Wine in Venice: what and where and why.

[redmilkwood]

I'm heading to Venice in a few weeks, and would love to include as part of my research some eGullet recommendations on what to drink and where to get it. I know that Veneto is known for soave and amarone, and have enjoyed nice bottles of both in the past, but I'd love recommendations on particular vinters, or other Italian wines to try while in-country (it's been quite difficult to find anything but the cheapest pinot grigio and sangiovese outside of New York, unless you want to spend hundreds of dollars). My budget isn't huge, but I could go up to 75-100 euro a bottle for something really special.

Also, does anyone know about corkage fees in Italy - Venice in particular? If I *do* find a really terrific bottle and want to take it out on the town...

[LindaK]

Don't forget valpolicella, made from the same grapes as amarone but without having been dried first. It can be wonderful and is much more affordable.

My favorite local wine shop recently held a tasting of wines from the Veneto and they were all wonderful. Take a look at the tasting notes for some good producers. I stocked up on the white from Zenato and the valpolicella from Villa Erbice, the latter a seriously good wine for a very reasonable price.

Have a great trip and report back any good finds!

[Tussius]

I realize I'm a bit late, but I'll post some recommendations on wines from Veneto anyway (as I like the region):

In my opinion (and others) the following producer are worth buying from Veneto: Pieropan (his Soave Calvarino is possible the best Soave around, and it's quite affordable), Tedeschi, and Ca' La Bioda. Coffele and Ca' Rugate also have some nice wines. In general there are lots of mediocre to poor wines from Veneto, it's not the most quality oriented region in Italy, but the ones that are good are quite unique and gives you value for money. The Soaves are very different from Verdicchio (made from the same trebbiano grape, but Soave is a blend), but when well made they combine fruit with a velvety texture and almond notes. That gives them an affinity for some foods that aren't easily found in other wines.

For the reds I prefer Valpolicella Classico, not the amarones or ripassos, as I like the fruity elegance the best examples show. Try Ca La Bionda's standard Valpolicella Classico for a good example. Here as well; stay away from the cheapest ones or producers you don't know focus on quality. Low quality Valpolicella tends to be among the least drinkable wines in the price cathegory.