Study / Region guides
Veneto
13 DOCGs and 21 DOCs. Examined in Unit 1: Northern Italy.
- Borders
- Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna
- Wine provinces
- Verona, Treviso, Vicenza, Padova, Venice, Belluno
The land
Veneto stretches from Lake Garda and the foothills of the Dolomites down to the Adriatic. The hills make the best wine and the plain makes the most.
In the west, around Verona, are Bardolino, Valpolicella and Soave. In the east, around Treviso, are the steep Prosecco hills of Conegliano, Valdobbiadene and Asolo.
Soave and Gambellara have dark volcanic basalt alongside limestone. Valpolicella is mostly limestone and clay.
The grapes
Glera is the grape of Prosecco and was called Prosecco itself until 2009. Garganega is the grape of Soave and Gambellara. Corvina leads the Valpolicella blend with Corvinone and Rondinella.
Pinot Grigio covers much of the plain. Raboso, Durella and Vespaiola are the local oddities worth remembering.
Which grape leads which appellation
- Garganega 5
- Recioto di Gambellara, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, Gambellara, Soave
- Durella 1
- Lessini Durello (Durello Lessini)
- Moscato Giallo 1
- Colli Euganei Fior d'Arancio
- Raboso Piave 1
- Bagnoli Friularo
Local names
- Fior d'Arancio
- Moscato Giallo, in Colli Euganei Fior d'Arancio
- Friularo
- Raboso Piave, in Bagnoli Friularo, Bagnoli di Sopra (Bagnoli)
- Serprino
- Glera, in Colli Euganei
- Tai
- Friulano, in Bagnoli di Sopra (Bagnoli), Breganze, Colli Berici, Colli Euganei, Corti Benedettine del Padovano, Custoza (Bianco di Custoza), Merlara, Piave, Riviera del Brenta
- Tai Rosso
- Cannonau (Grenache), in Colli Berici
- Trebbianello
- Friulano, in Custoza (Bianco di Custoza)
In the vineyard and cellar
Drying grapes is the regional signature. Amarone is fermented dry and Recioto is left sweet. Ripasso passes Valpolicella over the skins left from either of them.
Nearly all Prosecco is made by the tank method. Rive wines come from single communes and Cartizze from one steep hill in Valdobbiadene.
History and trade
Venice was a trading republic for a thousand years and its merchants shaped the wine trade of the whole Adriatic. Italy's first school of oenology opened at Conegliano in 1876.
Veneto now makes more wine than any other region, driven by Prosecco and Pinot Grigio.
The DOCGs
Oldest first. The year is when each one became a DOCG.
| Appellation | DOCG since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recioto di Soave | 1998 | Garganega, minimum 70 percent; Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay | Verona |
| Bardolino Superiore | 2001 | Corvina, Rondinella, plus Molinara and others | Verona |
| Soave Superiore | 2001 | Garganega, minimum 70 percent; Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay | Verona |
| Recioto di Gambellara | 2008 | Garganega, minimum 95 percent | Vicenza |
| Asolo Prosecco | 2009 | Glera, plus small amounts of Verdiso, Bianchetta, Perera, Pinot, Chardonnay | Treviso |
| Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco | 2009 | Glera, up to 15 percent Verdiso, Bianchetta, Perera, Glera Lunga, Pinot, Chardonnay | Treviso |
| Amarone della Valpolicella | 2010 | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, plus Molinara, Oseleta, Croatina | Verona |
| Piave Malanotte (Malanotte del Piave) | 2010 | Raboso Piave, Raboso Veronese | Treviso, Venice |
| Recioto della Valpolicella | 2010 | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella | Verona |
| Bagnoli Friularo | 2011 | Raboso Piave (locally called Friularo), minimum 90 percent | Padova |
| Colli di Conegliano | 2011 | Manzoni Bianco, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay (white); Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Marzemino, Refosco (red); Marzemino (Refrontolo); Glera, Verdiso, Boschera (Torchiato) | Treviso |
| Colli Euganei Fior d'Arancio | 2011 | Moscato Giallo (Fior d'Arancio), minimum 95 percent | Padova |
| Montello Rosso (Montello) | 2011 | Cabernet Sauvignon (40 to 70 percent), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere | Treviso |
The DOCs
| Appellation | DOC since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcole | 2000 | Garganega, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere | Verona, Vicenza |
| Bagnoli di Sopra (Bagnoli) | 1995 | Raboso Piave (Friularo), Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Tai, Sauvignon, Raboso for rosato and spumante | Padova |
| Bardolino | 1968 | Corvina (35 to 95 percent), Rondinella, plus Molinara and others | Verona |
| Breganze | 1969 | Vespaiola, Tai, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon (white); Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Nero (red) | Vicenza |
| Colli Berici | 1973 | Tai Rosso (Grenache), Carmenere, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon (red); Garganega, Tai, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon (white) | Vicenza |
| Colli Euganei | 1969 | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere (red); Garganega, Moscato Giallo, Serprino (Glera), Chardonnay, Tai (white) | Padova |
| Corti Benedettine del Padovano | 2004 | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Raboso Piave, Refosco (red); Chardonnay, Tai, Pinot Grigio, Moscato (white) | Padova, Venice |
