Lovely bubbly: a taste of Italy's prosecco region

Living in Veneto, I hold the prosecco region in a very special part of my heart, so I wanted to share this article on the Prosecco hills by John Brunton:

Italy's sparkling wine comes from a gorgeous valley north of Venice. Stay in vineyard B&B's and osterie, and eat at local trattorie, for a real taste of the area - and its refreshing fizz.

What a corker ... the picturesque landscape of Italy's prosecco region



Italy's famous sparkling prosecco wine comes from vineyards that cover a picturesque valley, just north of Venice. While Champagne refers to a region, prosecco is the name of the grape that is grown on rolling hills that stretch from the town of Valdobbiadene past Treviso and Conegliano, as far as Vittorio Veneto. A couple of days driving along this "strada del vino" combines wine tastings in village cantinas, staying in charming B&Bs run by winemakers, and the chance to discover the local Veneto cuisine in rural osterie and trattorie. Here are 10 places not to be missed.

TRADITIONAL OSTERIE

Bar Alpino

Valdobbiadene is the capital of prosecco country, and the perfect place to start a trip through the vineyards is the historic Bar Alpino. It is difficult to believe that this osteria opened more than 80 years ago because the friendly young owner has recently renovated the place into a smart wine bar where over 50 different prossecos can be tasted by the glass. The clientele hasn't changed though – colourful winemakers stop off here at all times of the day. And the food is as traditional as ever, with delicious "polpettine" meatballs on sale all day, while locals crowd in around 6pm when the "porchetta" - roast suckling pig - is brought in from the baker's oven and sliced up at the counter.

• Via Mazzolini 12, Valdobbiadene; +39 (0)423 972122; baralpinosteria.it

Osteria Senz'Oste

The name of this quite magical locale is "osteria without a host", and it totally lives up to its name, with no one behind the bar, and customers trusted to serve themselves prosecco from the fridge, along with cheese, hams, boiled eggs and bread. You then pop the payment into a wooden box. And somehow it works. Owned by a salami maker from a nearby village, the osteria is very difficult to find – obviously there are no signposts – and it's best to ask directions in Santo Stefano. A winding lane leads into the middle of vineyards where the car has to be parked, and then a five-minute walk brings you out by this ancient stone cottage. A bottle of wine and a whole salami each cost €10 (£8.30), and tables are set out on a shady terrace with stunning views of the surrounding vine-clad hills.

• Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene; osteriasenzoste.it

CANTINA VISITS

Vigne Matte

The tiny hamlet of Rolle has to be the most beautiful spot in the prosecco vineyards, and the cantina of Vigne Matte sits atop the highest hill, with a spectacular vista. It is well-organised for visits, so there is no need to book in advance, though be prepared for a lengthy tasting, as aside from six different proseccos, it also produces half-a-dozen other whites and four very reasonable reds. Down in the village, check out the Locanda Al Monastero di Rolle where a "tagliere" is served on Sunday evenings - the speciality Veneto wooden plate filled with hot polenta and cold cuts, grilled vegetables and cheeses.

• Vie Tea 8, Rolle; +39 (0)438 975798; vignematte.it

Gregoletto

The Gregoletto family has been making prosecco here since 1600. Their wines today are an outstanding mix of the traditions represented by the 80-year-old patriarch, Luigi, and the innovations in vinification introduced by his two sons, Giovanni and Giuseppe. The sparkling prosecco is a bargain at €5, but be sure to also taste a surprising Verdisio white and the excellent oak-barelled rosso that mixes merlot and cabernet grapes. If time permits, stop for lunch at Trattoria al Castelletto (alcastelletto.com), where the formidable Signora Clemi serves delicious dishes like pumpkin risotto or plump grilled porcini mushrooms.

