Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG

The first written document linking Prosecco wine to the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area dates to 1772, though viticulture here has far older roots. The founding of the Scuola Enologica di Conegliano in 1876, the first oenology school in Italy, gave the region a scientific backbone that accelerated quality and reputation. The denomination received its first official recognition as a DOC in 1969, making it one of Italy's oldest protected wine zones. In 2009, a major restructuring of all Prosecco appellations saw Conegliano Valdobbiadene elevated to DOCG, Italy's highest quality designation. A decade later, on 7 July 2019, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan, inscribed the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene as Italy's 55th World Heritage Site, recognising the landscape as an outstanding example of centuries-long interaction between people and environment.

• First documented connection between this area and Prosecco wine dates to 1772
• Scuola Enologica di Conegliano founded 1876, first oenology school in Italy, still active today
• DOC recognition granted 1969; elevated to DOCG in 2009 with stricter production rules and lower permitted yields
• UNESCO World Heritage Site designation confirmed 7 July 2019 at the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku

The zone stretches approximately 25 kilometres east to west, anchored by Conegliano to the east and Valdobbiadene to the west, entirely within the Province of Treviso. The landscape is dominated by a distinctive geomorphological system of steep, spiny ridges known locally as hogbacks, with vineyards cultivated on narrow grassy terraces called ciglioni, a technique established since the 17th century. Vines grow on sunny hillside slopes at altitudes ranging from 50 to 500 metres above sea level, while the north-facing slopes are covered mainly in woodland. The climate is mild, moderated by proximity to the Adriatic Sea, which brings warmth and moisture, and by the Alpine foothills, which shield the zone from cold northern winds and generate beneficial diurnal temperature variation. Soils vary across the zone: the Valdobbiadene sector features ancient moraines, sandstone, and clay, while Conegliano has deeper glacially influenced soils, together providing nine distinct soil types across the 43 officially recognised Rive.

• Altitudes range from 50 to 500 metres above sea level; steep south-facing slopes maximise sun exposure
• Hogback ridge system creates a unique mosaic of vineyards, woodland, and small villages forming the UNESCO-recognised cultural landscape
• Adriatic Sea moderates temperatures; Pre-Alps shield vineyards from cold northern winds and create useful diurnal variation
• Nine distinct soil types identified across the denomination, supporting significant terroir diversity between individual Rive

Glera must comprise a minimum of 85% of every Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG blend. Up to 15% may come from the permitted supporting varieties: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, and Glera Lunga. The grape's natural high acidity, moderate alcohol potential, and delicate stone fruit and floral aromatics make it ideally suited to the Martinotti method, also widely known as the Charmat method. Italian enologist Federico Martinotti invented and patented this technique of secondary fermentation in large pressurised autoclave tanks in 1895. Frenchman Eugene Charmat refined and commercialised the equipment around 1910, lending his name to the method internationally. Tank fermentation preserves the variety's fresh, primary aromatics far more effectively than bottle fermentation would. Styles range from Extra Brut through Brut, Extra Dry, and Dry, with the partially sweeter Dry style being traditional for Superiore di Cartizze. A small but growing number of producers also make Col Fondo, a traditional refermented-in-bottle style with natural sediment.

• Minimum 85% Glera; up to 15% Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, and Glera Lunga permitted
• Martinotti method (tank secondary fermentation) patented 1895 by Federico Martinotti; refined by Eugene Charmat around 1910
• Tank fermentation preserves Glera's delicate floral and stone fruit aromatics that would be masked by extended bottle ageing
• Col Fondo, a traditional pet-nat-style Prosecco with bottle refermentation and natural sediment, is a growing niche within the DOCG

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG operates a three-tier quality hierarchy. The base level covers the entire denomination and may blend fruit from multiple communes. The Rive designation, created in 2009, identifies 43 officially recognised single-commune or single-hamlet wines that must be vintage-dated and sourced exclusively from one named site, allowing individual terroir to shine. At the apex sits Superiore di Cartizze, a grand cru of just 107 to 108 hectares located within the municipality of Valdobbiadene, between the hamlets of Santo Stefano, Saccol, and San Pietro di Barbozza. Cartizze vineyards rise from 200 to 350 metres above sea level on exceptionally steep slopes where machinery cannot operate. Yields are restricted to just 12 tonnes per hectare, even lower than the DOCG's standard 13.5 tonnes, and production is limited to approximately 1.2 million bottles per year from around 140 landowners. The style is typically Dry (17 to 32 grams per litre residual sugar), with riper, more concentrated fruit than standard DOCG expressions.

