Venetian wine is produced inVeneto, a highly productivewine region in northeasternItaly.
The broader area comprising Veneto,Friuli-Venezia Giulia andTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is known collectively as theTre Venezie, after theRepublic of Venice. Veneto is the most populous and biggestdenominazione di origine controllata (DOC) producer of the three regions. Although the Tre Venezie collectively produces more red wine than white, the Veneto region produces more whites under DOC and is notably home to theProsecco andSoave wines.
The region is protected from the harsh northern European climate by theAlps, the foothills of which form Veneto's northern extremes. These cooler climes are well-suited to white varieties likeGarganega (the main grape for Soave wines),[1] while the warmerAdriatic coastal plains, river valleys, andLake Garda zone are the places where the renownedValpolicella,Amarone andBardolino DOC reds are produced.
The indigenous red grape varietiesCorvina andRondinella have a long tradition of cultivation and they are the used in the production of famous Amarone, Valpolicella and Bardolino wines. A good Valpolicella is a ruby red in youth, then garnet red. It has a powerful body and is often described as velvety-harmonious.[2]
The famous red wine fromVeneto isAmarone. The dense, rich, and often expensive wine is made from air-dried, resinated grapes. The Amarone also has a sweeter version that's called Recioto.
On the right bank of Lake Garda the vine thrives on moraine hills with gravel and sand, where they produce Bardolino wines.
The most popular grape variety in the Veneto wine region is white Garganega, which is the predominant grape for Soave and Gambellara wines. This wine is one of the most popular white wines fromVeneto region. It produces fragrant white wines with a fine lemon and almond flavour making it one of the most renowned Italian whites.
The Soave must be at least 70% from the Garganega grape pressed and stored for at least eight months if he wants to get the coveted designationClassico.
In Veneto, two different wine areas are clearly distinguishable: an eastern part, close to theVenetian Lagoon between the hills ofTreviso, the plain ofPiave river and Adriatic coast, where it is typical to produce the famousProsecco (Glera), and other varieties are grown likeMerlot,Carménère,Verduzzo,Raboso Piave,Refosco,Tocai,Verdiso,Marzemino; and the western part, close toLake Garda and the city ofVerona, famous for the wines based on the varietiesCorvina,Rondinella,Garganega,Trebbiano of Soave, andOseleta.
In the central part of Veneto the winemaking transitions between the varieties and styles of the Eastern and Western parts. In that area you can find the Colli Euganei, the hills close toPadua, that is a special Mediterranean microclimatic zone; it is even famous for theMoscato fior d'arancio production, a sparkling dessert wine.
Another area in the northcenter of Veneto, close toAsiago, is Breganze, where the dessert wineTorcolato is produced with theVespaiola grape.
The traditional vine training system of the eastern part is the Sylvoz system, today replaced by theGuyot system, while in the western part there is more traditionally the Pergola system.Veneto's growers use modern growing methods and systems in the vineyard and for wine making. While most of the 'classic' wines from this area are based on native grape varieties, likeGlera (formerly known as Prosecco) andVerduzzo, high demand for Veneto wines in the European and US markets has galvanized the region's producers into experimentation withCabernets,Chardonnay andPinot varieties, among others.
One of Italy's leading wine schools,Conegliano, is based here and the nation's most important wine fair,Vinitaly, takes place each spring in Verona.[3]
Veneto is the 8th largest region of Italy in land mass, and a population of 4,371,000 ranks it 6th in that regard. It has over 90,000 hectares (220,000 acres) of vineyards, of which 35,400 are acclaimed DOC. Annual production totals 8,500,000 hectolitres, 1,700,000 or 21% of which is DOC, making it the biggest DOC producer in Italy. White wine accounts for 55% of the DOC production in Veneto.[4]
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