• Via San Martino 81, Premaor; +39 (0)438 970463; gregoletto.it

WINEMAKER B&B's

Relais Dolce Vista

The Bisol family is probably the most important prosecco producer, selling their high-quality bubbly all over the world. Right near the cantina, Laura, wife of Gianluca Bisol, has opened a luxurious B&B (from €100 for a double room with breakfast), perfect for popping over to the cellars for a wine tasting. With superb views overlooking Santo Stefano and a dreamy landscape of criss-crossing vineyards, the Dolce Vista is a totally renovated farmhouse with five elegant guest rooms, a shady garden, plus a cool outdoor jacuzzi surrounded by vines.

• Via Masare 4,Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene; +39 (0)423 900408; dolcevista.it

B&B Zoppe di Fontana

You have to keep a sharp eye out driving through the sleepy village of Guia not to miss the tiny sign that points to Toni Zilli's rustic B&B, and you may wonder quite where you're going as the narrow zigzagging lane slowly winds up through thick woods. But as you come out at the top, his small farmhouse stands alone, with a breathtaking panorama over the whole proseccoprosecco, a little cloudy as he allows natural fermentation, which few guests can resist at €3 a bottle.

• Guia de Valdobbiadene; +39 (0)423 900487

HOME-COOKING TRATTORIE

Trattoria Ristoro Fos de Marai

Situated smack on the "strada del vino", it is easy to drive straight past this drab-looking tratttoria. But hidden behind the entrance is a fabulous outdoor dining room that is almost suspended above a steep valley of vineyards. This is "cucina casalinga" at its best – crunchy raddichio and fennel preserved in olive oil and vinegar, spaghetti with a rich wild-boar ragu, tender pork chops and juicy sausages hot from the grill. The set menu at lunchtime is almost too good to be true at €11, while a bottle of their own prosecco costs just €3.40 to take away.

• Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene; +39 (0)423 900292

Casa Rossa

Nearly everyone gets lost trying to find the Casa Rossa, tucked away on a steep hill, but what a discovery it is when you finally arrive. On a clear day, you can see as far as the Campanile of San Marco in Venice. With a huge open fireplace in the middle of the dining room, this is a where to come for "carne alla griglia" – huge T-Bone steaks, veal and lamb chops, spit-roasted rabbit, chicken and pork – expertly prepared by the genial owner, Derio Vezzier. Ask his son, Damiano, about their prosecco production and he may be able to arrange a tour of their unique cantina, a 200ft-long tunnel bored into the hillside, storing more than 100,000 bottles of wine.

• Via San Gallo 40, Soligo; +39 (0)438 840131

CULTURAL SIGHTS

Abbazia di Follina

The cultural highlight on the prosecco wine road has to be a stop-off at the town of Follina. In a more touristy part of the country, Follina's fabulous Romanesque abbey would be crowded out with coach parties, but here you can wander round the 12th-century Cistercian church and cloisters relatively undisturbed, and then head back into the town centre for lunch at either the gourmet – and expensive – Relais dell'Abbazia, or a local favourite, Ristorante al Caminetto, where a hearty set lunch will only set you back €12.

Passo San Boldo

Just after the village of Cison, follow a sign for Passo San Boldo, a quite remarkable reminder that this region saw major action during the first world war. As the landscape suddenly becomes more alpine, there are traffic lights filtering one-way traffic through the Passo San Boldo, a hairpin route through tunnels and bridges that eventually brings you out at the beginning of the Dolomites. Known as the "100-day road", this was built at breakneck speed by the Austrian army at the end of 1918 to transport troops and artillery down to the battlefield. Immediately at the exit of the last tunnel is Osteria la Muda, originally a customs house and inn that dates back to 1400. It has recently been renovated and has an innovative list of proseccos and a creative German chef.

Practical Details

Fly Easyjet to Venice or Ryanair to Treviso airport (please note flights to Treviso will be diverted to Marco Polo in Venice summer 2011) , then use carrentals.co.uk to hire a car, and an hour later you're already driving through the prosecco vineyards.

All photographs by John Brunton

John Brunton guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 3 August 2010 09.50 BST Article history