Yesterday I received the Touring Club of Italy's "Italian Wine Guide" that I ordered. If you like wine, want to know more about Italian wines, tour wine regions - don't leave home without it. Many people haved asked questions about touring different wine regions. This is the book for you! HERE is a link to the book...it's the 5th book down on the page. I wish I had known this book existed a few years ago...guess I'll need to revisit some areas again. In October we are spending 7 days in Conegliano, Veneto to tour to Valdobbiadene, Asolo, Bassano d. Grappa and Friuli. I picked Conegliano for it's central location to the areas we want to visit, and SS-13 runs from Mestre to there and then to the northern areas in Friuli. From Sacile one can branch off towards the Dolomiti. I've always wanted to revisit this area in more depth, and this trip idea started with a bottle of wine that my husband and I orderd at La Riviera in Venice last year....Conte Loredan Gasparini LINK. Then we'll be off to Emilia Romagna for a week of wine, cheese, wine, prosciutto, wine, great food .... someone (sorry I forget who)highly recommended we eat/stay at Albergo Arnaldo and we are:LINK A few years ago I attended a wine tasting in Bologna and found out that E.R. produces some very interesting wines that are not widely known in the US.
This is the first trip we have taken that is 90% devoted in depth to food & wine...should be fun.
Hi Patricia, Since you're so close, try not to miss a visit to Loris Follador's Coste Piane vineyard and cantina. He and his two sons produce a fabulous procecco sur lie, by it's own yeast, no sugar added. You can find it to drink around Venice and the Veneto, but they're a wonderful producer and welcome small groups to visit their azienda, , high atop the hills above Valdobbiadene.
Good for you for nosing around up here...it's an area too often overlooked for great wines.
We will spend six days in Trieste and explore Friuli. Then we have six days in Venice followed by six more in Bologna. We end with three days in Milan before flying home.
We like the Conegliano area, staying twice at Da Lino just to the north. The restaurant Tre Panoce high in the hills is a lot of fun.
You will love this area, it really offers so much and is still relatively undiscovered by tourists. Many Friulani and Veneti often call it "Italy's best-kept secret" and I'm inclined to agree!
You've no doubt already done plenty of research on the area, but since I had these links saved on my computer, thought you might like to visit them too before your trip:
Nan, thank you for the link to Loris Follador's Coste Piane vineyard - it does look a good place to visit. I am wondering about the 20Euro ingresso charge in the upper left corner. It's on all the pages, so I can't figure out if it's for all the vineyards on that site or each one or something else.
Stephen, DaLino looks wonderful. We shall certainly consider it for dinner; it doesn't appear far from Coneligano. I spent 2 weeks in Bologna going to language school and loved every morsel. Eat at Gianni on via Clavature 18; tel 051 229 434 reservations a must. Closed Sun & Mon. The primi one tortellini in burro con salvia (butter & sage) is definitely to die for. Also Tamburini, self service lunch/deli LINK is great for lunch. For gelato go to a different Gianni's on S. Stefano (on the end of the street towards Mercanzia) When will you be in Bologna? We are training there 1 day from Parma or Modena for dinner at Gianni. Perhaps, we all can meet up.
Jabrex
Thanks for the links...I don't have any of them..now, even more reading to do. I have researched this area, but being a research nut, I can never get enough info. I have been here before on a day trip from Aviano and always knew that I wanted to return.
Jab writes: "Many Friulani and Veneti often call it "Italy's best-kept secret" and I'm inclined to agree!"
Me too! If you search ST, there is not much on travel here...fine with me...everybody go to Toscana!
Originally posted by Patricia in Jax: ...thank you for the link to Loris Follador's Coste Piane vineyard - it does look a good place to visit. I am wondering about the 20Euro ingresso charge in the upper left corner.
That was for the organized tasting that the web site was for, I don't think he has "official" tastings. I would take down his info and have your hotel or whoever you're working with, or even you write him an e'mail and see what your options are. Plus, ask for Coste Piane Sur Lie as you visit various bars and enotecas. You'll really enjoy it, it's not so overthetop bubbly and too too sweet. Delightful.
Apparently I ordered this book in Feb 2005 from amazon. I never found it to be useful but in case anyone is interested its sells on Amazon for 9 dollars less than the linked site.RR
Originally posted by Janet: Robert, I was thinking of ordering it. Why don't you find it useful?
Janet & Robert, I too am wondering why you did not find the wine book useful. So far, I have found a wealth of useful information...the book is divided into the various regions with detailed info on wines, vineyards, towns & more. If I were only buying the wine book, I would go with Amazon for the $9; however, Amazon did not carry the maps that I needed. Combining 2 maps and the book, I saved money over the other sites...as with anything, one needs to assess their needs when looking at prices.
Janet: your photos are amazing!
Stephen: We will be in the Veneto when you are in Bologna...too bad.
Thanks Patricia. Sounds like it might be worth getting. I am not looking so much for information on the wines, per se, but on touring, winery-specific info, maps etc. We've got plenty of books on Italian wine!
Topic Closed
If you like wine, want to know more about Italian wines, tour wine regions - don't leave home without it. Many people haved asked questions about touring different wine regions. This is the book for you! 
some areas again. In October we are spending 7 days in Conegliano, Veneto 
A few years ago I attended a wine tasting in Bologna and found out that E.R. produces some very interesting wines that are not widely known in the US.
go to a different Gianni's on S. Stefano (on the end of the street towards Mercanzia) When will you be in Bologna? We are training there 1 day from Parma or Modena for dinner at Gianni. Perhaps, we all can meet up.
