The Wine Enthusiast recently did a special feature on what they think are the World’s Best Wine Tour Destinations for 2016. Here are some more details on one of the destinations on their list: Alto Adige in northern Italy and on neighbouring Vento.
You can see the Wine Enthusiast’s full list of best wine travel destinations in my previous post here.
4. Alto Adige, Italy
At the very northern tip of Italy, Alto Adige is an Alpine wine region with Alpine wines.
This is what The Wine Enthusiast has to say about it in their intro:
“Stunning natural scenery meets high-altitude whites in this impressive winemaking region. Wedged between Austria and Switzerland in the dramatic Italian Alps, Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost winemaking region. […] While visitors rightly expect world-class skiing and breathtaking scenery, Alto Adige is also celebrated for its mountain cuisine and outstanding wines. Fresh, mineral-driven whites dominate, but the area produces savory reds, too. From light and silky to full-bodied and velvety, the region’s wines soar.”
We currently don’t do wine tours to the Alto Adige (it’s not so easy to reach) but one of our most popular destinations is just to the south: the wine tour Veneto with Valpolicella, Soave and amarone, so let’s take a look at what you can expect of a wine tour in the Veneto region which will almost inevitably be a stop on your way if you travel to Alto Adige.
What to expect of Veneto
Northern Italy is very different from the south. Here you can feel the Germanic influence. You can hear it in the accent, much more northern when people speak Italian, and you see it in the very prosperous and industrious society.
Verona is a good place to start. It is a charming city with an old city centre. There are plenty of fashion shops, mainly Italian of course, and you have the Arena famous for its opera performances.
You find wines of all colours and styles here. Powerful reds in Valpolicella. Lighter reds in Bardolino. White wines in Soave and Lugana. Sparkling wines in the Prosecco region close to Venice.
What you should not miss
The most famous wines here are the very powerful amarone wines, made from partially dried grapes. They can sometimes be a little bit too overwhelming. Take a closer look at the more elegant “normal” Valpolicella wines instead. They tend to be overshadowed by their big brother but are often much better with food.
Most people think red when they think about Italy. Here in Veneto they also make excellent white wines. Soave from the good producers can be outstanding. And there is the little-known region called Lugana, not to be confused with the Lugano Lake. It is beautifully situated on the Garda Lake shore. The make a wide variety of styles from the Verdicchio grape (locally called Turbiana), one of Italy’s most exciting white varieties.
Travel with us on a wine tour to Veneto in northern Italy!
