We were invited to the Simply Italian Great Wines tour that reached Beverly Hills this week and attended a seminar on Veneto Wines.  Veneto D.O.C. is the largest wine producing region in Italy and producing many different varietals and styles of wines.  Prosecco is the name for Italian sparkling wines and we tasted two produced in this region.
Veneto also produces a unique wine called Amarone.  It is made by the drying of the grapes after harvest by a process called 'appassimento'.  By the time of pressing the grapes weigh less than half the normal and show slight botrytis.
Amarone wines spend longer time in oak barrels and a long rest in bottles as well.  These wines are generally 16 per cent alcohol and can have a very long cellar life.  The wines are labeled Amarone Della Valpolicella and we had the opportunity, at this seminar, to taste three of these vintages.
Then it was to the top floor of Mr. C Beverly Hills Hotel for an expansive tasting of many Italian wines which was enthusiastically attended by many people including some of our colleagues from the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association.