Wine Region - Italy, Veneto

History

The Veneto wine region is located in northeastern Italy and produces well known Soave white Italian wines in an area known for red Italian wines.  The area is among the most modernized of Italian wine regions. 

Classifications

Italian wines are classified under two main categories: table wine and EU Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR).  Each of these main categories include two subcategories.  Table wine includes Vino da Tavola and Indicazione Geografica Tipica, while QWPSR wines include Denominazione di Origine Controllata and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita.

Vino da Tavola: these are simple table wines, usually labeled as such, which are meant for immediate local consumption. 

Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): these wines are part of a new classification created in the 1990s to cover wines considered of higher quality than simple table wines, but that do not conform to the stricter standards of EU certified wines.  There are currently 120 IGT zones in Italy.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) & Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOCG): these wines are produced from more specific zones than those from IGT and are produced from a specifically defined list of allowable grapes.  The standardization system was put in place in 1963 to make it easier for producers and consumers to produce quality wines and maintain necessary production standards.  The only specific difference between the two categories is that the DOCG wines are required to pass blind quality tests, while both wine categories are held to strict rules in terms of techniques and ingredients including rules for vine density and alcohol levels.  As of 2006, there are 311 DOC and 32 DOCG appellations in Italy.

Geography

The 10,000 square miles of the Veneto wine region boreder Austria, the Adriatic Sea, and the Po River.  Protection from the nearby Alps gives the Veneto wine region a buffer against harsh weather conditions, maintaining the temperate climate shared by most other Italian wine regions, including hot summers and mild winters.  The Veneto wine region is the eighth largest region in Italy.

Regions

The Veneto wine region includes several smaller designations falling under the DOC or DOCG Italian wine categories.  These designations are Recioto di Soave, Bardolino, Arcole, and Bagnoli di Sopra/Bagnoli.

Varietals

Popular Veneto wine varietals include Prosecco, Garganega, and Corvina.