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La Dolce Vita's Veneto's Vineyards Tour Tour Duration : 6 Days  Day 1:
FRIULI'S WHITE WINE RENAISSANCE Tucked into the northeast corner of Italy near Slovenia is the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Once called "a small compendium of the universe," it is truly a vortex of cultural crosscurrents. Settled by the Romans, dominated by the Venetians, then ruled by the Hapsburgs until World War I, Friuli combines Italian, Austrian, German, and Slavic characteristics in its culture and cuisine. We’ll start our tour in one of Friuli’s finest wine-growing areas, the hills near Gorizia, called the Collio Goriziano. After a welcome lunch at our hotel, itself a wine estate since the 15th century, we’ll wind our way through the mountainous terrain to the vineyards of Livio Felluga and Borgo del Tiglio. Here we’ll be introduced to some of the area’s indigenous grape varieties: fresh, crisp Tocai Friulano; tasty Refosco, a red dating back to the Romans; and the vaunted dessert wine Picolit. Plus, we’ll see why Italy’s northeast is said to produce the country’s finest whites when we sample their international varieties, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Pinot Grigio. We’ll then head into the city of Cormons, an important Roman outpost that today is considered Friuli’s wine capital, and visit its enoteca or regional wine bar & shop. Dinner will be at our hotel near San Floriano Day 2: COOKING FRIULIAN STYLE We’ll start the day with a cooking lesson and an in-depth look at Friuli’s distinctive cuisine. Due to the Slavic and Germanic influences, you might find hearty vegetable soups with cabbage, pork, and beans; potatoes with cinnamon and butter; and delicious warm struddles with apple, pine seeds, and raisins. We’ll lunch on the results of our cooking demonstration and sample the wines of our hosts, the Castello di Spessa. Next, we’re off to the estates of two winemakers who helped transform Friuli into a world-class region for whites: Schiopetto, whose namesake is a living legend in Collio and now makes up to a dozen superior wines, including a fine Riesling; and Russiz Superiore, which makes classy whites and also has worked well with the red varieties in the area, including Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Nero. We’ll then return to hotel for an Italian history lesson around the pool and time to relax. Dinner will be in San Floriano at one of the cozy local ristoranti. Day 3: GIOTTO IN PADUA Today as we transfer to Verona, we’ll make several stops along the way. First, we’ll have our wake-up call at Nonino, the famous producer of premium grappa and amaro. In our tour of the factory, we’ll see how these aromatic liquors are created. Continuing on, we’ll then pass through Padua, home of the world’s oldest university, and spend some time in this captivating Renaissance city. Passing by the arched colonnades and lovely wide piazzas, we’ll head to one of Italy’s art historical treasures, the Arena Chapel. Here we’ll admire a fresco cycle by the great medieval painter Giotto, who paved the way for Michelangelo and other giants of the Renaissance. After lunch in Padua, we’ll drive on to Verona and settle into our new accommodations in a scenic villa. There will be time for a dip in the pool and a splash of some bubbly Prosecco before dinner. In this area east of Venice, the cuisine switches to an emphasis on seafood and more characteristic Italian fare, so dinner might include such regional treats as risotto with cuttlefish (risotto nero), pasta and bean soup (pasta e fasioi), thick spaghetti with duck ragout (bigoli con l’anatra), or the Venetian chocolate dessert tiramisu.
CELEBRATE VERDI: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Lovers of Shakespeare will finally get a chance to see Juliet’s balcony as we tour the town of Verona. We’ll visit Verona’s bustling market in the Piazza dell’Erba and have time for shopping and lunch. We’ll then pack off to Soave, an ancient walled city with a crenellated castle and dozens of charming tasting rooms. We’ll stop by the elegant quarters of Giuseppe Coffele, then visit Pieropan and see how pioneers like Leonildo Pieropan have turned what was once an industrial white into a distinguished fine wine from single vineyards. We’ll also tour the large underground cellars of the Cantina del Castello, where they dry the grapes for sweet recioto wines and have secret passageways linking to the castle. Tonight dinner is on your own in Verona. Music lovers have the option of joining the celebration of Guiseppe Verdi’s centennial and seeing his opera Nabucco under the stars in one of the best-preserved and acoustically impressive Roman amphitheaters in all of Italy. Day 5: AMARONE: A JEWEL IN VENETO'S CROWN The region of Veneto stretches all the way to Lake Garda, whose vast expanse produces a warm microclimate suitable for olive trees. The day begins with a visit to one of the area’s olive oil producers, where we’ll see how cold-pressed virgin olive oil is made. After lunch, the rest of the day is devoted to exploring Veneto’s most prestigious red wine, Amarone. Its rich flavor is the result of drying the Valpolicella grapes on racks in airy lofts until the winter when the shrivelled grapes are pressed. We’ll begin with one of the pillars of top-quality Amarone, Bertani, an estate that dates back 150 years and has an impressive Neoclassical villa where the aging cellars and drying racks reside. We’ll then admire the panoramic view of Valpolicella from the property of Le Ragose, which also makes a delicious sparkling red wine, and wind up the afternoon at Tedeschi, a family-run estate for five generations. Our farewell dinner will be in a countryside trattoria featuring local cuisine and excellent wines. Day 6: BUON VIAGGIO A shuttle to Venice and assistance with your travel plans.
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