Conegliano Valdobbiadene
Moderate, with hill influence
The steep, hand-farmed hills between two towns north of Treviso that make Prosecco's finest tier, well above the flat-land bulk of the wider DOC.
Overview
About Conegliano Valdobbiadene
Most Prosecco comes from a large, flat DOC zone across the Veneto and Friuli, but the wine's origin and best examples come from the steep hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019 for their hand-tended, terraced vineyards. The grape is Glera, turned sparkling by the Charmat (tank) method rather than Champagne's slower bottle fermentation, giving fresh, fruity wine meant to be drunk young.
Within the zone, the hilltop Cartizze cru is a small, prized area whose grapes command a large premium, and 'Rive' wines name a single steep commune or hamlet.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene is marked on the map.
Italy
Shaded: Treviso. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Moderate, with hill influence
Mild and fairly wet, with the steep hills draining well and catching good sun exposure that the surrounding flat DOC land lacks.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Marl and sandstone on steep, glacially shaped hills, farmed by hand or small tracked tractors since the slopes are too steep for standard machinery.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
What makes one year better than another follows from the climate here: moderate, with hill influence.
A great year
A dry, sunny late summer, so Glera ripens with enough sugar for a clean, fruity base wine before the autumn tank fermentation.
A difficult year
A wet harvest period on the steep, hand-picked slopes, which slows picking and risks rot right when speed matters most.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.