Discover The Wine Region and Wines of Veneto

Last Updated on January 13, 2024.

The Veneto region, located in the northeastern corner of Italy, has thousands of picturesque vistas: sea, lakes, natural parks, hills, forests, and lovely antique villages.

But the beauty of this area has always been enhanced by the inhabitants through its culture of arts and their proactive attitude. They made Veneto a rich and prosperous region.

Veneto is slightly smaller than Italy’s other main wine-producing regions, (Puglia, Tuscany, Piedmont and Lombardy), but the region generates more wine than any of them, with vineyard plantings covering ​​over 190,000,000 acres.

The vine has been present in this territory centuries before Christ, but it was during the Middle Ages that the commercial power of Venice introduced Veneto wines to other countries. This in conjunction with new cuttings from Greece helped local winemaking flourish.

In the mid-16th century, the importation of Greek wines drastically decreased, offering the possibility of development of the Veneto’s indigenous wines. It was during this period that the wines of Treviso, Vicenza and, of course, those of the Valpolicella, came into their own.

Moving from west to east along the shores of the Garda Lake and Valpolicella, we can find the cultivation of black grapes such as Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, which give rise to Bardolino and to the great red wines of Valpolicella including Amarone.

Rolling to the inlands, between the provinces of Verona and Mantova, we find Lugana, a white wine made with Trebbiano di Soave, also called Trebbiano di Lugana.

This area is home to one of the most beloved white wines in the region — Soave. These wines are made with the Garganega Grape, which is as rich as Chardonnay, but expresses the unique terroir of the charming Middle Age village.

Continuing towards Vicenza — where the famous Palladian villas can be admired — we can enjoy Cabernet, Merlot, Gambellara, and Durello. These wines express the volcanic territory in which they are produced. This area is also known for the native vine Vespaiola, which produces the Torcolato di Breganze sweet wine.

Proceeding further, we arrive in Padova on the Euganean hills. Here we find the international red vines including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Moscato and Moscato Fior D’Arancio are also grown here in large quantities. Continuing our tour among the Treviso hills, between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, we can taste Prosecco (made with the Glera grape), which has seen great success all over the world. Bellini anyone?

One of the reasons Veneto has been so successful is due to the region’s native vines, such as Garganega, Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. The territory and climatic diversity, with areas mostly characterized by alluvial and volcanic soils, and hilly or flat areas, which allow for the production of many different wine styles, are also significant contributors to the region’s renown. Wines can range from light and drinkable to full-bodied and intense.

Veneto DOCG Wine Appellations

Amarone della Valpolicella, Bardolino Superiore, Recioto della Valpolicella, Recioto di Gambellara, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, Colli Euganei Fior D’Arancio, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco, Asolo Prosecco, Colli di Conegliano, Lison, Bagnoli Friularo, Malanotte del Piave,  Rosso del Montello.

Veneto DOC Wine Appellations

Bardolino, Bianco di Custoza, Breganze, Colli Berici, Colli Euganei , Gambellara DOC,Garda, Lessini Durello, Monti lessini, Piave, Prosecco DOC, Soave, Valdadige, Valpolicella, Venezi.

Veneto IGT, Typical Geographic Indication

Alto Livenza, Colli Trevigiani, Conselvano, delle Venezie, Marca Trevigiana, Vallagarinam Veneto, Veneto orientale, Verona.

A Study on Prosecco

Where is Prosecco Made in Italy?

“Prosech” or “Prosecum,” or as we know it today, “Prosecco,” is a small town in the north of Italy in the Province of Trieste. Wine production began here in the 13th century.

Prosecco cannot be made everywhere. To call a wine Prosecco it must originate from one of the Prosecco DOC production areas in the province of Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste or Udine, or within the five provinces of Veneto: Belluno, Padova, Treviso, Venezia or Vicenza.

What’s interesting about it?

  • Prosecco became extremely popular in the 90’s as an IGT wine, but only became a DOC wine in 2009. Today, we also have the DOCG Prosecco which is made only in very small regions like Valdobbiadene, Rive, Cartizze or Asolo.
  • Prosecco is not a grape. Prosecco is the name given to the wine because of its origin. The grape used to make Prosecco is called Glera.
Glera Grape Variety and Prosecco Production | Winetraveler.com
Prosecco can only be made from the Glera grape variety.

What’s the difference between Prosecco and Champagne?

  • The grapes and the area of production as well as the way in which the wine is produced differentiate Prosecco and Champagne.
  • Proseco is made following the Charmat Method while Champagne is made following the Champenoise (or classic) method.

What are the main styles of Prosecco?

  • Dry: up to 1 gram of sugar per glass; sweetest of the styles, but still dry
  • Extra dry: ½ gram of sugar per glass; sweet on the palate, often used for cocktails and happy hour
  • Brut: only up to ½ gram of sugar per glass; the driest style, also the most modern version
Aperol Spritz Cocktail made with Prosecco | Winetraveler.com
The Aperol Spritz is one of the most popular cocktails made with Prosecco.

Prosecco is not only the king of happy hour and cocktails (think Bellini, Mimosas, Hugo and Spritz), it is also a versatile wine. Prosecco pairs well with everything from Italian dishes to Asian cuisine.


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