When one thinks of the Veneto, they think of romantic and magical Venice, the city of famous lover Giacomo Casanova, the explorer Marco Polo, and composer Antonio Vivaldi.  But when you travel west and north out of the city you come to Lake Garda and the foothills of the Dolomites, where you find Italy's largest and most visited lake with beaches, castles, hiking, skiing, and yes vineyards.  The Veneto is a very important wine- producing region in northeastern Italy for both quality and quantity.  Located between Lake Garda and the Adriatic Sea, just south of the Dolomite peaks is this region of Italy that is responsible for 20% of Italy's wine.  It also boasts the first Italian wine school and the first wine road featuring information on the vines planted and wines made.  The most familiar and popular is Prosecco, the best made in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene from the Glera grape.  A few you may have heard about are Bardolino surrounding the shores of Lake Garda, Soave a "gentle", delightful summer white, Valpolicella a lively, aromatic refreshing warm weather red, and Amarone a powerful and rich red wine made from dried grapes.  Lesser known (even among wine enthusiasts), but equally important is Lugana located on the southern end of Lake Garda made from the Trebbiano di Lugana grape (despite its name it is not the Italian Trebbiano grape, but actually Verdicchio). These are medium-full-bodied wines of real richness and exotic perfume.  These beautifully balanced and age-worthy whites should be on everyone’s summer wine list.

If you do not get to the Veneto this summer, then experience what the Venetians drink during warm weather outdoor dining.   Here are a few of my favorite wines from one of Italy’s very special wine regions.  Salute!