| Aug 19, 2018, 08:30am 5 Amazing Italian Wine …...You'll want to arrange tastings of the famous wine at local vineyards (as in other areas, schedule an appointment), and visit the

5 Amazing Italian Wine Routes, Great For Fall Getaways

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| Aug 19, 2018, 08:30am


Catherine Sabino Contributor Travel

There are few better ways to experience autumn in Italy than with a trip to itswine regions, visiting vineyards and cantinas, sampling artisanal cheeses andbreads, and dining in rustic trattorias overlooking poster-worthy landscapes. ButItaly has some 140 wine roads (called strade dei vini) to sate most everyoenophile’s taste, so how to choose one that’s best for you? Here are five of theseamazing routes, ranging from the Veneto and Piedmont in the north to Sicily inthe south for you to consider for your next fall getaway.

PROSECCO ROUTE (Strada del Prosecco, Veneto)

A view of a vineyard in Greve in Chianti, near Florence. Photo by TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images



Vineyards in Valdobbiadene, a town on the Prosecco Route. Photo by Enrico Spanu/REDA&CO/UIG via Getty

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The wine-growing area for prosecco near Valdobbiadene, Photo by EyesWideOpen/Getty Images



While prosecco has become one of Italy’s best known exports in the last decade,its wine road, the first such route designated in Italy, is now generating buzzbeyond the country’s borders. Located in a hilly stretch of the Veneto innortheastern Italy, the Prosecco Strada runs from Conegliano (about a 50-minutedrive from Venice) to Valdobbiadene, a 33-kilometer route weaving through winevillages and towns and rolling countryside dotted with vineyards, medievalfortresses, family owned cantinas, frescoed churches and castles (one youcan stay is the Castel Brando in Cison di Valmerino). Roads are narrow andwinding here so (as in any wine region) designate or have a driver if you’re goingto be sampling along the way. On this route you’ll be able to try prosecco in threevarieties--sparkling, semi-sparkling and still, the latter called tranquillo. The“grand cru” of prosecco, the DOCG Superiore di Cartizze, comes from the hillsidesnear Valdobbiadene, specifically a 106-hectare parcel of land that is among themost expensive vineyard terrain in the world.

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Flutes �lled with Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze at a restaurant in Conegliano. Shutterstock



The hills of the Barolo countryside at sunset. Photo by Luca Gino/REDA&CO/UIG via Getty Images

The Marchesi di Barolo vineyard in Barolo. Photo by Simone Padovani/ Awakening/Getty Images

THE BAROLO ROUTE (Strada del Barolo e Grande Vini di Langa, Piedmont)

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22/8/2018 5 Amazing Italian Wine Routes, Great For Fall Getaways


Piedmont produces some of the world’s most renowned wines, among themBarolo, the silky smooth red that’s been dubbed the “king of wines” and the “wineof kings;” and Barbaresco, which like Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape.There are routes you can drive that focus not only on visiting renowned cellarsand seeing idyllic landscapes but also on the region’s historic art and architecture.One trip that encompasses a bit of everything starts in Alba, a foodie havenknown for its white truffles and often called the “capital of the Langhe,” one of thesections of Piedmont (along with Roero and Monferrato) designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage site for its winemaking traditions. The route then curls throughthe countryside, down to Roddino and then back up to Castiglione Falletto. Onthe way you can explore nearby medieval castles (notably at Grinzane Cavour)and have access to Barolo vineyards and cantinas; at La Morra there are walkingtrails that take you into the heart of wine country. From Castiglione Falletto, thelast stop on the route, it’s easy to reach the town of Barolo itself, about 5kilometers away. You'll want to arrange tastings of the famous wine at localvineyards (as in other areas, schedule an appointment), and visit the CastelloFalletti, which dates from the 10th century. It houses a museum and enotecawhere you can also sample some splendid Barolos.

