Wines of the Veneto

Did you know Italy exports the most wine of any country? This means that almost wherever you go, you’ll be find lush vineyards blanketing the countryside outside cities and towns. Veneto is the number one region in terms of production and there is good reason since the wines vary from light sparklers to rich and important reds, ensuring there is something for everyone. Here’s a round up of the choices:

1) Prosecco

A white bubbly wine made from grapes grown on the hillsides near Venice. Prosecco is a common welcome drink, aperitif or happy hour choice. I’ve had many a Prosecco in an Italian bar, along side some olives and taralli, chatting with friends. Prosecco is available everywhere now and is a more affordable and much lighter option than Champagne.

2) Valpolicella

This is my favorite everyday Italian wine. It can be enjoyed young, is inexpensive,  and is virtually everywhere. It’s my standard always-reliable wine for dinner parties.

3) Amarone

Amarone is made from the same grapes as Valpolicella (they usually include a combination of native grapes, such as Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella ). But the winemaking process is completely different: the grapes are left to dry for 30 – 90 days on special racks, in special rooms, where the grapes essentially “raisin.” The water content reduces and the sugars concentrate.Because of this, the alcohol can be quite high, but the flavors would be like no other wine: syrupy black cherry, raisins, figs, chocolate, cinnamon, licorice, plummy jam and even smoky notes or tobacco notes. It’s can be a worthwhile investment, stores well, and is perfect for bringing out on special occasions, especially with rich braised meat dishes or on a cold winter night in front of the fireplace.

These are many more offerings here, such as Soave and Ripasso, but we’ll save those for another post!