Italian wine's best-sipped secret: Veneto

VENETO’S temperate climate and diverse landscape - stretching from the Dolomite Mountains in the north to the Adriatic Sea in the south-make for the happiest grapes.

- by Matt Nixson

Cool alpine breezes moderate temperatures in northern vineyards, while the warmer southern plains foster more robust, full-bodied varieties. Thus Italy’s north-eastern region provides everything from crisp whites to fruity reds, as well as some luxuriously full-bodied wines.