I love sparkling wine, so a trip to the land of Prosecco in northeastern Italy was perhaps inevitable. This circuit hike focused on a component of the mix that can constitute a Prosecco cuvee, the Verdiso grape. The village where it began and ended, Combai, is a real cheerleader for this varietal: having fought to gain IGT status for its wines made exclusively from this grape.
As I approached the village by car through the lovely uplands of the Veneto Region, I noted the extremely high hills Combai was located in. High hills mean great views, and this trail offered many. Even approaching the trailhead from the main square, the view down the valley toward the town of Miane was spectacular.
What I Learned
The production area for Prosecco DOC wines maybe be found throughout northeastern Italy in the provinces of Belluno, Pordenone, Treviso, Padua, Gorizia, Udine, Venice and Vicenza. However, two major production districts within the Veneto region, in the Province of Treviso, are particularly well-known: Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (stress on the second “A”, in case you wondered). This is the designated Prosecco DOCG area, a higher quality level than the Prosecco DOC. Conegliano anchors the eastern part of the area. Valdobbiadene is located in the western part of the area. Wines from there may carry the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, DOCG label if they meet the higher quality standard regulations. The wines in this post focus on the Valdobbiadene district of the Veneto’s “Prosecco” region.
Trail Name: Anello del Verdiso
Trail Type: Short distance; very diverse surfaces (asphalt, cart trail, dirt), somewhat maintained; the route itself is marked fairly well.
Length: total: 8 kilometers/5 miles
Convenient to: Valdobbiadene, Treviso Province, Veneto Region, Italy
Marking: Signs bearing the number “1025”, (or red and white horizontal bars)
While the trail is known as Tra Santi e Vigne (Between Saints and Vines), I found the experience more analogous to being between heaven and earth. I encountered heavenly views of majestic Alps and iconic hilltop villages, and the earthly delights of the vine, not to mention the table, in this Italian paradise called Monferrato.
My journey started with the vines, lining the rim of a sun-drenched bowl. Descending into the bowl and crossing a small stream, the trail led up a road and into more vineyards, which ultimately dropped into more natural bowls. This is a hilly country, ideal for hiking and vines, not to mention castles, of which I saw several.
What I Learned
The Monferrato has a long tradition of wine-making, pre-dating even the Romans. As the famous Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder noted, the Romans greatly appreciated the wine coming from the Muscat grape cultivated in the Monferrato as a varietal resistant to cold weather.
The rise of Christianity and establishment of monastic organizations ensured that even after the fall of the Roman Empire, and especially after the barbarian invasions, the production of wine would continue in the Monferrato up until today.
Trail Name: Tra Santi e Vigne (Amid Saints and Vineyards)
Trail Type: Short distance trail, in the Piedmont region of Italy; varied trail surfaces from paved, to hard-pack, to grass, to soft sand or mud, somewhat maintained, but the route itself is not sufficiently marked to follow without a map or GPX coordinates.
Length: total – approximately 9 kilometers/ 5.5 miles
Convenient to: Asti, or Casale Monferrato, Italy
Marking: Both a trailhead sign and rectangular signs with red and white stripes overwritten “740”
The name seemed familiar, one I thought I’d seen on a Chianti wine bottle label, which sports a colorfully dressed knight on horseback. So I followed the signs and found an impressive looking castle (now housing a hotel), a great wine shop, and a fabulous restaurant. Much to my delight, I also found another trail through an estate’s vineyards in Chianti territory! Trails are a rarity here. So, changing my shirt and shoes, along with my plans for the day, I seized the opportunity to follow another trail through a Chianti estate.
