The Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco DOCG covers the hills of fifteen municipalities in the province of Treviso, in Veneto, between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene: among them Vittorio Veneto, Susegana, Pieve di Soligo, Farra di Soligo, Follina, Miane and Vidor. It has been a DOC since 1969 and a DOCG since 2009, and has about 8,385 hectares, with an output of 778,500 hectolitres.
From Roman tombstones to the wine school
The earliest evidence of wine at the foot of the Belluno Prealps is a set of Roman tombstones. In the sixth century Venantius Fortunatus, born in Valdobbiadene and later bishop of Poitiers, remembered his hills as the land where the vine blooms beneath the mountain. In 1282 came the Statutes of Conegliano. Around 1850 Marco Giulio Balbi Valier selected the «Prosecco Balbi» clone, and in 1876 the School of Viticulture and Oenology was founded in Conegliano, becoming an Experimental Station in 1923. In 1962 a protection consortium was formed, which obtained the DOC in 1969.
The grapes and the wines
All the wines come from at least 85% Glera, with Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera and Verdiso up to 15%; Chardonnay and the Pinots are also allowed in the Spumante Superiore. Alongside the still and frizzante Bianco, the heart of the appellation is the Spumante Superiore. The Sui Lieviti version referments in bottle and stays at least 90 days on the lees. The minimum alcohol is 10.5%.
Rive and Cartizze
The Rive are vineyards in twelve municipalities and 31 hamlets that may put their own name on the label, provided all the grapes come from there. Cartizze is a micro-area of Valdobbiadene: its sparkling wine is called «Superiore di Cartizze» and ages about six months. Labels come in many variants: the word Superiore is optional, and so is Prosecco itself; wines from Valdobbiadene may leave out Conegliano, and vice versa.
The Brut goes with fish and vegetable starters, seafood pasta and baked fish; the Extra Dry is an aperitif and suits fresh cheeses and white meats; the Dry goes with dry pastries; the Cartizze with fruit tarts and focacce. Further down, over a much larger territory, lies the Prosecco DOC.
