Veneto wines

As winner of the Decanter Retailer Awards for Italy Specialist in both 2020 and 2019, it’s fair to say that the buying team at Jeroboams know their way around the wines of Italy and have sought out some exciting picks from producers in Veneto – many of which you won’t find anywhere else. We proudly represent family-owned wineries, most of whom we’ve worked with for many years, who share our passion for quality and sustainability.

‘Beyond the oceans of bulk wine, the North-East of Italy produces a diverse range of world class whites and a handful of great reds and sparkling wines.’

Jeroboams Buying Director, Peter Mitchell MW.

Veneto in northern Italy is a vast area of wine production for the country, and home to some key appellations, including Soave, Valpolicella and Prosecco. It stretches across from Lake Garda to Venice, as far as the Alps in the North and the Po Valley in the South. Broader, flatter areas of the region are used for large scale production, such as simple, easy drinking wines like Pinot Grigio under the Veneto IGT.

Look to the appellations of Soave, Valpolicella and Prosecco DOCG for better quality wines, as they benefit from high altitudes, cooling water influences and steep vineyard sites. Other names to look out for are Lugana, Garda and Bardolino.

Soave

Soave is home to high quality white wines, made predominantly with the Garganega grape, though small amounts of other varieties may be included in the blend. The high altitudes and cool soils mean grapes ripen slowly but keep their high acidity, and the best examples are able to age a few years.

Valpolicella

Valpolicella produces fruity, red wines, from the Corvina grape, often blended with some local varieties. The passito method of picking grapes early and drying them indoors is key in the production of both Amarone della Valpolicella – full bodied, richly concentrated, age-worthy wines – and Recioto della Valpolicella – sweet, full bodied wines with red fruit flavours.

Prosecco

Possibly the most well-known output from Veneto, Prosecco is the light, fruity sparkling wine found at many a celebration. Whilst its popularity has lead to mass market, simpler options, knowing how to find the better quality wines, particularly the DOCG examples, means enjoying the best of what this wine has to offer.