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Veneto The Veneto is in North Eastern Italy and stretches from Verona in the South to the Alps in the North, and also encompasses the remarkable city of Venice. To understand the culinary traditions of the area, it is necessary to consider the importance the City of Venice played in the history of the spice trade between Europe and what when then called the Orient. The trading of various exotic spices and food preparations in Venetian markets influenced the cuisine, and allowed for the marrying of established ‘poor foods’ such as legumes, rice, vegetables, and pasta with opulent seasonings and seafood. The Veneto includes some of Italy’s most celebrated wine-making regions, including Valpolicella, Bardolino, Soave, and Prosecco. The majority of white wine production happens in Soave near Verona where the wines are made from Gargenega, a soft - lightly perfumed white varietal. In the region of Valpolicella, the varietals Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara produce a range of wines, from value-oriented Valpolicella Classico, to luxurious Amarone, a wine made by drying the grapes on straw mats before traditional vinification which leads to intensified, concentrated flavors. Not for the faint of heart, Amarone is rich, opulent wine that is worth seeking out and is delicious with an extremely lavish meal or a variety of cheeses. Prosecco, an inexpensive dry to off-dry sparkling wine made in the charmat method, is also produced in the Veneto and is perfect as an aperitif or to compliment lighter fare.
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