20 Nov A day in the Province of Padua

Located in the Northeast of Italy is the Veneto Region, famous for the canals of Venice, the architecture of Palladio and the home of Romeo and Juliet. Comprised of seven provinces, five of them produce wine: Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Treviso and Venice. The Veneto Region is also responsible for producing 20% of all Italian D.O.C. wines. In fact, there are a total of 25 D.O.C. wines and 11 D.O.C.G. wines from within the Veneto region.

Padua is the oldest wine producing region in the Veneto dating back to the Romans. The primary varietals from this area are Friularo (known as Raboso in other areas) from the Bagnoli D.O.C., Fior d’Arancia D.O.C.G. (made from Moscato Giallo) from Colli Euganei and Raboso from Corti Benedettine del Padovano D.O.C.

Wineries: Domino Di Bagnoli Wine production at Bagnoli began over 1000 years ago and it one of the oldest wine producing properties in Europe. Purchased by Lorenzo Borletti in 1990, all wines are made exclusive from grapes grown on the estate. In addition to the local varietal Friularo and other international varietals, Domino di Bagnoli also produces distilled liquors, grape-seed oil and vinegar, as well as honey, biscuits, grains and chocolates.

Azienda Sansovino Vigneti e Cantine Sansovino is a cooperative that began in 1950. In addition to producing international varietals, such as Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay, Sansovino makes wines, such as Prosecco, Marzemino, Refosco and Friularo, from indigenous varietals. The Silvanum (a blend of Chardonnay and Raboso) and Artenos (a blend of Merlot and Raboso) are now available at Trader Joes.

Cantina Colli Euganei  Cantina Colli Euganei began in 1949 by a group of wine growers who formed the association in order to promote the region under one label. Located in the Euganean Hills between Padua and Venice, the soil is influenced by the volcanic origins of the hills. Cantina Vignalta  Nestled in the Colli Euganei hills, Cantina Vignalta’s vines are grown in the soil of the hills that were created more than 30 million years ago by volcanic eruptions. Vignalta began in 1980 and today focuses on the uniqueness of each vineyard, with the most important grapes coming from the vines from Monte Gemola, which produces Gemmola or “little jewel.”

Hotel: Hotel Astoria 

Originally published in Food and Beverage International Wines of Veneto: A region to be discovered (November 2011)