ITALY’S CAPITAL OF FIZZ
FRANCESCO topped me up with another
piccolo and said: ‘Quality prosecco is good for hypertension.’ And that his wine is guaranteed good.
‘It’s from my field. Hand-harvested, straight from the garden of Venice.’
From May to August, the Prosecco region, north of Venice, hosts 16 weekend wine shows — mostras — and alfresco barbecues, where you can meet local winemakers such as Francesco, from Refrontolo.
It’s all very timely given the British current love for Prosecco.
The ‘Prosecco Road’ is Italy’s oldest wine route. It’s 60km long and connects you with 120 wine producers — such as Andrea Miotto in Vittorio Veneto. He graduated from the country’s oldest wine school (founded 1876) in Conegliano, the hub of prosecco world.
‘ People think prosecco is j ust sparkling supermarket plonk,’ he says. ‘A cheap champagne alternative. But i t’s hard to make. The v i neyards are nearly vertical.’
Prosecco is named after a village near Trieste. Italians have been making it for 700 years and produce almost 80 million bottles annually.
It is made from the glera grape by t he Charmat Method, in which secondary fermentation takes place in steel tanks, not bottles.
The Strada del Vino takes you past Palladian villas, frescoed loggias, the 12thcentury Cistercian abbey at Follina, the Mollina Del Croda water mill and lots of wineries offering tastings and osterias showcasing regional cooking. Don’t miss Locanda Marinelli, overlooking Col San Martino, ten miles from Conegliano, where appetisers include potato wedges in truffle oil.
The region calls itself the ‘Land of Bubbles’ and makes for a relaxing oneday excursion from the hassle and bustle of Venice, an hour away.
A lap of the wine road can be done in two days, with refuelling stops. Prosecco is both a festive drink and a convivial place. Everyone seems bubbly.
TRAVEL FACTS
EASYJET ( easyjet.com) flies to Venice from London from £20.99. For prosecco breaks, visit: primaveradelprosecco.it,
prosecco.it and marcatreviso.it. Gatwick and Heathrow’s YOTEL ( yotel.com) costs £85 for a premium cabin overnight.