Page 243 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

WHERE T O EA T AND DRINK  241

White Wine
The Veneto produces more
white wine than red, and
most of the region’s whites
are from vineyards
around the hilltop
town of Soave (see
p206). These wines can
be dull, but increasing Pieropan is a top- Venegazzù’s Pinot
numbers of producers quality producer of Grigio wine is dry
are trying to raise Soave. The single- and goes well with
Soave’s image. Bianco vineyard wines from Venetian seafood.
di Custoza, a creamy, here are superb.
richer-tasting “super
Soave” from the eastern
shores of Lake Garda,
is well worth trying.
Breganze is a name
Bianco di Custoza White Recioto to look out for, with
Maculan a leader in White vino da tavola Puiatti’s white Ribolla
making fresh, clean, inexpensive wines and world- wines range from pale wine is fruity but
class dessert wines. Gambellara is made mainly and dry to sweet and dry. It is made in
from Soave’s Garganega grape and is seldom of golden coloured. neighbouring Friuli.
poor quality. Venegazzù is another producer you
can trust for good-quality white wines.
Prosecco
The Veneto’s own sparkling wine,
Apéritifs and other Drinks Prosecco is perfect as either a refreshing
Italian apéritifs tend to be wine-based, light aperitivo or with a meal. It originates
bitter, herb-flavoured drinks such as in Conegliano (see p179), the home of
Martini and Campari. Less familiar are Italy’s greatest wine school, and comes
the herbal Punt e Mes, Cynar (made in both secco (dry) or amabile (medium-
from artichokes), and the vivid orange sweet) forms, and as frizzante or
Aperol, which is good mixed with spumante (semi- and fully
sparkling). An excellent
white wine and soda. Crodino is a accompaniment to both
popular non-alcoholic choice. For fruit and seafood, it is also
settling the stomach after a good the traditional base for
meal there are amari (bitters) and Bellini, a delicious aperitivo
digestivi. Montenegro and of wine mixed with fresh
Ramazzotti are well worth white peach juice (see p96).
trying, and grappa, distilled This drink has bred several
from wine lees (see variants, such as Mimosa
Bassano del Grappa p176), (with orange) and Tiziano
is another favourite. A (with red grape juice).
local speciality, Trevisana,
is mixed with an extract Prosecco
of the long red radicchio Bellini cocktail
from Treviso. Italian
brandy can be rather oily,
Grappa but Vecchia Romagna is
Crodino a reliable name. Coffee
Coffee is an essential part of Italian life. Milky
cappuccino with chocolate powder is drunk at
breakfast time, and tiny cups of strong black
Soft Drinks espresso throughout the day. If you like your
Italian bottled fruit juices coffee with milk, choose a caffè con latte, or with
come in delicious flavours just a dash of milk, caffè macchiato. Black coffee
such as pear, apricot and that is not too strong is caffè lungo; a
peach. Many bars will squeeze doppio has an
you a spremuta of fresh orange extra kick and
(arancia) or grapefruit a corretto
(pompelmo) juice on the has a good
spot. A frullato is an ice-cold measure
mix of milk and fresh fruit. Spremuta di arancia of alcohol. Espresso Cappuccino

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