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Lago di Fimon (VI) vineyards - Photo © Clod79
Veneto Wine:
Venice's region has emerged in recent times as Italy's largest producer of wine with a major share classified as DOC or DOCG (more than 300 million bottles a year). Leading the flow is Verona's trio of Soave, Valpolicella and Bardolino. But since DOC represents less than a third of the region's total, the Veneto also figures as a major producer and exporter of IGT wines, often of moderate price.
The Veneto has three general areas of premium wine production: the western province of Verona in the hills between Lake Garda and the town of Soave; the central hills in the provinces of Vicenza, Padova and Treviso; the eastern plains of the Piave and Tagliamento river basins along the Adriatic coast northeast of Venice.
In the region of Veneto, Verona’s classic wines are bona fide natives. Soave, from Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave, is usually dry and still, though sparkling and sweet Recioto versions are also produced. Soave Superiore and Recioto di Soave have been promoted to DOCG, while regular Soave remains DOC. The most popular of Italian dry whites ranks third after Chianti and Asti in volume among classified wines.
Valpolicella, made from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes, has been fourth in volume among DOCs. Valpolicella is noted as a hearty red to drink relatively young, though grapes from its vineyards in the hills north of Verona can also be partly dried and made into the richly dry Amarone della Valpolicella or the opulently sweet Recioto della Valpolicella.
Amarone, amply structured and long on the palate, ranks among Italy’s most authoritative red wines with a list of admirers growing around the world. It is unquestionably one of the great red wines for aging.
Bardolino, from the same basic grapes as Valpolicella, is enviably easy to drink, whether in the red Superiore, which has become DOCG, or the dark pink Chiaretto version. Bardolino has also gained in popularity as a Vino Novello, another category in which Veneto leads production in Italy. Bardolino, from the shores of Lake Garda, also ranks high in terms of volume among classified wines.
Another Veronese DOC wine of note is Bianco di Custoza, a crisp white much appreciated in northern Italy. A distinctive DOC produced between Verona and Vicenza is Lessini Durello, a steely dry white, usually sparkling, that seems destined for wider recognition. The Veronese also make alternative wines of distinction, especially the reds produced by the so-called ripasso method in which the basic Valpolicella is refermented with the pomace of Amarone to gain body and structure.
The Veneto’s central hills take in several DOC zones. Near Vicenza are Gambellara, with whites similar to those of neighboring Soave, and Colli Berici, where varietal wines from Tocai, the Pinots, Merlot and Cabernet prevail. Also in the province is Breganze, where Cabernet, Merlot and whites from the Pinots and Chardonnay have earned a reputation, though the most admired wine is often the sweet Torcolato. Near Padova are the Colli Euganei range of hills, whose sheer slopes render a range of red and white varietals.
Treviso’s province takes in the hills north of Venice between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, noted for the popular Prosecco, a dry to softly sweet white, almost always bubbly. A refined version is known as Superiore di Cartizze. The adjacent Montello e Colli Asolani zone is noted for Prosecco, Cabernet and Merlot. Producers of Prosecco have used their experience with sparkling wine to build markets with Pinot and Chardonnay, made either by the tank fermentation or the classical bottle fermentation methods.
The plains northeast of Venice take in the Piave DOC zone, where Merlot and Cabernet dominate a large range of trendy varietals, though the local red Raboso and white Verduzzo still attract admirers. Lison-Pramaggiore (previously noted for white Tocai, Cabernet and Merlot) has a full list of popular varietals.
Merlot and Cabernet Franc have been the workhorse varieties of the central and eastern Veneto for decades, often in light and easy wines to drink young. But some producers blend the two, increasingly with Cabernet Sauvignon, and age the wines in small oak barrels to develop greater style and complexity.
Among white varieties, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Chardonnay continue to gain ground, often in youthfully fruity versions but also as oak-aged wines of depth and style. Veneto shares five DOC zones with other regions: Garda, Lugana and San Martino della Battaglia with Lombardy, Lison-Pramaggiore with Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Valdadige with Trentino-Alto Adige.
I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Veneto Region
An article by: Levi Reiss
...Veneto devotes almost 250 thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 3rd
among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about
180 million gallons, also giving it a 3rd place. About 45% of the wine
production is red or rosé, leaving 55% for white. The region produces 24
DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, and
Bardolino Superiore. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine
Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled
Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for
Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly
superior. Almost 30% of Venetian wine carries the DOC or DOCG
designation. Veneto is home to about four dozen major and secondary
grape varieties, approximately half white and half red...
...And now with the evaluation of the wine... I’ll start with the marketing materials. “Floral notes mixed with
sweet red Delicious apple and Bosc pear aromatics form the inviting and
lifted nose. The flavors are quite different with citrus and green
apples coming to the fore. It is light to medium-bodied, providing a
tangy finish that would pair well with grilled, firm (tuna or sword)
fish.” And now for my thoughts.
This wine was first paired to a commercial chicken pot pie with a bit
of chili-lime hot sauce. I tasted some apple. It was quite weak at
first, but did pick up some strength... read the entire
article...
Wineries in Veneto
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