and Moscato Giallo, and today local winegrowers produce a number of international varieties as well as the natives. There are just 326 acres of vineyard area producing a little over 17,000 cases per year in white, Rosato, red, sparkling and passito wines.
Lison-Pramaggiore – Treviso and Venezia Provinces……..and Friuli-Venezia Giula
The Lison wine area is located partially in the Treviso and eastern edge of Venezia Provinces and partially in western Friuli-Venezia Giula. It’s on flat lands made fertile by many years of humus carried during the flooding of streams coming from the Alps. There are over 800 acres in the entire area. The Lison-Pramaggiore DOC was established in 1985 incorporating the Tocai di Lison DOC from 1971. Lison wines are made from Tocai, a signature white grape in this area, and now known as Tai to avoid confusion with the Tocai wines of Hungary. Lison wines were sold under the Lison-Pramaggiore DOC for 25 years along with the red blends sold as Cabernet di Pramaggiore, but in 2010 Veneto wine regulators separated them and even elevated Lison to DOCG status. While most of Lison’s vineyards are in Venezia Province of Veneto, some of them are in Friuli making Lison the only DOCG in Italy that crosses over two wine regions.
Montello-Colli Asolani – Treviso Province
This area travels up from the foothills on the right bank of the Piave River from Montello to the slopes of the Grappa peaks. These 150 or so acres were established as a DOC in 1977. In 2009 Asolo Prosecco DOCG was granted (named for the town of Asolo), and then along came Montello Rosso established as a separate DOCG in 2011. Winemakers here produce DOC whites such as Montello e Colli Asolani Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Manzoni Bianco and Prosecco. Reds are Montello e Colli Asolani Rosso, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere and Merlot.
Piave River – Treviso and Venezia Provinces
The Piave DOC was established in 1971 in the northeastern Veneto and is named after the Piave River that flows through it. This grape growing zone is the largest in Veneto covering over 1100 acres. To the south is the Venetian Lagoon and the northern Adriatic Sea and to the west are the plains. Piave can make both blends and varietal wines. Most are dry, but dried-grape passitos are made with Verduzzo and Raboso grapes. Whites are Verduzzo, Tai, Chardonnay and Manzoni Bianco. Cabernet is the leading red varietal and is a blend of Cabernets and Carmenere plus Merlot and Raboso. Raboso used to be the dominant wine in this region until international grape varietals gained in production. Since the 1990s Raboso has become much more popular and successful, and in 2010 the Piave Melanotte DOCG was created to single out fine Raboso wines from Piave. These must be 95% Raboso, between 15 – 30% of grapes dried before pressing and then aged for 3 years before release. The Piave DOC fills in all of the gaps along the Adriatic coastline right across Friuli-Venezia Giulia to Slovenia and up into the Alpine foothills.
Vicenza – Vicenza Province
The Vicenza wine region was granted DOC status in 2000. Geographically Vicenza is the center “V” of the “three Vs” wine producers in the Veneto: Verona, Vicenza and Venezia. Its 274 acres of vineyards cover the entire province of Vicenza including vineyards already covered by Gambellara, Monti Lessini, Colli Berici and Breganze. Vicenza produces the same wines as other nearby regions: Bianco blends of Garganega plus Chardonnay, Manzoni Bianco, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Sauvignon plus reds of Merlot, Cabernets, Carmenere, Merlot, Pinot Nero and Raboso.
What’s ahead for the wines of Veneto?
The trend for a number of years was for Italian wine zones to go smaller and have more named and clearly defined subzones; i.e. more DOCs and DOCGs. There were a number of mini DOCs or DOCGs created like Arcole and Merlara in Verona and Vicenza DOC in 2000 primarily to upgrade a style of wine or a particular grape. DOCs first came into existence in the 1960s in an attempt to raise the profile of Italian wines. Then along came the first Italian DOCG wines in 1980 for Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. These were all great choices for that status but now there are 74 wines with DOCG status, some covering just one wine and with hardly any available. Today there is much discussion over the so called “DOCG Dilemma”. One winemaker was quoted as saying “The DOC or DOCG regulation is a way to have legislation; it is a way to control much more the quantity and not the quality”. The designation DOCG does not necessarily ensure that the wine is better.
Now since 2016, there seems to be a reversal by making larger denominations out of smaller areas and adding new styles. The Friuli DOC was created in 2016 which includes all of the Friuli DOCs and DOCGs. We will explore them next in our Friuli-Venezia Giulia article.
And then there is the 2017 formation of the Delle Venezie DOC, Italy’s 335th DOC! The announcement was made on center stage at Vinitaly in April, 2017. The entire DOC is only for Pinot Grigio and a white blend (Bianco), includes 62,000 acres of vineyards and can produce 20 million cases or more. This DOC wine can be produced anywhere in the regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giula or in the Trentino Province. The Pinot Grigio must be 85% Pinot Grigio grapes and the rest can be any white grape allowed to be grown in the region. Creation of this DOC is seen as an attempt to raise the profile of Pinot Grigio by guaranteeing a higher quality wine since a large amount of Pinot Grigio comes from this area which now qualifies for DOC status.
So what is my takeaway from all of this discussion? It has been most confusing for me to learn about the wines of Veneto. Yes, other wine regions of Italy are also complicated but the many different DOCs/DOCGs, styles of wine and methods for producing them require a lot of research and study in order to get a basic understanding of the region. And then there is the question of whether the extra expense of DOCG, Superiore, and every other special information about the wine really mean anything and are they worth it? So here are my words of wisdom. I do know that I really enjoy drinking Italian wines and would happily try all 850 of those grapes! I am up for the challenge of learning about them. Part of the enjoyment of drinking that special bottle of wine is learning its story. I’m a firm believer that every wine has one. Check out where the wine comes from, the producers and how they make the wine, and last but not least – taste a lot of wine then make your own decision. Drink what you like. And if the wine happens to be a DOC and not DOCG, so be it! Enjoy.
So what’s next? We are turning this into a forkandcorkdivine graduate study “armchair” adventure. Stay tuned for information about Friuli-Venezia Giula and Trentino-Alto Adige. On to Tre Venezie! Next stop? Friuli Venezia Giulia! Ciao.
All of the information that I used to prepare this article is available on the internet and the following books: “The Wine Bible” by Karen MacNeil; “Vino Italian: The Regional Wines of Italy” by Joe Bastianich and David Lynch; “Wine Folly: The Master Guide” Magnum Edition by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack and “The World Atlas of Wine” by Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson. Please accept my apologies if there is any incorrect data or information; I try to verify from several sources.
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