Get to know the Prosecco wine
and its enchanting hills in Veneto

The Prosecco wine: a taste of Veneto

When it comes to Veneto, a renowned italian wine region, you cannot help but think of some of the best italian wines.

I am going to talk now about the Prosecco wine, a top seller in Veneto and Italy, but becoming more and more popular in other many countries of the world as well.

It's about a dry sparkling white harvested and bottled in the scenic hills in the so called Marca Trevigiana, in the northern part of the province of Treviso.
This fine italian wine is the most popular but not the only one produced in this area.
Just to name one, if you like sweet dessert wines, there's an excellent raisin wine named Refrontolo Passito.

An enchantint Veneto's landscape

The Prosecco wine may be just an excellent pretext for you to visit this area.

I love this part of Veneto, and I guarantee that a visit is worthwhile.
If you have the chance, you may want to take a trip to this wine area, surrounded by some of the most beautiful hills in both Veneto and Italy.

It is an hilly area planted with 5000 hectars (12355 acres) of vines, encompassing 15 villages in the Marca Trevigiana, from the village of Valdobbiadene to the medieval town of Conegliano.

You'll be soon tucked away into hills shaped by centuries of grape growing, among tens of medieval castles, farmhouses and old aristocratic villas.

These hills in the Prosecco wine area are every bit as good as the other Veneto's great wine production territory, which is the Valpolicella with its superb Amarone wine.
The shape of these hills is unique, gentle but at times steep, with thick vineyards rows clinging all over.

The first italian wine route

You may want to follow the Prosecco wine route, the first italian one ever, which saw the birth in 1966, and stop by some of the many wineries to sip a glass of Prosecco, usually tasted as an aperitif and during the happy hour, sometimes along with small appetizers like cheese or cold cuts.

Different types of Prosecco

There are different varieties of Prosecco wine.
All of them go with fish, chicken, light meat, risotto and cheese.
The easiest way to get to know them is...by tasting them, and asking the wine farmers for information.
I am sure they will be glad to entertain their guests in their open cellars.
You know, people in the countryside areas are usually kind and relaxed, besides being very proud of their centuries- old tradition products, which they often consider kind of a work of art!

The main types of this fine italian wine from Veneto are:

• frizzante, which means sparkling.

  This type is more versatile, fitting well to friendly and informal situations, fine for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon appetizer.

• spumante, which means something like "foaming".

  The prosecco spumante is sparkling as well, just the processing is different. I personally do not venture to say that, but..it is sometimes considered the italian champagne, rated even by some wine experts at the same quality level, with a plus...the more affordable price as compared to its french cousin! Anyway,it is gaining more and more prestige in many countries.

The versions of Prosecco spumante are:

• the classic one, i.e. the extra dry
• the brut, more and more popular, more bitterish
• the Cartizze, very prestigious, smoother compared to the Brut.

A popular Veneto's aperitiv, the Spritz

A very popular aperitif, called Spritz, saw the birth in this nothern italian wine region about one century ago.
It's really very popular nowadays too, in the whole italian north-east.
It's more and more spreading to the rest of Italy too, and even abroad.

In the south of Germany, for example, they have a similar drink called Weinschorle or Gespritz. I've recently read that over there it's becoming more and more popular to mix it with Prosecco, as well.

There are many ways to prepare it, and every barman makes it his own way, insomuch that often the recipe is a well kept secret.

Anyway, there are basically some shared ingredients, such as white wine, soda and a liquor, and a slice of lemon.

In Veneto the most common white wine used to make the Spritz is just the Prosecco.
I like most the Spritz made with Prosecco wine, soda and Campari. I think that it's a well balanced taste, not too sweet, yet kind of bitterish.
If you like a bit sweeter drink, have it with Aperol instead of Campari.
These are the most popular spritz types in Veneto.

Return from Prosecco Wine to Best Italian Wine
Return to Veneto Explorer Home Page