CHIANTI CLASSICO WINE ROUTE (Strada del Vino e dell' OlioChianti Classico, Tuscany)

Barolo bottles aging in a cellar. Photo by Massimo Di Nonno/Getty Images



The Castello di Brolio and Ricasoli vineyard. Photo by Education Images/UIG via Getty Images

Vineyards in Chianti with the Siena skyline in the background. Shutterstock



Perhaps the best known wine road in Italy is the Chiantigiana that threadsthrough the heart of Chianti country, spanning 69 kilometers from Florence toSiena. On this route you’ll come to such famous wine towns asGreve and Castellina, and by traveling nearby roads, to Radda and Gaiole. Setaside time to visit legendary wineries like Marchesi Antinori in Bargino (19kilometers from Greve), which helped pioneer the development of Super Tuscans;Badia a Coltibuono (6 km from Gaiole), a gracious wine estate with cookingclasses and lodging; and the Ricasoli family’s Castello di Brolio (11 km fromGaiole), the oldest winery in Italy. The castle can be visited and the propertyincludes an Italian country-style farmhouse for vacation stays.

THE ETRUSCAN ROMAN WINE ROUTE (Strada dei Vini EtruscoRomana, Umbria)

Castellina in Chianti during the grape harvest. Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images



View of Orvieto, with its famous Duomo. Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images

Vineyards below the historic town center of Orvieto. Photo by Olaf Protze/LightRocket via Getty Images



Although the ancients Greeks brought grape varieties and winemaking methodsto Sicily, the Etruscans upped the game, teaching the Romans how to betterproduce the elixir that has been a part of daily life on the peninsula for thousandsof years. You can travel through Umbrian towns and villages settled by theEtruscans and Romans if you follow the Strada dei Vini Etrusco Romana fromOrvieto to Narni (roughly 63 kilometers), where you’ll find an assortment ofvineyards producing top Umbrian wines, like the Orvieto and Rosso OrvietanoDOCs. Be sure to set aside time to visit the historic town of Orvieto, once a majorEtruscan center and known for its Gothic-style Duomo, which dazzles withan elaborately carved marble facade. Another stop on the route is Amelia, ona beautiful hillside setting overlooking the Tiber, and famous for its polygonal-style stone walls believed to have been built by the Etruscans. At the end of thisroute you’ll be in Narni, a medieval hill town with a subterranean section (NarniSotterranea), home to a 12th-century church with rare frescoes. While travelingthis area, be sure to sample regional pastas like stringozzi with asparagus, or inseason, tagliatelle with truffles, and bistecca Chianina, a luscious steak from theregion’s white cows.

THE ETNA WINE ROUTE (Strada del Vino dell'Etna, Sicily)

A panoramic view of the medieval hill town of Narni. Shutterstock



Visitors walking the rim of a crater on Mt. Etna, Europe's most active volcano. Etna DOC (Denominazione di

Origine Controllata) wines are produced on the volcano's slopes from acres of volcanic and mineral-rich soil.

Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images

Etna DOC and other Sicilian wines at Il Buongustaio dell'Etna, an enoteca in Randazzo on the northern slopes

of Mt. Etna. Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images



Yes, there are vineyards on the slopes of Mt. Etna, Europe’s largest activevolcano, which erupts from time to time, but that hasn’t deterred area winegrowers, who produce highly regarded reds, whites and roses from its specialterroir. An easy way to navigate the Strada del Vino dell'Etna is by a special wine

Vineyards at Tenuta Tascante, a wine estate owned by Tasca d'Almerita, on Etna. Photo by Michele

Bella/REDA&CO/UIG via Getty Images

Etna Rosso, a DOC wine made primarily from the Nerello Mascalese grape. Photo by Eddy

Buttarelli/REDA&CO/UIG via Getty Images.



I have worked for Italian publications in the US and Italy, including Harper'sBazaar, Mondadori's Linea Italiana and RAI's Moda. For ClarksonPotter/Crown I produced and authored two books on design, 'Italian Style' and'Italian Country.' In addition to living in Milan and ... MORE

train departing on Saturdays (for a minimum group of 10, reservations required;private tours can be arranged for smaller groups) from Piedimonte Etneo on theFerrovia Circumetnea, built in the late 19th century. The route (which alsoincludes travel in a dedicated wine bus) weaves through historic towns and pastvineyards, citrus farms and farmhouses. Among the many fascinating wineries tovisit is the Tenuta Tascante, owned by Tasca d’Almerita, a pioneering Sicilianvintner with four other estates on the island. When in the area sample such Etnaspecialities as Bronte pistachios, considered the best in Italy--they're scrumptiousin pistachio gelato and pistachio pestos.

| Aug 19, 2018, 08:30am 5 Amazing Italian Wine …...You'll want to arrange tastings of the famous wine at local vineyards (as in other areas, schedule an appointment), and visit the

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