About

To make good wine, one must think like a sculptor looking at a block of rough stone.
He sees the veins running through the material, sensing the possibility of creating a piece of art, even before starting to work on it.

Nino Franco
Nino Franco
Nino Franco

More than wine: a cultural movement around Valdobbiadene Prosecco.

Nino Franco writes the first chapters of a fundamental biography with steadfast curiosity: the story of Valdobbiadene Prosecco in the most important international kitchens. From the production of the first vintage Prosecco in 1983 to the creation of a cocktail list for the Mayfair Regent Hotel in New York, Primo and Silvia bring a wine with a unique character to the world, one that is shaped by the encounter between architecture and nouvelle cuisine, between pleasure and culture.

These are wines that form a cloud in the glass when poured, just as Gualtiero Marchesi wanted. Sparkling wines with a personality similar to white pepper and an aromatic profile that recalls a fruit basket by Caravaggio. But most importantly, these are wines that are strongly rooted to their territory of origin, Valdobbiadene, where Nino Franco separately vinifies each single plot, «chiseling» sparkling wines that are the authentic expression of the territory. A production process that reached its culmination with the acquisition of Villa Barberina and the vinification of a remarkable single vineyard wine, Grave di Stecca: this is how the clos of Valdobbiadene was born.

A Prosecco that knows how to be a wine before being Prosecco. One that continues to be a wine after it has ceased to be a Prosecco. A democratic luxury, an ode to pleasure and to the culture of all that’s good. One that, after years of aging in the bottle, evolves into a profound tribute to the hills and soils of Valdobbiadene.

benefit corporation

We’re Now a Benefit Corporation: the same commitment as always, now officially reaffirmed.

We’re excited to share some important news with you: as of August 2024, Nino Franco Spumanti has officially become a Benefit Corporation.

This isn’t just a milestone – it marks the beginning of a new chapter that embodies a commitment we’ve always held dear: our mission to consistently create a positive social and environmental impact. Becoming a Benefit Corporation means we’re formally pledging to operate responsibly, sustainably, and transparently, aiming to enhance the well-being of both people and the planet.

We’ve always taken a hard look at ourselves to find ways to improve. Recently, we’ve worked on evolving in key areas such as governance, employee welfare, our impact on the local community, and environmental resource management. Today, we’ve officially certified the practices we’ve been following for years and decided to commit to continuing our progress.

We firmly believe that businesses can drive positive change, and we’re thrilled to do our part. Every small action matters, and we invite you to join us on this journey – whether it’s reducing waste, adopting sustainable practices, or simply promoting respect and empathy. Together, we can make a real difference!

Nino Franco

history

I have learned more by traveling than when I stayed still.

Antonio Franco was an honest wine merchant. His son Giovanni, known as Nino, began producing sparkling wines.

But it was the “quiet revolution” of Primo Franco, Antonio’s grandson, that brought the wind of change, opening the doors of the best restaurants in the world to his Valdobbiadene Prosecco wines. Primo bravely crossed the Piave, leaving behind an agricultural world that exclusively evolved around itself.

Primo’s new wave of Prosecco – authorial, intimate and identifying – is the embodiment of his experiences: travels, encounters, meetings with chefs and gastronomes of the Nouvelle Cuisine, studies in enology and passion for architecture, as well as conversations and drinks with friends.

Today, after making history for a century, Nino Franco is the icon of Valdobbiadene Prosecco. While observing the utmost respect for his homeland, he undid – using quality and imagination – all the prejudices against an easy and standardized wine, one considered as an endowment of a rustic and pragmatic culture.

1919

Antonio Franco founded «Cantine Franco Antonio, Produttore e negoziante in vini».

Nino Franco
1966

His son Giovanni, known as Nino, changed the name to «Nino Franco di Franco Giovanni» and continued the winemaking business with the production of white and red wines.

Nino Franco
1971

Primo, who graduated from the “Scuola Enologica di Conegliano Veneto”, began collaborating with his father in the cellar, exclusively focusing on the production of Prosecco.

1979

Rustico changes “character”: from being a wine aged on its lees, it became a Charmat Method sparkling wine.

Nino Franco
1982

After his father passed away, Primo inherited the winery. He travelled in Italy and abroad to introduce the culture of Prosecco.

Nino Franco
1983

«Primo Franco» was born, the first Prosecco to bear the vintage and the producer's signature on the label. This is the revolutionary wine that marked the birth of a new era for signature Prosecco.

1993

His wife, Annalisa, joined Primo in the cellar and, together, they embarked on the adventure of Grave di Stecca, imagining vinifying it as a single vineyard. After a mass selection of Glera from the existing vineyard, they replanted the vineyard together with Monsieur Guillaume, one of France’s greatest nursery men.

1999

First harvest of “Vigneto della Riva di San Floriano”, one of the very first single vineyard Prosecco to appear on the market.

Nino Franco
2004

Villa Barberina, an 18th-century residence inside the Grave di Stecca vineyard, was acquired. After undergoing restoration in 2008, it became an elegant relais managed by Annalisa.

Nino Franco
2006

Silvia, from the fourth generation of the Franco family, continued the family’s tradition of running the winery.

Nino Franco
2014

A new collaboration with master pruners Simonit & Sirch, focusing on recovering centuries-old vineyards of Col del Vent.

2015

From the Col del Vent vineyard comes “Nodi”, fruit of centenary vines, some of which are still ungrafted.

2019

Nino Franco celebrates 100 years of history and experimentation.

Nino Franco