Veneto lies in the north east of Italy and encompasses a wide area from Venice in the east to the shores of Lake Garda in the west. It has one of the largest vineyard surface areas of all the regions of Italy, with an historic reputation for producing good quality everyday wines at affordable prices. Although we don’t hike in the Veneto region, our Slovenia and Friuli tour finishes in Venice and our Austria and the Dolomites tour ends in Verona. Anyone extending their holidays in either place might enjoy discovering a few of the vini locali!
Key White Grapes from Veneto
Garganega – Deep straw-yellow colour wines with fresh floral notes and scents of ripe white friut.
Glera – this is the grape behind the world-famous sparkling Prosecco wines. It thrives in the hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay – international varieties which grow well in the region and are often used in blends.
Key Red Grapes from Veneto
Corvina – the star of Valpolicella and Amarone wines, known for its sour cherry flavours, ruby-red colour and good acidity.
Rondinella – rarely used on its own but frequently blended with Corvina. Intense ruby colour and aromas of cherry and violet.
Raboso – Native to eastern Veneto along the River Piave. Bold, tannic and good for ageing, with high acidity and dark fruit notes.
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc – widely planted international varieties used for blending in many DOC wines.
Top Wine Denominations in Veneto
Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella – the area due north of the city of Verona making highly prized red wines
Recioto di Soave and Soave Superiore – vineyards lie due east of Verona producing high quality white wines.
Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore – the famous Prosecco hills lie in the north of the region, north of the town of Treviso.
Bardolino Superiore – the red wines of Bardolino are produced in a small area north west of Verona, along the shores of Lake Garda.
Piave – a large area on the east side of the region, lying to the north of Venice.
Bianco di Custoza – white wines made in a small zone west of Verona.
Wine Tip
Recioto wines are a style of sweet wine made from partially dried grapes, using the “appassimento” method, and popular in the Veneto. The grapes are harvested ripe before being air-dried, often on mats or in well-ventilated rooms, for weeks or sometimes months. This helps to concentrate the sugars and rich, luscious flavours.
The best ones from the Veneto are Recioto della Valpolicella, made from red Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes and Recioto di Soave and Recioto di Gambellara, both made from white Garganega grapes.
Also look out for good rosé wine from the Bardolino area on the shores of Lake Garda known as Chiaretto. It literally translates as “light” or “pale”, and it’s made from the local red grape Corvina blended with Rondinella or Molinara grapes.
