Visiting The Veneto Wine Region

The Veneto wine region is one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, but is often overlooked by tourists who skip it for the more touristy, crowded, and expensive regions. Located in northeastern Italy, Veneto is home to the USESCO Prosecco area, and stretches from the Dolomites, bordering Austria to the north, (where the 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Cortina), to Venice on the Adriatic coast.

Veneto has something for everyone, from family run farms and wineries, to local artisans, breweries and bakeries. There are hidden gems throughout the region. Let’s take a trip and visit just a few of them. (Disclosure; this trip was sponsored by the Marca Treviso and the Associazione Guide di Marca, all opinions are my own)

Why Visit Veneto, Italy? 

If you’ve been to Venice, you’ve been to Veneto. While most visitors explore no further than Venice, there’s much more to see outside of the city. Veneto is one of the most interesting regions in northern Italy. with a rich history, ancient and medieval cities, vineyard-covered hills, lakes, Alpine mountains, and the Adriatic sea. 

Wines of the Veneto region

With such a diverse landscape, running from the foothills of the alps, to the mild climate of the eastern coast, Veneto offers unique terroir. Diverse fertile soils, warm days and cool nights means that the area is hospitable to many grape varieties.The region’s indigenous grape varieties are Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes, although the Cabernet Sauvignon grape is now part of many vineyards, and is often used in blends.

Whether you favor crisp white wines, sparkling wine, or rich red wine, there’s something for every wine lover. While Pinot Grigio and Prosecco DOC might the most familiar, don’t overlook other Veneto wines like Amarone della Valpolicella, a full-bodied red wine made from dried grapes, Bardolino, and Soave classico DOC, you can even find a rosé version of sparkling wine.

Treviso

Just outside Venice is the lovely town of Treviso. If you’ve been following me for a while, you will already know I visit Treviso, just 20 miles north of Venice, every October for the Tiramisu World Cup.

October 2025 was my fourth time visiting Treviso as a judge in this delicious competition! One of my favorite places to visit, Treviso is a charming town, with canals, quaint streets, and a lively piazza that jumps from aperitivo time to midnight most nights. It’s pedestrian friendly, with most churches, shops, and dining located within an easy distance from the Piazza dei Signori.

Use Treviso as a base to explore the region. You’ll find moderately priced boutique hotels and inns, such as the B&B Hotel Treviso, at a fraction of the cost of Venice. It’s around 1/3 of a mile from Piazza dei Signori, (about 7-8 minutes on foot). I stayed there on my last trip to Treviso. They offer a complimentary breakfast which is always a nice perk. 

Dining in Treviso

While there are lots of delicious sit down restaurants, here are a few of my budget friendly suggestions! Every year the first place I visit in Treviso is Hostaria Dai Naneti for a mortadella sandwich and a glass of wine.

Right off Piazza dei Signori, this popular deli is always full. There are tables out front and in the square where you can eat your sandwich. If you want something more substantial for aperitivo, order the charcuterie board with cut to order meats and cheeses.

For pasta, Etto is an amazing little place where you choose your pasta shape and sauce and they make it to order. A plate of pasta with your choice of sauce will cost under 12 euros. When I was there with Christina’s Cucina, we ate there twice in 4 days it was that good! 

For pizza I recommend Unico Ristorante Pizzeria. While pizza is not the specialty of the region, Unico Pizzeria is run by two brothers from Naples and focuses on Neapolitan cuisine.   This is a great place for pizza, especially if you are not able to make it down south to Naples.

Day trips from Treviso

Venice

A day trip to Venice is just under 45 minutes by train. I’ve gone to Venice in the morning from the Treviso train station, had lunch in Venice, walked to St. Mark’s Square and been back in Treviso in time for aperitivo in the piazza!

Valdobbiadene 

Valdobbiadene is ideal if you’re looking for authentic Italian wine experiences, scenic countryside without the big crowds found in more well known towns, and a slow paced food and wine focused vacation. 

For a relaxing lunch with hillside views of vineyards visit Salis Ristorante Enoteca. Each course is a delicious nod to local and seasonal ingredients, prepared by the owner and chef, Chiara. We stopped here on our wine tour of the region for a light meal. Each course was served with local wines. Of course we started off with a glass of Prosecco!

The menu at Salis changes to reflect the availability of organic produce. Salis Ristorante Enoteca offers both a tasting menu and a la carte options. Let your server help you pair your meal with local wines and Prosecco. After lunch we took a walk to view the stunning landscape of the valley below. 

Visit a local brewery 

Valdobbiadene isn’t just for Prosecco! Our next stop was a visit to the brewery 32 Via dei Birrai where we toured the bottling line, learned about their unique corkage, and the history of this artisan beer. We then enjoyed a cured meats and sampled their delightful beers which felt more like sipping fine wines!

