Valdobbiadene

We have to strengthen the clever intuition that brought about a new wave in viticulture: rooting wine to its territory.

Nino Franco
Nino Franco
Nino Franco

Valdobbiadene, or the «valley of Duplaviis», the Piave River

A theory on hills with dizzying slopes. Sudden steep drops that rise from the Venetian plain to the Pre-Alps, a series of terraces decked by vineyards. Valdobbiadene is a rural area with an ancient and exceptional flavor, tinged with bright green and enthralled under the light of a Canaletto painting. A land where each vineyard operation must necessarily be done by hand because the rows follow the slopes of the hills or attempt climbing inaccessible heights, hurling towards the dense woods.

The grapes of Nino Franco come entirely from the territory of the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene denomination. They are harvested by hand and vinified within the historically most suitable area of Prosecco, recognized by the disciplinary as the pinnacle of high-quality production. The parcels of Nino Franco, all no more than a few hectares wide, stretch within the Municipality of Valdobbiadene, yielding the winery’s single vineyard labels: Riva di San Floriano, Nodi and Grave di Stecca, “Grand Cru” Prosecco wines tightly bound to the territory of origin.

Nino Franco
Nino Franco

marvelous sparkling wines

The «Piave Valley» has ancient origins. The soils emerged from ancestral sea beds and were shaped by the Dolomite glaciers. Pushing into the Pre-Alps, the Alpine glaciers dug deep valleys, carrying huge quantities of sediments from the rocks.

The soils of Valdobbiadene are deep and varied, made up of rocky and sandy conglomerates enriched by clay, minerals and iron.

In the area of Conegliano, in the easternmost part of the denomination, there are gentler and more winding hills: silty-loamy soils, which yield more structured wines, prevail. The «Mandamento» of Valdobbiadene, on the other hand, is a steep and difficult land, with soils that could be fine-textured at times, or rich in skeletal grains in others, even gravelly in some places. These are poor soils that urge the roots of Glera to sink deep underground, yielding Prosecco wines with complex aromas, gentle acidity and a savory note, which has made them famous in the world as drinkable and deliciously elegant wines.

Cultural Landscape

In 2019, the hills of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene were proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site and were recognized as a «cultural landscape» where the work of winegrowers contributed to creating a unique panorama in the world.

Nino Franco
Nino Franco

cartizze

The “superiore” hill

A top area of Valdobbiadene and a local source of pride, the vineyards of Cartizze represent the peak of quality for the Prosecco denomination, even boasting a mention of its own. Nestled between the hamlets of Santo Stefano, Saccol and San Pietro di Barbozza, Cartizze extends over a 107-hectare hill covered with the vineyards of 108 different producers. Its altitude, exposure and soils that are particularly rich in minerals yield truly excellent sparkling wines.

Nino Franco