Santa Margherita 52 Extra Dry

Since 2019, Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Efforts to achieve this status, which began in 2008, were primarily aimed at recognising the uniqueness of the landscape. This area, located in the province of Treviso (northeastern Italy), is a mountainous strip of land where vineyards have been the main driver and shaper of the landscape. In this mountainous strip, which stretches from the municipality of Valdobbiadene to Vittorio Veneto, there are hills, small villages (with their corresponding agricultural land), forests and ciglioni (small plots of terraced vineyards covered with grass). For years, the work of people here has been key with the Bellussera (vine cultivation technique) shaping the horizon and creating a completely unique landscape. One of these small plots is where the Santa Margherita 52 Extra Dry sparkling wine is born.

The Prosecco di Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills are mainly covered by vineyards within the D.O.C.G. Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. This title, which aims to guarantee the authenticity and supreme quality of the area’s wines, was granted in 1969; however, the special characteristics of this location have always been known. The Romans knew about it, and so did Gaetano Marzotto, the founder of the Santa Margherita winery, centuries later. Today, this company belongs to the group of the same name, and they now own vineyards in the most interesting areas of Italy. And that means the D.O.C.G Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore was always going to be good, with the shallow sandstone soils considered some of the best for cultivation.

The grape variety chosen to make Santa Margherita 52 Extra Dry is Sauvignon Blanc, grown at an altitude of between 160 and 400 metres above sea level, ripening to its finest and most elegant thanks to the entirely manual care and work, where no chemical products are used. The grapes are also harvested by hand in the second half of September. Only then have they ripened enough, because of the temperate microclimate, with constant breezes and heavy downpours (frequent in summer). The slope of the hills ensures good water drainage and the strong temperature contrasts between day and night guarantee the proper development of the aromas and flavours of the Sauvignon Blanc. This makes it possible to create a high quality must which in turn results in good fermentation and a good base wine to make Santa Margherita 52 Extra Dry. This is the starting point for the rest of the winemaking process, where the aim is to achieve secondary fermentation using the charmat method. This process, which is very common in Italy, involves refermenting the wine, at a controlled temperature, in autoclaves (where the sparkling wine is left in contact with its lees for at least another two months).

Finally, Santa Margherita 52 Extra Dry is bottled and released for sale, ready to be tasted and savoured. Bon appetit!