The Veneto Wine Route - World Wine Tourism

A trip to Veneto to discover the behind-the-scenes of the Bardolino Grape and Wine Festival, nearly a century old. On the agenda: wine, Italian winemakers, and cellar tours. Sounds like a great program!

The Bardolino Grape and Wine Festival

The last weekend of September marks the end of the Italian grape harvest! This period is celebrated throughout Italy with culinary festivals (sagre in Italian) and wine festivals featuring tastings, wine bars, and entertainment. Each region celebrates in its own way. In Veneto, the flagship event is the Bardolino Grape and Wine Festival, on Lake Garda in the province of Verona. Held for 86 years, it is entirely dedicated to the excellence of the wines that have their roots in the rural culture of the lakeside region.

After enjoying its 26 wine and food stalls, I decided to visit my first winery to learn more about the production of these sweet Venetian nectars.

I then traveled to the Euganean Hills Park, specifically to the town of Vo'. There I met Leondino, the son and grandson of winemakers. Even though he's been working since the day he was able to carry his first baskets of grapes, his eyes still light up when he talks about it: "I learned to make wine in the school of life," he told me. After a tour of his estate, punctuated by our questions like, "When is the grape harvest in your country?", he invited me to the attic of a building constructed by his ancestors. I was amazed to discover the thousands of bunches of grapes drying on nets suspended from the attic ceiling. He explained that these grapes would become his finest wine, modestly named "Noir" (Black), which he immediately offered me to taste.

Wine tasting is the essence of Venetian culture. But in a region where quantity often takes precedence over quality, the wine shop is an essential place for wine lovers.

"Going to have a drink in the shade"

Legend has it that street wine vendors would move according to the shade cast by the bell tower of St. Mark's Square in Venice to keep the wine at the right temperature. Thus, Venetians speak of "going for a glass in the shade" when they visit a wine shop. The "Enoteca Severino" in Padua is world-renowned for this practice and is said to be the oldest. According to its current owner, "the budding love for a wine depends on the connection you have with the person offering it to you." While a visit to a vineyard is an excellent way to discover a wine, a wine shop offers a more objective perspective than a producer gushing over their product.

In my next article: wine from volcanoes and philosophy. Grappa, you say?

Aude Bellavoine ( The Grapes )