20 Nov A day in the Province of Treviso

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.

Piave D.O.C. is located between the provinces of Treviso and Veneto and is 30 kilometers wide and 40 kilometers long. Seventy years ago, the region consisted of 80% red wine production. However today, red wine is makes up only 3% of overall production. It is an area mostly known for Prosecco, with the finest selections emerging from an area between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. The Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene became a D.O.C.G. in 2009.

Raboso is a native red varietal that used to be the most widely planted grape in the area. Today it is quickly making a comeback and a name for itself. As of this year, the newest D.O.C.G. to be designated is the Piave Malanotte D.O.C.G. Made with at least 70% Raboso del Piave grapes and no more than 30% Raboso Veronese grapes, the center of this new D.O.C.G. is the Piave River. Between 15%-30% of the grapes are dried before pressing, resulting in a ruby red wine with notes of cherries and great acidity. This is a definite wine to watch for here in the U.S.!

Azienda Agricola Giorgio Cecchetto Giorgio Cecchetto passion has been to make Raboso Piave a wine that is appreciated and desired worldwide. In 1996, Giorgio was a founding member of the Confraternity of Raboso Piave who’s mission is to promote and educate about Raboso Piave wine. And, he is a key peronality in the recently designated DOCG Piave Malnotte.

Tenuta Bonotto Delle Tezze Antonio Bonotto and his wife continue to live and make wine in the the town of Tezze where his family first settled in the 1400s. Using the old granary on the property to dry out the grapes to make Passito, Antonio blends traditional methods with modern methods. Producing a selection of white and red varietals, Antonio’s true passion lies in the production of Raboso del Piave, producing Potestà (100% Raboso del Piave) and Raboso Passito.

Conte Collalto Collalto is one of the most ancient and pretigious wine producers in Treviso, owned by the noble Counts of Collalto. Today, Princess Isabella Collalto de Croy continues the family tradition and oversees the wine making from the 370 acres of vineyards. Among international varieties and Piave DOC wines, Collalto also produces Prosecco Superiroe DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene.

Cantina Bellussi  Located in the heart of Prosecco DOCG, the Martelozzo family acquired Bellussi in 1993. Today Erico Martellozzo rebranded the company Bellussi Valdobbiadene to link to the region, tradition and quality and produces a vast range of sparkling wines.

Restaurants: Casa Coste Locanda da Lino a Solighetto 

Hotel: Hotel Astoria 

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