The Wine & Food of Veneto
The setting of several Shakespearian works, Veneto also delivers
great performances in its vineyards, offering a range of wines that
star in both casual and refined scenes. In each of the three principal
wine categories, the Veneto provides a fairly famous offering that
essentially defines its respective genre. The leading sparkler (Prosecco)
and red (Amarone) of the Veneto region provide a consummate study
in contrast, with the distance between the two placing them at opposite
ends of a broad stylistic spectrum. The dominant presence in the sparkling
category is Prosecco, a light and simple Charmat-method sparkler derived
from the eponymous grape. While mass produced, the DOC status for
the crafting of Prosecco—Conegliano-Valdobbiadene—is particularly
conducive to the production of sparkling wine. Simplicity is, perhaps,
its hallmark virtue, though more substantive versions are produced
in the prime vineyard areas of Cartizze.
The Veneto’s most well-known still white wine is Soave, a designation
that has been compromised through both viticultural and vinification
methods and the enlargement of the zone. While it was originally a
blend of Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave (both aromatic varieties),
changes in DOC regulations permitted the introduction of a more mundane
strain of Trebbiano (Toscano) as well as Chardonnay, thereby precipitating
the widespread production of a fairly vapid wine. However, Soave bottlings
that pair Garganega with Trebbiano di Soave tend to offer a substantive
flavor profile. While Soave is not the only white DOC, the others,
Lugana and Gambellara, primarily involve the same varietals. The former
(which is shared with Lombardia), privileges Trebbiano di Soave, and
some bottlings realize a substantive aromatic presence. With respect
to the latter, Garganega exercises its dominance, as it represents
a minimum of 80% of the blend. The category also includes several
varietally labeled wines that are fairly simple in character.
Valpolicella is, in many respects, the red counterpart to Soave,
as its image has suffered from mass production. However, unlike Soave,
it operates a stylistic hierarchy: Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella
Superiore and/or Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella, and Recioto
della Valpolicella generally comprise the grape trio of Corvina, Rondinella,
and Molinara. Valpolicella Classico (Classico denoting a wine
made in the inner, superior Valpolicella zone) is the simplest expression
of the Valpolicella quartet. At the Superiore level, Valpolicella
must achieve higher alcohol content, receive longer aging, and display
more body and structure than the simple Valpolicella. To realize these
qualities, many Superiore are treated via one of two techniques: “governo
alla Toscana” or ripasso. Under the “governo
alla Toscana” method, producers blend the finished Valpolicella
with a small percentage of Amarone remaining from a previous batch.
Others employ the ripasso method, enriching the Valpolicella
wine through direct contact with (or passing through) the Amarone’s
lees.
Whatever the degree of extraction realized, however, a Valpolicella
Superiore offers but a modest suggestion of Amarone, the intensity
and depth of which is achieved through the appassimento process.
During this regimen, during which winemakers spread out carefully
selected grapes in single layers to dry on straw or plastic mats for
60 to 100 days. During this time, the grapes lose a substantive amount
of water weight, dramatically concentrating their sugars. Thereafter,
the raisined grapes are crushed and fully fermented into a dry, full-bodied
wine marked by high alcohol. The Veneto’s drama is at its most
intense in Recioto della Valpolicella, the sweet member of the Valpolicella
quartet that dates back to the Romans, who are credited with having
developed the appassimento process. The sweetness derives from
an arrested fermentation, a procedure that stops the conversion of
sugar into alcohol, thereby leaving residual sugar. It is in this
mode that the unexceptional Soave finds an empathetic medium, achieving
a substantive upgrade in a reserved sweetness.
While Valpolicella may seem to dominate the red
wine landscape, winemakers outside Verona are achieving notable success
without relying on Italy’s own, privileging Bordeaux’s famed
triumvirate of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. In fact,
it is believed that Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot actually hold a fairly
traditional place in zones such as the Colli Berici and Colli Euganei. |
Regional Information
Capital City: Venezia
Provinces: 7
Surface: 7,100 sq miles
Population: 4,738,313
Density: 99/sq mile
Grapes
White Grapes:
Garganega
Trebbiano di Soave
Tocai
Prosecco
Verduzzo
Durella
Vespaiola
Chardonnay
Sauvignon
Pinot Bianco
Red Grapes:
Merlot
Cabernet
Corvina
Rondinella
Molinara
Negrara
Barbera
Food
Cheese
Asiago
Grana Padano
Montasio
Monte Veronese
Provolone Val Padana
Taleggio
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garda
Veneto
Salumi
Cotechino di Modena
Mortadella Bologna
Prosciutto Veneto Berico-
Euganeo
Salamini Italiani alla
Cacciatora
Sopressa Vicentina
Zampone di Modena
Other Regional Specialties
Riso Nano Vialone
Veronese
Marrone di San Zeno
Radicchio Rosso di
Treviso
Radicchio Variegato di
Castelfranco
Recipes
Radicchio in Padella
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