27 JUNE 2019
ARTICLES | RELEASES
The Prosecco and Wines of the Hills Route
The foothills between Cortina and Venice
candidate to become Unesco Heritage.
It is between these slopes that the “Prosecco and Vini dei Colli Road” winds its way, a wonderful itinerary of about 33 kilometers in an ups and downs framed by long vineyards and dotted with beautiful villages and hamlets. In summer these slopes are literally invaded by the Trevisani fleeing the heat of the plain, in winter they are almost perpetually wrapped in a soft fog that “flattens” the landscape, while in autumn and especially in spring these places give their best. .
The contrasts of light and shadow seem to have been deliberately made to impress those who are enveloped in it and the rays of the sun play in the trees, further embellishing the color combinations that only nature can create.
So it happens to be enraptured to admire a glimpse and immediately catch a glimpse of another that attracts attention. Even for the most frequent visitors, the impression is to always follow a different path; when you arrive at an intersection, in fact, all the streets and cart tracks are equally inviting: you see them being born but you don’t know where they can take you or what lies after the bend or the hump behind which they disappear.
The best thing then is to let yourself be carried away by instinct, take one and enjoy the view without wondering what you left behind.
This beautiful “Strada del Vino” was born in Conegliano, the lively and dynamic capital of the piedmont area with some very pleasant views, first of all the ancient Castle of which today only a severed tower, a few stretches of wall and, above all, the main tower remain. , an unmissable stop for the panorama you can enjoy: from here, on clear days, the view sweeps from the Dolomites to Venice.
With the Lagoon in your eyes, you can set out among the hills scattered with boteghe del vin, characteristic and very rustic mixes always well supplied with good wine, soppressa and exquisite cheeses, often accompanied by pan de casada still cooked in wood ovens.
The road runs along the crest of the hills between farmhouses and vineyards and soon reaches Refrontolo, a wonderful natural balcony overlooking the places where the history of Italy was made: from the Piave to the Grappa, passing through the battlefields of Montello. This panorama embraces a different view: where there are vineyards today, there were fences and trenches. They are places that make you think. From Refrontolo the itinerary continues towards Pieve di Soligo, a pretty town surrounded by hills planted with vineyards and “wedged” between the Piave and Soligo rivers, famous above all for its thriving dairy industry.
From here the “official” road would lead directly to Valdobbiadene but it is possible to make a detour to Cison di Valmarino and Follina: the Brandolini D’Adda Castle perched on a spur of Monte Castellazzo and the beautiful Cistercian Abbey always deserve the handful of extra kilometers which are used to pass through these two villages on the slopes of the Venetian Pre-Alps.
From here you reach Miane, a small village built in Roman times and located on the edge of the suggestive Madean wood. It is a kind of enchanted forest, not too dense and intricate but full of suggestive views, paths and clearings where families like to go for a pleasant Sunday outing. The last section of the Strada del Prosecco is the one that slopes down towards Valdobbiadene: if you get there towards sunset, when the setting sun covers the peaks of the hills with golden reflections, as if to frame them, the spectacle is guaranteed. The contrast between the bright colors of the sections still beaten by the sun and the darker and more nuanced ones of the parts already in shadow is accompanied by the sounds and silences of the valleys, the sensation on the skin of the air and the scent of the expanses of vineyards that surround and they hug the visitor. And so we arrive in Valdobbiadene, the other capital of Prosecco, nestled at the foot of the Treviso Pre-Alps in a valley full of greenery and punctuated by the succession of hills and rows of vines that branch off towards the Piave.
Wandering around the town is very special, all in the name of Prosecco: from souvenirs from shops to restaurant menus, from the names of guesthouses and inns to the titles of festivals and poster exhibitions.
In short, it will also be true that, as some say, Prosecco is only a vine and can be grown anywhere, but what is certain is that it has always grown among these hills and the tradition, culture and passion that surround it cannot be exported. This passion is also evidenced by the continuous flourishing of taste workshops, cultural and folkloristic initiatives and by the many Wine Exhibitions that present to wine tourists and simple visitors the excellent wines of the territory, together with the flavors of t of typical products and local gastronomy.
