#69: Treviso & Important Prosecco Knowledge
Ciao Nonni!
We've spent the last couple of days up in the Veneto, catching up with friends from Australia who also have family ties to the region.
It's been a fantastic weekend. Treviso is an absolutely beautiful town, and it has been a real treat to spend time with friends who appreciate all things Italian (and Venetian) to at least the same extent that we do.
As usual when we break out of the routine in Lucca, we learn a lot more about Italian culture, and notice many more quirks to write home about. So let's begin. Cominciamo!
Our trip commenced on Friday with the 3.5 hour drive from Tuscany, through Emilia Romagna, and eventually into the Veneto. As mentioned in past dispatches, I could write a book about Italian driving. But now isn't the time.
We took the autostrada pretty much the whole way, which means speeds of (at least) 130kph on two lane roads with absolutely no shoulder. Plus the trucks. So many trucks.
There's no chance of falling asleep while driving here, because every second is one of intense concentration and high adrenaline. The only risk is that, after a few hours behind the wheel, your body will start to adjust to this new state of constant panic. Eventually your fight or flight response will dull to the point that even things that should get your heartrate up do not cause you to break a sweat.
I think I would yawn in the face of a lion after a day of driving the autostrada.
Between Lucca and Bologna, you spend a lot of the drive in very long tunnels. And because these tunnels pass through mountain ranges, when you are eventually spat out into the open air again - you find yourself in wildly different weather conditions to the ones you left at the entrance. It's quite disconcerting. Blinding sun, driving rain, thick fog, and snow. All in the same hour.
Approaching Bologna, the land flattens out completely. You enter the productive heartland of Italy. And as you progress towards the Veneto, you'll start to notice the sky ahead taking on a distinctly heavy grey hue up ahead. The famous Po River marks the border between these two powerhouse regions, and as you cross you'll notice that grey sky descending over everything.
Welcome to the Veneto, where the sun is a mere hazy suggestion for six months of the year.
Treviso is an easy town to explore on foot. It is slightly smaller than Lucca, and the historical centre is similarly defined by ancient city walls - just not as well preserved. Many of the streets are lined with porticoes that provide respite from the drizzle that is a feature of the winter months. There are also many very cool canals and open waterways.
Like Cittadella last year, it struck me that this part of the world is clearly doing pretty well for itself these days. Treviso gives off the impression that it is a town unafraid to mix modernity with history as it embraces its financial success. Many of the shops, restaurants and bars in the town are edgy, different or unique in what they're offering - and all very beautiful.
Nestled amongst the incredible old buildings are very modern renovations, with glimpses of huge glass windows overlooking the streets and piazzas, and slabs of metal forming roofs and walls in between the marble facades. The cars that line the streets are expensive European models. The locals are dressed in furs, and are very stylish.
One unexpected and interesting point of comparison between Treviso and Lucca that I noticed was how much more casual the day to day language is there.
In Lucca, I would never dream of walking into a bar or a shop and greeting the person working there with a ciao. If I did, I would (in most cases) be met with a stern buongiorno or buonasera in response. Even in places that we go regularly. But in Treviso, everyone was ciao and tu and very open and friendly. It was nice.
I also got a lot more Italian speaking practice because far fewer people immediately spoke English to me. I'm not sure whether it's because my language is finally improving, or that my blonde hair looked a little less foreign, but again - it was lovely!
On Saturday morning, we ventured out of the town in the car and headed up into prosecco heartland. Valdobbiadene. Our friends Katya and Liam had worked their magic and organised a fantastic tour and tasting at one of the famous wine makers in the region, Marsuret.
We went prepared with sacks of toys and snacks for the kids (they have two little boys the same age as our two) and managed to enjoy a fantastic couple of hours.
I learnt a lot about prosecco - most notably about how insane the classifications are for understanding the sweetness of the wine in the bottle you're holding.
Did you know that "dry" prosecco is actually the least dry of all the options available? I didn't. It explains why I have often found myself stuck drinking a glass of overly sweet bubbles, which has led to my slow disenfranchisement with the whole thing.
My love has been reignited now that I know how to actually navigate the system.
We start with the sweetest prosecco - dry (eye roll), then move to extra dry, brut, extra brut, and finish with brut nature which has no additional sugar at all. With a hefty 27g of sugar per litre, dry prosecco is meant to be enjoyed on its own, or with little pastries or biscotti. The (actually) drier options like extra brut pair well with seafood and risotto.
I'm already looking forward to next summer when I intend to finally enjoy a truly arid prosecco with a plate of my favourite spaghetti alle vongole.
When it comes to understanding quality, I now also know that DOCG is the top of the top. The champagne of prosecco. It comes from hillside vineyards in only three small townships in the Veneto. Because of the steepness of the land it is usually hand picked.
DOC comes next. This is prosecco made from grapes grown in the valleys and flat lands of the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is much easier to harvest.
Finally, there's everything else. Which is word for word how our very knowledgeable guide categorised anything that wasn't DOCG or DOC, with a definite note of disdain in her voice.
It reminded me of another of our friends who makes olive oil. His comment was that he would never use anything less than extra virgin, because he literally cannot comprehend it. Motor oil, was I believe the phrase that was used.
After our morning at the winery, we moved on to lunch (at a fantastic restaurant owned by Katya's cousins - La Cucina di Crema) and finished off with a passeggiata through the local cemetery. It turns out that the area around Valdobbiadene is (or at least was) chock full of relatives. I'm hardly exaggerating when I say that every second grave was occupied by a Gobbo.
After all the excitement of the weekend, we are back in Lucca now.
All four of us had a fantastic time, and we are renewed in our enthusiasm for short trips to see more of this endlessly beautiful and always entertaining land. Even if it makes for some tired and cranky little people in the car on the trip home.
With love,
Kate
