LIQUOR / Veneto

Covering a large area around the great northern cities of Verona, Vicenza and Venice, the producers of the Veneto wine regions have been some of the most energetic and industrious in Italy. Collectively they produce over 7 million hectolitres of wine annually across thirty different DOC zones, making the area the third largest producer in Italy today, beaten only by the bulk wine specialists of the south.

As a region it has been dominated by the central zone around Verona which produces the vast majority of the area's wine from the production of the Veneto's two most famous DOC zones, Soave and Valpolicella. While both these zones still house exceptional producers, sadly the more recent history vast majority of the wine is made using over-cropped grapes in huge factory wineries.

Besides the Soave and Valpolicella, the region has several other interesting DOCs offering a plethora of different wines styles made in varying quality. For example, on the eastern shores of Lake Garda the Bardolino DOC produces large amounts of light, mildly interesting red, while in the area around Congliano and Valdobbiadene the world famous sparkling aperitif, Prosecco can be found.