Gastronomic Veneto - From Verona to the Adriatic, the Po Valley to the Dolomites

While the opulence of the Doges and the abundant feasts depicted in the paintings of Veronese may be less evident today, Venice’s influence still extends over a vast region. From Padua, Vicenza and Verona all the way to the banks of Lake Garda; and to the north, over vine-covered foothills leading up to the jagged peaks of the Dolomites. This region, known as the Veneto, later came under the influence of the Austro-Hungarians, who similarly left their mark on a cucina with middle-European accents and a coffee culture that rivals Vienna’s.

La Serenissima’s enduring influence is noticeable in a love of fish and shellfish from the lagoon and the Adriatic, while even though transport and refrigeration render the process unnecessary, baccalà – air-dried, not salted cod – remains a favourite. Mountain traditions, meanwhile, are steadfastly safeguarded through cheeses produced from fragrant alpine milk, smoked meats and the art of distillation.

Corn was first introduced into the Italian diet some 500 years ago and polenta remains the staple. Vialone nano rice, cultivated near Verona, is the favoured variety for making deliciously soupy risotti. Fruits and vegetables abound: asparagus from Bassano del Grappa, radicchio from Treviso and Castelfranco, cherries from Marostica and tiny violet artichokes from Sant’Erasmo. Grapes grow almost everywhere, producing some of the country’s greatest wines, as well as more accessible if no less satisfying everyday ones.

Our tour begins in Verona, with visits to churches and Roman monuments, small producers and outstanding restaurants. We  travel through the wine hills of Breganze to Asolo, striking out in search of outstanding mountain cheese, gorgeous sparkling wines, fiery grappa. And we end on the Venetian lagoon with lunch on a private island with its own vineyard.