• 43 Rive recognised across the denomination; all Rive wines must be vintage-dated and single-commune in origin
• Cartizze covers 107 to 108 hectares with roughly 140 separate landowners in three hamlets of Valdobbiadene
• Cartizze yields capped at 12 tonnes per hectare; only around 1.2 million bottles produced annually
• Cartizze is traditionally bottled as Dry style, reflecting the naturally higher sugar accumulation on these steep, sun-drenched slopes

The denomination counts more than 430 producers across a wide spectrum of scale and philosophy. Nino Franco, founded in Valdobbiadene in 1919, is one of the oldest and most internationally respected houses, with the Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, made from 100% Glera, a widely recognised benchmark for the appellation. Bisol, a family estate with roots in Valdobbiadene dating to 1875, owns over 50 hectares of DOCG vineyards including parcels in Cartizze, and is known for its vintage-dated range and single-vineyard Rive bottlings. Adami, Col Vetoraz, Ruggeri, and Silvano Follador are further names consistently associated with quality across the DOCG and Cartizze subzone. Larger commercial producers such as Villa Sandi and Mionetto demonstrate that volume and quality are not mutually exclusive within the appellation, bringing the denomination's wines to global markets.

• Nino Franco, founded 1919, produces the widely exported Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG from 100% Glera
• Bisol family estate active since 1875 in Valdobbiadene, with estate vineyards across the DOCG including Cartizze parcels
• Adami, Col Vetoraz, Ruggeri, and Silvano Follador are benchmark producers in both standard DOCG and Cartizze
• Over 430 winifying producers serve export and domestic markets; more than 3,200 individual grape growers supply the denomination

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG was established formally in 2009 when Italy restructured all Prosecco appellations, simultaneously creating the broad Prosecco DOC across nine provinces of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. The DOCG imposes stricter standards than the DOC: vineyard yields are capped at 13.5 tonnes per hectare versus 18 tonnes in the DOC, and the entire production area sits within the hilly terrain of a single province, Treviso. All wines labelled Superiore must be sparkling; still and frizzante styles may not use the Superiore designation. Blending with up to 15% of approved varieties alongside Glera is permitted, and the production method may be Martinotti tank fermentation or, for a small number of producers, Col Fondo bottle refermentation. The Rive and Cartizze sub-tiers carry additional requirements: Rive wines must state a vintage and single commune; Cartizze requires bottling within the municipality of Valdobbiadene and may only be released as fully sparkling wine.

• DOCG yields capped at 13.5 tonnes per hectare; Cartizze limited further to 12 tonnes per hectare
• Superiore designation applies only to sparkling wines; frizzante and still versions cannot carry the Superiore title
• Rive wines require vintage dating and single-commune sourcing from one of 43 officially recognised sites
• Cartizze must be vinified and bottled within the municipality of Valdobbiadene; only spumante (fully sparkling) form is permitted

The Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone sits approximately 50 kilometres north of Venice and around 100 kilometres from the Dolomites, making it an accessible day trip or short stay from multiple major destinations. The Strada del Prosecco, one of Italy's oldest designated wine routes, connects the main towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene through a series of family wineries, trattorias, and villages such as Follina, Miane, and Refrontolo, all framed by the distinctive hogback landscape now protected under UNESCO. The Prosecco Hills Trail runs 51 kilometres across four stages from Vidor to Vittorio Veneto, following the ridgeline through the UNESCO core zone. Conegliano, considered the cultural capital, is home to the historic Scuola Enologica, while Valdobbiadene acts as the productive heart of the denomination, with many producers offering cellar visits and tastings. Harvest season runs through September and October, offering visitors opportunities to witness hand-picking on the steep hillsides firsthand.

• Located approximately 50 km from Venice and 100 km from the Dolomites in the Province of Treviso
• Strada del Prosecco is one of Italy's oldest wine routes, connecting Conegliano and Valdobbiadene through the UNESCO landscape
• Prosecco Hills Trail: 51 kilometres across four stages from Vidor to Vittorio Veneto through the UNESCO core zone
• Harvest season September to October; all harvesting done by hand given the steep, machinery-inaccessible slopes