December 2025 - Veneto, Italy

Featuring:

Marchesi Biscardo

Carra

This month we turn our focus to one of Italy’s most touristed and admired regions - Veneto, where Venice and the Dolomites bring visitors from all over the world. Not only is this area appreciated from a historic and cultural standpoint, it is also Italy’s most prolific wine-producing region. Producers here account for one of every five bottles of Italian wines produced. While Prosecco is largely to thank for these numbers, it is also home to some of the highest quality, most painstakingly made wines in the country - Amarone del Valpolicella. Overall Veneto is a diverse and important Italian wine region, and we’re excited to highlight it this month!

Geography & Climate

Veneto is located at the head of the Adriatic, where the Gulf of Venice lies. Geographically, it is mostly defined by low-lying plains in the central and southern part of the region, with foothills along the northern border of Trentino-Alto Adige, and then a small, mountainous portion (the Dolomites) in the far North along the border of Austria. The fertile plains are home to a large portion of the general agriculture (dairy, tree fruits, vegetables, rice) as well as lower-quality level wines (generally affordable, mass-market Prosecco). The foothills of the Alps, as well as the isolated hills, Colli Berici and Colli Euganei, make up for the more quality-designated wines, both sparkling and still.

The region as a whole is considered mild continental - warm, dry summers and cold winters. The foothills are largely south or south-west facing, generally allowing perfect sun exposure for grapes during the day then cool, acidity-preserving nighttime temperatures. There are a number of rivers and lakes (Adige & Piave Rivers and Lake Garda, to mention the most important) that help moderate the cool climate as well. Additionally, these rivers have helped contribute to alluvial deposits in the valley floor, which is partly why it is so fertile for agriculture.

Overall, the area is quite ideal for winemaking, and the pure breadth of wines produced here reflect that. One can find almost any style of wine produced within Veneto - bold reds, crisp whites, fruity sparkling, and everything in between.

A relief map of Veneto (lightened area). The low-lying plains north, east and west of Venice (Venezia), as well as the Venetian Prealps are where Prosecco is grown. The hills to the north of Verona (far west of the region) are where Amarone is grown. Less significant wine regions are all around, particularly centered on any sort of elevation.

Wine Styles

As previously mentioned, Prosecco is by far the most ubiquitous wine produced in the region. It varies in quality tiers, from the basic Prosecco DOC, to the next step up, Prosecco Treviso DOC, to Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG and Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG. Each tier zooms in on a part of the region that gives wines more terroir-specificity, with the DOCG wines being the most singular and highest quality of the bunch. Generally speaking, Prosecco is made of the Glera grape (minimum 85%), however up to 15% of the following may be used: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Nero. The wines are made using a secondary fermentation process called Charmat Method (also called Tank Method). This method takes finished wine, usually rather tart and high in acidity, and puts it under a second fermentation in a large pressurized tank. That second fermentation creates natural carbon dioxide as a byproduct, which the pressurized tank preserves within the wine itself. The naturally carbonated wine is (often) filtered, has dosage added, and is bottled under cork and cage, preserving the bubbles and giving you - the end consumer - that satisfying Pop!

The next most popular wine produced in Veneto is Amarone del Valpolicella and its siblings, Ripasso and Valpolicella Classico. These wines are grown in the foothills north of Verona, where Lake Garda moderates the climate and the Lessini Mountains protect the vines from harsh northern winds. The word ‘amarone’ comes from the root of bitter, showcasing the bold and often not-fruity nature of these wines. To make true Amarone del Valpolicella, red grapes of the Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara varieties are late-harvested then dried out on straw mats until they raisinate (a process called appassimento). The raisinated wines are then fermented like regular wine, resulting in a highly concentrated finished product with high alcohol (often north of 15%) and bold, dried fruit flavors. 

One tier down from Amarone, there is Ripasso. This wine is made by taking fully fermented grapes (of the same varieties), then mixing them with the crushed grape skins from the Amarone fermentation (pomace). The sugar left in the pomace kickstarts a second fermentation, which helps extract some of the dried, raisinated character present in the spent Amarone grapes. The result is a wine with more freshness, less alcohol and higher acidity than Amarone, but still some amount of that classic Amarone profile. The lowest tier is Valpolicella Classico and Classico Superiore - two categories of red wine with no special fermentation tricks, just classic winemaking of these native grapes. The result is usually a fresh, fruity wine with ample structure and body. These wines are often a great value, usually ½ the price or less of an Amarone from the same producer. Honorable mention: A dessert wine, Recioto del Valpolicella is also produced here. This is a sweet red wine made using the same drying method as Amarone, but left with considerable residual sugar.