Wine tasting and a cooking class

Just 16 miles north west of Treviso, near Montebelluna is Villa Sandi. This stunning Palladian style villa dates back to 1622. A visit to Villa Sandi is a fantastic choice if you have limited time. The vast property offers wine tastings, tours of the estate, dining, cooking classes, as well as beautifully appointed suites to stay in the nearby locanda.

After our tour of the estate where we learned about their winemaking tradition, and had a wine tasting. Then we headed to Locanda Sandi for an afternoon cooking class.

Under the guidance of the ristorante’s chef, we all made pasta by hand, sipped the estate’s Prosecco and nibbled on local cheeses and meats. Taking a cooking class in Italy is always a good idea!

We also prepared an apple strudel for our dessert. After we finished the class, we headed into the cozy dining room for supper. We got to eat our pasta, which the chef finished in the kitchen.

That was followed by roasted meats and local produce. Locanda Sandi is known for their meat which you can watch being roasted in the 8 meter high fireplace! Each course was paired with a glass of Villa Sandi wine. The meat was absolutely fantastic and getting to eat fresh pasta that was made just a few hours earlier was such a treat!

We finished our meal with the apple strudel we had made earlier in the day. While apple strudel doesn’t seem like a very “Italian” choice, the proximity of Veneto means there are some crossover culinary traditions from Austria and Switzerland.

Where to stay in Valdobbiadene

After a very busy day touring the region, we made a short trip to Pieve del Grappa for an overnight stay at the Wine Hotel San Giacomo. This conveniently located hotel is right in the middle of wine country just a short drive from both Valdobbiadene and Treviso.

My only regret is that we had so little time in this sweet hotel with an amazing spa and gorgeous grounds. I would have loved an opportunity to spend a day in the spa and eat at the hotel’s restaurant, Il Melograno. Because San Giacomo is in the middle of wine country, they also have a wine bar as well as staff that are well versed in Italian wines and those of the region of Veneto. Some have even completed sommelier courses!

One perk I always like is a complimentary breakfast! The Wine Hotel San Giacomo serves a fabulous breakfast with meats, cheeses, sweet rolls, cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit, and of course cappuccino!

Asolo

Another quaint town nestled in the foothills is Asolo. Well known for its lace making, Asolo can only reached by car. It is a 10 minute drive from the Wine Hotel San Giacomo and about 25 miles from Treviso making it an easy day trip from either town.

Asolo is known as “the city of a hundred horizons” for its stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Dating from Roman times, it was a thriving town during the Middle Ages and was once home to the poet, Robert Browning. These days it’s a well kept secret, and home to artists and the uber wealthy. You can see remains of a Roman amphitheater, the late 12th century castle and fortress, Rocca di Asolo, as well as an 18th century cathedral. 

Ernest Hemingway was known to frequent Asolo in the late 1940s and 1950’s. He found inspiration for his writing in the quaint, town. Caffe Centrale Asolo in the main piazza has dozens of chairs with famous celebrities and authors.

Castello di Roncade

Less than 10 miles east of Treviso, is Castello di Roncade. Buildings have been present on the property since 900 AD! The manor home was gifted to the Counts of Collalto by Otto ll. Although it was destroyed, it was rebuilt in the 16th century by a Venetian nobleman, and is the villa that still exists today.

The castello was a refuge from the warm summers of Venice for wealthy, aristocratic Venetians. There are rooms one can book in the villa, including rooms in the tower. 

After a tour of the villa and winery, we learned about production methods, wine styles, and the diverse terroir of the region. A wine tasting followed with a delicious spread of local cured meats and cheeses. You can see a pattern here! Italians do not drink without food! Charcuterie is always a good choice and nobody does cured meats better than the Italians!

Getting around

While many towns are easily accessible by train, like Venice, Verona and Treviso, many towns and wineries are off the beaten path. You can certainly rent a car, but if you’re unfamiliar with local roads or plan on wine tasting, a car service is such a great option! We had a wonderful three days with our driver from Treviso Car Service. 

There were 7 of us in a van and we never had to worry about where we were going, narrow roads, drinking too much, or leaving our belongings in the van. Treviso Car Service offers a Prosecco Road Experience, airport trips, wedding cars, and cruise and ski resort transfers.

If you’re looking for a vacation in north-eastern Italy, that’s relatively untouched by mass tourism, with smaller villages, world class vineyards, incredible regional cuisine, and panoramic vistas, I highly suggest venturing out of Venice and visiting the greater Veneto region for a unique food and wine experience.

Resources:

Thank you to the following who sponsored and organized this wonderful trip!

Fondazione Marca Treviso Visit Treviso

Treviso Tours and Touring with Lara