| Custoza (Bianco di Custoza) | 1971 | Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbianello (Tai), Cortese, plus Malvasia, Riesling, Chardonnay, Manzoni Bianco | Verona |
| Gambellara | 1970 | Garganega, minimum 80 percent; Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco | Vicenza |
| Lessini Durello (Durello Lessini) | 1988 | Durella, minimum 85 percent; Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Pinot Nero | Verona, Vicenza |
| Merlara | 2000 | Tai, Malvasia Bianca, Chardonnay (white); Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Marzemino, Refosco (red) | Padova, Verona |
| Montello Asolo (Asolo Montello) | 1977 | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Recantina (red); Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Manzoni Bianco (white) | Treviso |
| Monti Lessini | 1987 | Durella, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon (white); Pinot Nero, Merlot, Cabernet (red) | Verona, Vicenza |
| Piave | 1971 | Raboso Piave, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere (red); Manzoni Bianco, Tai, Verduzzo, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio (white) | Treviso, Venice |
| Riviera del Brenta | 2004 | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Raboso, Refosco (red); Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Tai (white) | Venice, Padova |
| Soave | 1968 | Garganega, minimum 70 percent; Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay | Verona |
| Valpolicella | 1968 | Corvina (45 to 95 percent), Corvinone, Rondinella, plus Molinara, Oseleta, Croatina | Verona |
| Valpolicella Ripasso | 2010 | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella | Verona |
| Venezia | 2010 | Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Manzoni Bianco (white); Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco, Raboso (red) | Venice, Treviso |
| Vicenza | 2000 | Garganega, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon (white); Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Nero (red) | Vicenza |
| Vigneti della Serenissima (Serenissima) | 2011 | Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco (minimum 50 percent combined) | Treviso, Vicenza, Padova, Verona, Belluno |
Facts that get tested
The kind of thing an exam asks about Veneto. Cover the answers and try them.
Which grape is not part of the Valpolicella blend?
Garganega. Corvina leads, with Corvinone and Rondinella. Garganega is the white grape of Soave next door.
How does Recioto della Valpolicella differ from Amarone?
Recioto is sweet, Amarone is fermented dry. Both come from dried grapes. Recioto is the older style, and Amarone began as a Recioto that fermented all the way to dry.
What is the minimum ageing for Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva?
4 years. Amarone needs 2 years and the Riserva 4.
In Valpolicella, what is a fruttaio?
A loft where grapes are dried. Bunches are laid on racks or in crates there for around three to four months before pressing.
Which named subzone can appear on a Valpolicella label?
Valpantena. Valpantena is the one official subzone. Classico is the historic western part of the zone.
What is Cartizze?
A small, steep hill in Valdobbiadene, seen as Prosecco's top site. Superiore di Cartizze comes from about 107 hectares and is usually made in a sweeter Dry style.
On a Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco, what does Rive tell you?
The grapes come from one named commune or hamlet on steep slopes. There are 43 Rive. The wines must be vintage dated and hand harvested.
Until 2009 the Glera grape was commonly called
Prosecco. The grape was renamed so that Prosecco could be protected as a place name when the DOC and DOCG were set up.
Prosecco Rosé, allowed since 2020, takes its colour from which grape?
Pinot Nero. Between 10% and 15% Pinot Nero made as red wine is blended with Glera. It must be vintage dated.
Which Veneto wine landscape joined UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2019?
The Prosecco hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. The steep hogback hills between the two towns were listed for their patchwork of small vineyard plots.
Soave Classico's hills are known for which soils?
Dark volcanic basalt alongside limestone. The eastern side around Monteforte is volcanic and the western side around Soave is limestone.
Torcolato, the sweet wine of Breganze, is made from which grape?
Vespaiola. Bunches of Vespaiola are twisted on strings and hung to dry. The grape is named after the wasps its sugar attracts.
Piave Malanotte DOCG is made from which grape?
Raboso. Raboso is fiercely acidic and tannic, so part of the crop is dried to round the wine out.
Bardolino lies on the eastern shore of which lake?
Garda. It uses the same grapes as Valpolicella for lighter reds and for the rosato called Chiaretto.
Which was Veneto's first DOCG, in 1998?
Recioto di Soave. Recioto di Soave came first. Amarone waited until 2010 and the Prosecco DOCGs until 2009.
Think you've got it?
Twenty questions on Veneto, with every wrong answer drawn from the region and its neighbours.
Quiz me on Veneto