Wines from Veneto

Zenato has stood for reliable quality from the Veneto region since 1960 – no experiments, but solid craftsmanship over generations. The home of this Valpolicella Superiore is the gentle vineyards in the soft hills of Valpolicella Classica, in the heart of Sant'Ambrogio. Corvina Veronese forms the backbone with 85 per cent, supplemented by Rondinella and Corvinone from the 35 hectares of own vineyards. The grapes are harvested by hand in October, de-stemmed and macerated in stainless steel for ten days before the wine matures for twelve months in large oak barrels.

No winery has characterised Lugana like Zenato. When Sergio Zenato started out in San Benedetto di Lugana in 1960, the appellation was a sleepy corner on the southern shore of Lake Garda. Today, the family winery owns 70 hectares of the best vineyards – a tenth of the entire DOC. The Trebbiano di Lugana grape variety, also known as Turbiana, is rooted here on clayey moraine soils between Peschiera and Desenzano. DNA analyses suggest a relationship with Verdicchio – a debate that is causing a stir among ampelographers. One thing is certain: The 30-year-old vines produce grapes of remarkable complexity. Hand-picked at the end of September, gently pressed, fermented at 16–18°C in stainless steel.

This traditional cuvée is a delight even in its youth. Made from exceptional grapes, it reveals the ripe fruit and richness of the three classic vineyards. A deep ruby-garnet colour with violet highlights. A full bouquet of dusty violets and roses, evolving into spiced confectionery and crushed cherries. On the palate, fresh cherries, mixed herbs and undergrowth emerge – all well-balanced – lending the wine a lightness and, at the same time, a complexity that keeps you coming back for more. SUPERIORE.DE

Bertani and Soave – at first glance, this sounds less obvious than Bertani and Amarone. Yet the estate, founded in Grezzana in 1857, has put down deep roots in the Soave Classica zone. The Sereole vineyard, situated between the municipalities of Soave and Monteforte d'Alpone, is one of the historic Garganega sites in this area, which sets Soave Classico apart from its industrially pressed counterparts from the plains like night and day. 100% Garganega. Aged for four to five months in French oak "tini" – large vessels that lend the wine texture and structure without overpowering it with oaky aromas. Three months in bottle. "The Soave you'd expect." By this, Bertanis means: no experiment, no outlier, but a precise statement of what Garganega is capable of achieving in the Classico region.

In 1857, the brothers Giovan Battista and Gaetano Bertani founded their winery in the Valpantena valley, east of Verona. Not in the more famous Valpolicella Classica, but here – in a valley that has since borne the estate's name. A commercial document from the Verona Chamber of Commerce dating from 1888 confirms that Bertani Valpolicella Valpantena was already being marketed worldwide at that time as one of the finest examples of Italian wine. That was before Amarone, before the crus, before everything else. 80% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella. Six months in concrete tanks, three months in the bottle. Direct, fresh, uncomplicated.

This still Muscat, which was conceived as the "little brother" of Torcolato and Acininobili, is a masterpiece and proves once again that Fausto Maculan is one of the world's best producers of dessert wines. Dindarello enchants with a marvellous blend of peach sorbet, kiwi and fresh mint. These aromas accompany the wonderfully full flavour right through to the finish. Its perfect balance between sweetness and acidity will ennoble any meal. SUPERIORE.DE

Produced using the appassimento or Amarone method, this Valpolicella has a rich ruby-violet colour. The nose has compact notes of ripe cherries, blackberries, some cloves, elderberries and liquorice, with subtle notes of chocolate in the background. Silky texture with an abundance of sweet fruit, balanced by salty minerals and savoury spices. A hint of sour tangerine and citrus adds further depth. The finish is long, colourful and structured, with a hint of sweet tannins providing grip. Rich and powerful with a lot of melting on the palate, very classic! SUPERIORE.DE

"I'm particularly fond of this wine, which is named after the Border Collie who lived with us for fifteen years. Otto is the youngest wine we have – fresh and ready to drink. It's the sort of wine you should always have in your cellar." Graziano Prà

Light red bitter liqueur made from various herbs and fruits, such as sweet oranges, bitter oranges, rhubarb, marjoram and thyme. Aromatic and balanced. For mixing with dry frizzante, water, freshly squeezed orange juice and as an ingredient in countless cocktails that want to be flavoured with a bitter note. SUPERIORE.DE

Since 1857, Bertani has been synonymous with Valpolicella and Amarone. The fact that this estate on Lake Garda also produces a very fresh, straightforward wine is only surprising at first glance. The southern tip of Lake Garda, between Desenzano and Sirmione, is Turbiana country: a grape variety that grows almost nowhere else, on clay-rich soils that lend it that characteristic chalky finish. "The wine that tastes of spring and summer." Bertani's own words, and they ring true. Three months in stainless steel, around four months in the bottle.

Soave once had an image problem. For decades, the name was synonymous with mass-produced white wine from the plain – pleasant, neutral, forgettable. The hills of the Classico zone, volcanic and interspersed with basalt rock, tell a completely different story. Giuseppe Inama recognised this in the 1960s; his son Stefano carried the story forward, and today his sons Matteo and Alessio are fully committed to it: old vines rather than high yields, Garganega as a simple expression of the terroir rather than a means of increasing volume. And their Vin Soave is at the heart of this philosophy – accounting for half of total production, from 30-year-old vines on basalt-volcanic soil in Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone. Hand-harvested, short maceration, stainless steel.

Rêverie means daydream. Gaspari deliberately chose the French word – for a wine that requires no concentration, no patience, no prior knowledge. You pour, you drink, you are happy. This is more difficult to create than it sounds. 2025 was a warm, generous vintage in Valpolicella – mediterranean fruit, ripe flavours, a natural balance between power and freshness. The fact that the Rêverie nevertheless remains light is due to the decision: early harvest, short skin contact, no intervention, no wood. Celestino Gaspari does not intervene in a wine that shines on its own – he leaves it.

A top-class Valpolicella, fine and haunting spicy flavour with a full and fleshy fruit development of blackberries and cherries. Medium to full-bodied with good intensity and a firm tannin structure, with a wonderfully pleasant bitter note on the long finish. The delicious harmony between aroma and flavour is a delight. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2019, UNESCO declared the Prosecco hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene a World Heritage Site. Not because of the wine – but because of the landscape that produces it: steep moraine slopes, stepped in terraces, calcareous soil with marl and clay, lapped by a breeze from the Adriatic Sea. Villa Sandi cultivates over eighty hectares of its own land in this World Heritage area – and for decades has been one of the addresses that have secured Prosecco's reputation as a serious sparkling wine. 100% Glera, hand-picked, pneumatic pressing. Fermentation at a controlled 15–16 °C according to the Charmat method – gentle, flavour-preserving, typical of the region. The Millesimato is a promise of quality: The grapes from one vintage are so good that they do not need to be blended across vintages – they stand on their own every year.

The name is a reference: the Brenta, the river that runs through the Veneto region from the Alps to the lagoon – sometimes gently, sometimes with vigour. The wine is very similar. 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon from the best vineyards of the Breganze DOC, on volcanic-tuff soil. Hand-picked, maceration for several days, fermentation in steel tanks. During ageing, the wine is divided: one half remains in steel, the other matures for twelve months in French barriques – one third of which is new.

A single-vineyard Soave as it should be: pure Garganega from vines over thirty years old on volcanic soils in Colognola ai Colli. The Castagnedi brothers press the whole grapes under nitrogen and use dry ice to preserve the aromas even before fermentation – a technique that demands precision and rewards character. Six months on the fine lees give the wine depth without taking away its freshness.