Italy Wine Tours: Discover Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia’s Hidden Gems!

 

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Are you interested in Wine Tourism and want to discover new wine regions in Italy along with the beauty these places can offer? Keep reading then. The below article will give you relevant tips about two very important wine regions in Italy: Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Italy is huge and offers a wide variety of options for wine lovers. You’ll find plenty of offers on the web for both short and long trips to explore these two wine regions. Read the below short guides to know what to expect from each region and enjoy! Si comincia!

Veneto

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What to Expect

There’s a lot more than just Venice in Veneto, and that’s true both from a touristic and wine offering point of view. Veneto is located in the northeast of Italy and it is the biggest wine producer in Italy and offers an incredible variety of wines, a portion of which are DOC and DOCG.

Wine

The most important grapes are Glera (white), Garganega (white), Merlot (red), and Corvina (red). White wine production represents the majority of wine production. Don’t worry though, there’s a wine for every taste, the offering spans from a bold red wine like Amarone to a dessert wine like Recioto passing by a refreshing white wine like Soave and sparkling wine like Prosecco.

Wineries

You have ample choice when it comes down to wineries. Some of the most famous in the area, which you can visit, are:

  • Cantina Zeni
  • PDC Cartizze
  • Cantina Rocca Sveva
  • Cantina San Gregorio
  • Fioravanti Onesti
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  • Venice is obviously one of the must-go places in Veneto, it’s unique and romantic. If you have never been there, make sure to pay a visit, ideally for a few days as there’s a lot to see. Canal Grande, Piazza San Marco, Doge’s Palace, Basilica di San Marco are just some of the incredible places you can visit in Venice. There are, though, a series of hidden gems in Veneto that most of the time tourists miss. Here is a quick overview.
  • Verona is the city of “Romeo and Juliet” and for a reason. It’s not just romantic and elegant, it’s also vibrant. It hosts the famous Arena, similar to the Colosseum in Rome. Unlike the Colosseum though, the Arena hosts every year during springtime opera and concerts. I highly recommend you attend one of these once in your life, it’s an incredible experience.
  • Vicenza is surrounded by architectural gems such as villas and palaces designed by the architect Palladio in the 16th century. You can take one of the many tours to discover them. There’s a rumor that the former US President T. Jefferson was so impressed by Palladio’s villa in Monticello, that he wanted one made in the same style.

Friuli Venezia Giulia

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What to Expect

Friuli is located in the most north-eastern part of Italy and neighbors Slovenia and Austria.  Most certainly, although without realizing it, you have already tasted a piece of Friuli Venezia Giulia, aka Friuli, as San Daniele Ham and Pinot Grigio come from this region. 

What you don’t know yet is that these two are just the tip of the iceberg as Friuli offers plenty of attractions that go from historic sites, architecture, nature, and of course more food and wines including IGT, DOC, and DOCG.

Wine

The three most important grapes are Pinot Grigio (white), Merlot (red), and Friulano (white). If I were you I’d go for a local Sauvignon Blanc (white) and Ramato (rosé) as well, as they offer an interesting flavor variation. Refreshing and elegant are probably the best words to describe Friuli’s wines, flavors and quality are guaranteed.

Wineries

You have ample choice when it comes down to wineries. Some of the most famous in the area, which you can visit, are:

  • Weingut Edi Keber
  • Azienda Agricola Specogna
  • Cantina Livio Felluga – Cormons
  • Cantina Borgo Conventi – Farra D’Isonzo
  • Cantina Grillo – Prepotto
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  • Trieste is certainly the most famous city in Friuli and for very good reasons. Over the course of centuries it has hosted many artists and given its history and location, it borders on both Slovenia and Croatia, it’s at the crossroads of cultures. But it’s much more, it’s elegant, vibrant, rich in architecture and history. How about coffee? Yes coffee, as Trieste is the “coffee capital of Italy”. Must see in Trieste are: Piazza Unità d’Italia, Canale Grande, Miramare Castle and Piazza della Borsa.
  • Udine is rich in history and architecture such as the Duomo and the Castle for example. Udinese has many flavors as during its recent history it has been Venetian, Austrian, and finally Italian. If you enjoyed the architecture in Venice, you’ll most certainly like Udine, as you’ll find similarities in the architecture like Piazza della Liberta’ and Loggia del Lionello. I recommend an aperitif in Piazza Matteotti to enjoy both the architecture and the atmosphere.
  • Aquileia is an ancient Roman city that used to be one of the world’s largest cities back in the 2nd century AD destroyed by Attila in the 5th century. It’s a Unesco World Heritage site as it’s considered to be one of the largest archeological sites in northern Italy, most of which is still unexcavated. The Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia, erected in the early-Christian period is another gem you shouldn’t miss either.

Final Thoughts

Italy has a lot to offer for wine tourism. In Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, you will not find just great wines from whites, reds, and bubbles but history, architecture, and amazing landscapes as well.

It is also relatively easy to go around offering you many opportunities for you to organize your trip, be it on your own or organized with of the many tour guides. I hope you have found the before-mentioned tips useful to organize your next wine tour in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Enjoy!

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