The Tasting Panel magazine

ITALY Viva Veneto! F story and photos by Allison Levine amous for the canals of Venice, renowned for the architecture of Palladio and fabled for star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, the Veneto region, in north- eastern Italy, is equally celebrated for the fruit of the vine. Five of the region's seven provinces produce wine: Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Treviso and Venice. With 25 DOCs and 11 DOCGs, the Veneto is responsible for producing 20% of all Italian DOC wines. A recent trip to the region was spent exploring and learning about the provinces and their wines, ranging from familiar names such as Prosecco, Soave, Valpolicella and Amarone, to lesser-known wines such as Bardolino, Raboso, Tai Rosso, Lison and many others. There are also many international varietals grown in the region, but below we honor some of the indigenous wines in each province. Verona Some of the region's most recognized wines come from the province of Verona. The Soave area, which includes Soave DOC and two DOCGs (Soave Recioto and Soave Superiore), holds the largest vineyard expanse in Europe, with 6,500 hectares planted. Made with at least 65% Garganega and up to 30% Trebbiano di Soave, Soave is a fragrant, fresh, medium-bodied wine. Antonio Bonotto and his wife on the family property that dates back at least 600 years in the small village of Tezze, situated on the left bank of the river Piave, south of Conegliano. THE DIVERSE WINE REGION IN NORTHEASTERN ITALY IS WORTH DISCOVERING Amarone: The Mistake that Succeeded The term recioto comes from recia (Venetian dialect for "ear"). To make recioto, grapes selected are from the "ears" of the bunch, which have had more exposure to the sun. The grapes are hung or placed on mats to dry until April. Traditionally this style was used to make a passimento style wine in which fermentation is stopped so that the wine remains sweet. But in 1933, the fermentation failed to stop and the result was a bitter (amaro) wine that was called recioto scappato ("the recioto that got away"). This mistake turned out to be extremely popular as it resulted in an intense, full-bodied, elegant red with notes of cherry and spices; the wine was renamed Amarone in 1939. Today Amarone is one of the most sought-after wines in the world. 124 / the tasting panel Looking over the hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene.

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