Dal Zotto Pucino Prosecco: Australia's Prosecco Pioneer & King Valley's Italian Legacy

King Valley's Italian wine story begins with post-World War II migration, when families from northern and central Italy settled in the valley to farm tobacco. By 1978, Italians owned 82 per cent of farms just north of Whitfield, and as tobacco subsidies declined in the late 1970s and 1980s, many transitioned into viticulture. Otto Dal Zotto, born in 1948 in Valdobbiadene, the birthplace of Prosecco, migrated to Australia in 1967 and farmed tobacco before establishing Dal Zotto Wines in 1987. In 1999, inspired by his childhood in the Veneto, he planted Australia's first Prosecco vines at his Cheshunt property. The entire project, from sourcing cuttings to releasing the first wine, took six years, with the inaugural vintage released in December 2004.

• Post-WWII Italian migration shaped King Valley permanently; by 1978, Italians owned 82 per cent of farms near Whitfield, forming the cultural foundation for Italian varietal wine production
• Otto Dal Zotto established the winery in 1987 after farming tobacco for two decades; Glera cuttings were DNA-tested before planting to confirm authenticity
• The first Dal Zotto Prosecco, released December 2004 under the name L'Immigrante, sold only 200 dozen bottles; demand quickly outpaced supply
• In 2009, Dal Zotto and four other King Valley families created Prosecco Road, a tourism and wine trail that helped establish the region as Australia's home of Prosecco

King Valley occupies northeastern Victoria's elevated terrain, following the King River from the Alpine National Park north to Wangaratta. The valley ranges from broad river flats around Milawa (approximately 155 metres elevation) to the cool upper slopes and Whitlands Plateau at over 800 metres, one of the highest-altitude wine-growing areas in Australia. Dal Zotto's Glera vineyards sit at 300-400 metres in Whitfield, Cheshunt, and the Rose River Valley, where warm days and cool nights provide a long, stable ripening season suited to a late-ripening sparkling variety. Katabatic breezes sweeping north from the high country moderate summer temperatures, while soils comprise red clay loam that varies in character throughout the valley.

• Elevation range of 155-800 metres across the valley creates diverse microclimates; Dal Zotto's Glera sites sit at 300-400 metres, preserving crisp natural acidity
• Continental climate with warm days and cool nights; katabatic winds from the Alpine National Park extend the growing season and moderate ripeness
• King Valley contains some of Australia's highest-altitude vineyards, with the southern Whitlands Plateau exceeding 800 metres above sea level
• Soils are predominantly red clay loam with variation throughout the valley; drainage and elevation both reduce fungal disease pressure

Dal Zotto produces five Prosecco wines using two different methods. The Pucino range, both non-vintage and vintage, is produced using the Charmat method, where secondary fermentation takes place in pressurised stainless steel tanks to preserve fresh aromatics and fine perlage. The L'Immigrante uses traditional method champenoise (bottle fermentation), and two Col Fondo wines are bottle-fermented but not disgorged, including the Tabelo, which uses dried grape concentrate to initiate secondary fermentation. Glera, which Italian authorities renamed from Prosecco to Glera in 2009 to distinguish the grape from the appellation, is grown at yields of 10-15 tonnes per hectare at Dal Zotto using arch-cane pruning for even ripening. Budburst occurs in mid-September with harvest running from late February to mid-March.

• Pucino is produced in both NV and vintage expressions using the Charmat method; L'Immigrante uses traditional method champenoise
• Glera was officially renamed from Prosecco by Italian authorities in 2009; Australian producers, including Dal Zotto, continue to use Prosecco as the variety name on labels
• Arch-cane pruning replaced spur pruning to achieve even ripening; yields of 10-15 tonnes per hectare reflect Glera's naturally generous production
• Budburst in mid-September and harvest in late February to mid-March confirm Glera's role as a late-ripening variety suited to King Valley's extended growing season

