The Piave wine zone is one of the many wine area in the Veneto that are still unknown outside of the region. I spent a few days there this summer, learning as much as I could about the wines and the topology of this undiscovered region. We will visit here on our 2012 Primavera del Prosecco cycling tours of the Veneto. One winemaker in particular was quite fascinating, and I had very interesting visit and a chance to sample some of his wonderful Raboso wines.

Giorgio Cecchetto is a winemaker passionate about the Raboso grape. His family winery, Cecchetto, is located in Tezze di Piave, in the heart of the Piave DOC area in the Treviso region of the Veneto. His family had a long tradition of growing the Raboso grape in this region. This region is quite flat, lying along the Piave river valley. It has flooded numerous times throughout

history, and the alluvial soil is quite fertile. It can also be quite damp and foggy, making it a challenging environment for many winemakers. The Raboso wine in particular is highly resistant to fungal disease and rot, and so is well-suited for this climate. Giorgio is highly committed to making the most from his beloved Raboso, and during a recent visit to their winery, I observed firsthand some of his experiments.

Immediately behind the winery are fields of Raboso grapes in which the rows of grape vines are interspersed with other plantings; vegetables, and in particular mulburry trees, replicating how they were planted traditionally. Inside, Raboso wines were aging in local woods such as chestnut, rather than in the French and Slovian oak that is all the rage today. Cristina Garetto, who gave me a quick tour, showed me an old book in which

aging in indigenous woods was specifically mentioned. Giorgio has also co-authored a book, with several other experts: Il Raboso del Piave – Fascinosa realtà delle terre del Piave (The charming reality of the Piave land) which is also translated into English.  According to Cecchetto, “it is an essential element of our heritage as much as our land, its good and bad seasons and  the 500-year-old history of our people who have kept and renewed the tradition of Raboso, always looking at the future with hope and confidence”

I tasted the 2007 Cecchetto Raboso del Piave during my visit in September, 2011. This wine is made from 100% Raboso Piave grapes, which are harvested when slightly overripe. The grapes are macerated in oak barrels for 12-15 days, then the wine is matured in large oak barrels for 18 months, and partly in barriques for 12 months. A final  6 months of aging occurs in the bottle.

This wine is a ruby red, with a full aroma of dark berries, cherries, and vanilla, along with leather and tobacco. Quite dry on the palate, with good structure and nice acidity and medium tannins.

Cristina gave me a bottle of their Raboso Passito, a sweet dessert wine made from Raboso grapes for me to try later. I shared it recently in a cooking class, and it was appreciated by all. This Raboso is a Passito wine, a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juices. The best bunches are carefully picked and stored in crates and on trelliswork until April, so that dehydration goes on for over six months. Then maceration takes place in stainless steel containers for 20 days, followed by fermentation in barriques. To produce this wine, Cecchetto has blended together four vintages in a decreasing order of percentage: 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005.

This Cecchetto Raboso Piave is deep ruby red in color. It exhibits a cherry aroma, rich in dried fruits. It has a very full flavor, lots of powerful tannins, and a persistent finish.