r o d c t i o n
Among the slopes of conegliano valdobbiadene
the grape harvest by hand
The harvesting of grapes in our vineyards usually takes place between the middle and end of September: it is a practice that is conducted both by tradition and for morphological reasons of the territory, exclusively by hand from the single and careful selection of each bunch. Above all, this allows us to preserve the integrity of the berries and avoid unwanted fermentation before arrival at the winery.
The must flower
Vinification
For winemaking, it is important to first perform destemming so as to remove the part of the tannins in the stems. Next, the must and skins pass through a press where the skins are squeezed softly and gently.
The “flower must” first left to decant cold between 5 and 10 degrees is then made clear through the normal centrifugation, refrigeration and filtration operations. Sulfur dioxide will later be added for the purpose of assisting clarification of the wine and thus preventing oxidation.
From must to wine
Fermentation
Selected yeasts are subsequently added to the must we have in the tank, which help in fermentation the natural indigenous charge: the yeasts, feeding on the nitrogenous substances passed from the grapes to the must, and consuming the oxygen in the must itself, multiply and as soon as the oxygen is finished, alcoholic fermentation will begin.
As the fermentation process progresses, the amount of sugar and the density of the must decrease where we instead detect an increase in alcohol. When the alcohol measurement is taken consecutively with the same values, we can see that alcoholic fermentation is therefore finished. We then continue with racking that will allow the removal of lees deposited on the bottom, which will be followed by the maturation and stabilization phase of the base wine before moving on to sparkling.
The Martinotti Method
sparkling wine
The sparkling wine making method, called Charmat or also Martinotti, is characterized by the use of autoclaves: large stainless steel metal vessels where temperature and pressure are controlled. This is where the second fermentation stage takes place: the containers are sealed so that the carbon dioxide instead of dispersing can be reabsorbed by the wine.
In the autoclaves with the addition of sugar and yeast, frothing then takes place, which continues for about 30 days at a temperature of 13°C and allows us to preserve the fruity and floral aromas of the grapes, giving the wine elegance and freshness. When we reach the desired alcohol content, the fermentation process is stopped, leaving the residual sugar behind: the stop is therefore achieved early for sweeter sparkling wines and late for drier ones.
the crowning achievement of a year's work
Bottling
After that, we proceed with filtration and subsequent removal of yeast, leaving the wine stable. At the end then of the maturation period, the resulting Prosecco Superiore will be filtered, clarified and stabilized to be finally bottled, corked and packaged.
The Prosecco Superiore Shores
The ritual of the grape harvest
One of the unique characteristics of this area are the steep grassy slopes also known as “Rive” The word originates from the local dialect and indicates the steepest vineyards in this area, where the slopes are almost vertiginous with a terroir that gives an excellent quality to the grapes. This is where heroic harvesting takes place, where picking the grapes resembles a real climb that requires great strength and tenacity in carrying out the delicate task: harvesting and sorting the bunches of grapes.