Dal Zotto Family Wines is King Valley's Prosecco pioneer and remains its most recognized producer, operating close to 150 acres of estate vineyard across several sites. Ownership has passed from founders Otto and Elena to sons Michael, who handles winemaking, and Christian, who manages sales and marketing. In 2020, Dal Zotto was named Halliday Wine Companion Dark Horse Winery of the Year. The King Valley Prosecco Road, established in 2009 by five founding families, now links Dal Zotto, Pizzini Wines (first vines planted 1978, first label released 1994), Brown Brothers, Sam Miranda, and Chrismont. The cellar door is located at Wangaratta-Whitfield Road, Whitfield, Victoria, and offers tastings seven days a week.

• Dal Zotto holds close to 150 acres of estate vineyard; Michael Dal Zotto handles winemaking and received an ISSI fellowship in 2009 to train with Prosecco producers in Valdobbiadene
• Dal Zotto was named 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Dark Horse Winery of the Year, one of Australian wine's most prominent annual honours
• Pizzini Wines, founded with first vines planted in 1978 and first label in 1994, is another key Prosecco Road producer with heritage from Trentino, northern Italy
• The Prosecco Road, created in 2009 by Dal Zotto, Pizzini, Brown Brothers, Sam Miranda, and Chrismont, is a food and wine trail that helped transform the King Valley into a premium wine tourism destination

Australian producers including Dal Zotto use the 'Prosecco' name on labels on the basis that it refers to a grape variety rather than a geographical indication. In 2009, Italian authorities renamed the grape Glera and established the Prosecco DOC to protect the name as a geographical indication. Australian producers argue that, as with pinot noir or riesling, a variety name should remain available for common use regardless of regional designation. The EU has demanded that Australia restrict the use of 'Prosecco' and other European geographical indications as part of a broader free trade agreement. Negotiations stalled in 2023 over agricultural market access and naming rights; following the re-election of the Albanese government in May 2025, talks were renewed but remain unresolved as of 2026. According to Wine Australia, 17,437 tonnes of Prosecco grapes were crushed across Australia in 2024, a record volume.

• Australia's position: Prosecco is a grape variety name and should remain available for use on labels, consistent with how pinot noir and other varietal names are treated globally
• The Prosecco DOC was established in Italy in 2009, simultaneously renaming the grape to Glera; Australian producers had already built an industry under the Prosecco name before the change
• EU-Australia FTA negotiations, which include Prosecco naming rights as a key sticking point, were renewed in mid-2025 but no agreement has been reached as of 2026
• Wine Australia's 2024 vintage survey recorded 17,437 tonnes of Prosecco grapes crushed nationally, a 22 per cent year-on-year increase and the highest volume on record

The King Valley is located approximately three hours north-east of Melbourne via the Hume Highway and is often described as 'a little piece of Italy' in Victoria's High Country. Italian migrant families established a deeply rooted food and wine culture here, and the influence of that heritage is visible in cellar door trattorias, cooking schools, and bocce pitches across the valley. Dal Zotto operates a cellar door and Italian trattoria at Wangaratta-Whitfield Road, Whitfield (open seven days), along with accommodation comprising a renovated homestead and four studio retreats. The Prosecco Road wine trail links five founding producers; cellar doors including Pizzini, Chrismont, Sam Miranda, and Brown Brothers round out the itinerary. Seasonal festivals, including the Dal Zotto Prosecco Festival held annually in November, celebrate the region's signature variety.

• Dal Zotto cellar door and trattoria: Wangaratta-Whitfield Road, Whitfield VIC 3733; open seven days, accommodation includes homestead and four studio retreats
• King Valley Prosecco Road connects five founding producers: Dal Zotto, Pizzini, Brown Brothers, Sam Miranda, and Chrismont, all offering tasting experiences
• The annual Dal Zotto Prosecco Festival, held each November, draws visitors to celebrate the harvest and Italian food culture in the heart of the valley
• The region is around three hours drive north-east of Melbourne and is well supported by tourism infrastructure including the historic Mountain View Hotel in Whitfield