Another big name from this region is Soave. This region, to the east of Valpolicella, produces crisp dry whites from the Garganega grape. Today a lot of Soave tends to be cheap, white table wine without much character. Wines from small artisanal producers often present a wonderful richness - like good Chardonnay - and bitter almond note on the palate, great for food pairing.

There are dozens of other grape varieties, styles, and DOC’s throughout Veneto - from bolder Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends (the region is at the same latitude as Bordeaux) to crisp, alpine whites from Austrian or Germanic varieties. The scope of this writeup could never touch on all of them, so now it is up to you to continue exploring.

Biscardo Family

The Biscardo family wine story began in 1840, when Francesco Biscardo was producing wine in the basement of his coach house (roadside inn) for his guests to enjoy. Over the generations, the family continued to focus more and more on wine as they ran their inn business. By the 1950’s, the 5th generation was running the family business and in the 1970’s the young Nicola Biscardo joined his father in the winery. 

Today Nicola runs the Marchesi Biscardo brand and also introduced a second label, Carra. These two labels showcase both a philosophical and geographical side of the region. The Marchesi Biscardo label represents tradition, showcasing the wines from the ‘Classico’ region of Valpolicella. These wines are made to be structured and serious, with (in the words of the ever-poetic Italians) “a full range of emotion expressed through each wine.” The Carra wines, on the other hand, are generally more fruit forward, approachable and easier to drink. These wines are an homage to Nicola’s grandfather, Pompilio Biscardo. His nickname was marmorin because he used to sit on the marble steps of the winery and offer anyone who passed by - especially those unable to pay - some wine if they sat for a chat. These wines are for everyone, in honor of Grandpa Biscardo’s legendary generosity. 

In the vineyard, Biscardo is focused on sustainability and organic farming. The vines are largely allowed to do their thing, outside key points of pruning and leaf thinning. No herbicides or pesticides are used. In the winery, the same principles apply. Modern equipment, like stainless steel, is used however the winemaking is hardly different from Nicola’s grandfather’s era.

Nicola also runs an import/export company, which supplies one of our distributors in Portland with these wines among other fantastic producers throughout Italy. 

Carra, Brut, Prosecco Treviso NV

Using his centuries of familial connections in the region, as well as his acumen as an importer, Nicola teams up with local Prosecco producers to craft his ‘Carra’ Prosecco. These wines are meant to be easily enjoyed, affordable, and fun. Currently, they are working with San Martino Vini, which is located in the Treviso DOC subzone. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks to dryness. After settling, it is transferred to the pressure-capable tanks where unfermented grape must and yeast are added to initiate the secondary fermentation. After about a month, the wine is naturally carbonated and nearly all the sugar is gone. The resulting wine is fruity and floral, with pear, white peach, and yellow flowers. It has just a touch of autolytic (yeast) smells, but mainly leans towards fruity and refreshing.

For the labels, Nicola has chosen the historical cultural characters Coviello and Pulcinella. These two characters date back to 1500’s Naples, where they were characters in comedic theater and later puppetry. The duo represents many different emotions, however Nicola chose them for their playful, un-serious nature, which in his mind is what Prosecco of this caliber should be. (Coviello is on this bottle, while Pulcinella graces the Rosato.)

Marchesi Biscardo, Corvina, Verona 2023

While Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara often come together in the form of the aforementioned Valpolicella wines, it is rare to see one of the varieties bottled alone. They are almost always co-planted in the vineyard, which makes mono-variety expressions impossible. Nicola and his father felt that this was unfair to the Corvina grape, so they planted a vineyard entirely to this one variety years ago with the intention of making this wine.

The result is a wine that is unmistakably a passion project. Unable to be labeled as Valpolicella (since it lacks the other grapes), this bottle must be ‘declassified’ into Provincia di Verona IGT - basic Verona wine. It is anything but! The nose is fresh and red-fruited with notes of plum spice and blackberries, while the palate is silky, with a touch of cacao and baking spice. The acidity remains relatively high - a hallmark of the Corvina grape - but that helps lengthen the finish even further.

This lands somewhere between a Valpolicella Superiore and a Ripasso - no dried fruits from the Amarone method present, but it is definitely a cut above the regular Valpolicella wines. Perfect for any holiday meals or just a nice brisk hang by a firepit.