Colli Euganei Wine Region Guide

Winemaking and regional classifications

In the 20th century, the vineyards of Euganei were famous for their still and sparkling sweet wines: frothy concoctions of sugar, acid, and alcohol. These styles are now, of course, totally unfashionable with younger drinkers due to a mixture of health considerations and evolving tastes.

Nonetheless, the tradition lives on in the hills of Veneto in the form of the Colli Euganei Fior d’Arancio DOCG. The appellation was promoted from DOC to DOCG status in 2011 – a real boon for the area’s proud growers.

For generations, families have grown Moscato Giallo (white Muscat) in these volcanic hills, which is used to produce spumante (sparkling) and super-sweet passito wines. Both rely on the ancient tradition of air-drying berries on straw mats, which increases the sugar content as the grapes desiccate.

After several months, winemakers crush, press, and ferment the grapes in either stainless steel or oak vats; the yeast dies out before converting all the sucrose to alcohol, leaving a healthy amount of sugar in the wine. In some instances, the winemaker will use the Charmat method (secondary fermentation in the tank) to produce a facsimile of Asti Spumante.

The best examples are utterly delicious: pungent with the smell of orange blossom, they balance sweetness and freshness in a way that invokes Sauternes.

Innovation and Aging in Dry Whites

The region’s dry whites, meanwhile, are no less impressive. Based on a diverse mix of native and imported grapes, they offer an attractive combination of ripe fruit, texture, structure, and freshness, vinified in stainless steel and possibly aged in French oak.

Today in Colli Euganei, winemakers are producing some particularly age-worthy Chardonnays, maturing them in just the right amount of new barrique. Likewise, the best Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blends are inevitably left in wood for at least 12 months, gaining structure and complexity from their time in barrel. Carmenere also benefits from a period in oak, as does silky smooth Cabernet Franc.

Historically, the Italians aged their wines in various vessels – cherry, chestnut, and walnut – some of which remain in use today. However, oak has emerged triumphant in premium wine circles because it offers high tensile strength and is lightweight, malleable, and impervious to wine.

However, oak’s most important attribute is its ability to soften and improve the wine via a slow and gentle oxidation process. In the early 2000s, Italian vignerons developed a certain obsession with new barrique, imbuing their creations with spicy/toasty aromas that are (thankfully) no longer in vogue. Today, the best of Colli Euganei is focusing on balance, producing site-specific, elegant, and terroir-driven wines.

Geography and terroir

The lush green hills of Colli Euganei are a precious gem waiting to be discovered. Unlike Tuscany, you can explore these volcanic islands in relative peace, driving through the undulating landscape and stopping at picturesque villages to enjoy a glass (or two) of local wine.

Indeed, it is hard to imagine that Venice’s bustling, beautiful, and sometimes overcrowded city is less than 65 kilometers away. The contrast between this bucolic paradise and one of Italy’s most popular destinations is staggering.

Yet, accessing Colli Euganei from either Padua or Vincenza in northeastern Italy is straightforward. The vineyards are located southwest of Padua in the Veneto region, planted on a series of volcanic hills formed over 40 million years ago!

Today, there are approximately 3000 hectares under vine, planted to a diverse mix of red and white varieties: international and native grapes. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most widespread – and popular – of the region’s Bordeaux varieties, imported by Count Corinaldi of Lispida in the late 18th century.

After the Paris Exhibition of 1900, winemakers began to promote their Bordeaux-style blends to a broader audience – this predates the pioneering efforts of Sassicaia by more than 50 years. Winemakers also introduced a smattering of Riesling, Traminer, Gamay, and even Furmint to the hills of Euganei. However, only a small percentage of vines remain.

Meanwhile, the vignerons of Colli Euganei maintain their love of Carmenere, a variety rarely seen outside of Chile and the occasional vineyard in Bordeaux. In the volcanic terroirs of Euganei, it yields very spicy and aromatic red wine—a rival to the best labels of Maipo Valley.

Varied Terrain Offering Ideal Growing Conditions

However, in tandem with other Italian wine regions, the soils and terrain of Colli Euganei DOC are pretty varied. Indeed, the area offers many advantages to winegrowers: free-draining soils, a benign climate, and diurnal temperature variation. This helps to moderate the warm-to-hot Mediterranean summers, where rainfall is scarce, and sunshine is abundant.

Meanwhile, the maritime influence of the warm Adriatic can encourage humidity in the summer months; fungal diseases can be an issue in the wetter spring and fall seasons.

Nevertheless, achieving full phenolic ripeness is seldom a problem in this part of the world, particularly in the context of global warming and the concomitant rise in alcohol levels. Today, the challenge is maintaining freshness and acidity rather than ripening berries.

Thankfully, the region’s calcareous soils are ideally suited to the cultivation of white varieties, while volcanic terroir, rich in minerals, yields structured and aromatically complex red wines.

Like the Burgundians, local growers plant white grapes on the cooler north-facing slopes, reserving the warmer and sunnier climats facing south for Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere.

The lowdown

Colli Euganei DOC remains relatively unknown abroad. However, the region offers much: an enviable price-to-quality ratio, diverse styles, and real drinkability. The last point is crucial. Despite the intensity of their fruit, the best wines of the appellation showcase a minerality and zippy freshness often attributed to the mysterious properties of Euganei’s volcanic soils.

And so, despite their anonymity, these well-made white and red wines (still and sparkling) are a revelation. They combine ripeness, poise, and freshness into one harmonious package.

This is good news for the appellation’s quality-focused wineries. As the market becomes ever more internationally competitive, the future looks promising for premium labels and increasingly bleak for lazy growers and hitherto protected cooperatives who relied on low expectations and a certain amount of luck.

However, with declining alcohol consumption affecting many nations, only the best producers are likely to find cellar space. Fortunately, the excellent versus mediocre wine percentage in Colli Euganei is now more favorable. The other good news is that prices remain reasonable: paying more than $40 for an exceptional bottle of wine is unnecessary.

A Tranquil Tourist Destination

The area is also a sorely underrated tourist destination. The familiar gripe about visitor saturation in central Italy – we’re looking at you, Tuscany! – does not apply to this tranquil haven in the Veneto. In the Middle Ages, wealthy Venetians would spend long weekends in the pretty town of Abano Terme, enjoying the many thermal pools and lively taverns.

Yet, its appeal has not faded in 2024, despite the onward march of modernity. Colli Euganei is a destination that encourages relaxation – a place to unwind with a stroll across the vineyards before dining like a Venetian Doge. The colors are beautiful in spring and fall, with few crowds. And the refills flow very generously in this heartland of exceptional food and wine.

Colli Euganei gastronomy

The nearby city of Padua is handsome and historic – it provided the setting for Shakespeare’s famous comedy The Taming of the Shrew. Today, it’s medieval streets and beautiful piazze (squares) are full of inviting cafes and osterie, serving local delicacies such as risotto con i Rovinassi(risotto with chicken livers) and Tagliatelle in brodo d’anatra (Tagliatelle with a duck pasta sauce). And the wine pairing? Colli Euganei Rosso Riserva, naturalmente.

A Guide to the Gastronomy and Cuisine of Piedmont: Read more