Santa Margherita Valdobbiandene Prosecco Superiore DOCG

The Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area, about 50 km from Venice (in northeastern Italy), is one of the areas with a great wine-growing tradition. Yes, we know this is not unusual in the boot-shaped country - in 2021 Italy produced a total of 50.2 million hectolitres (19.3% of all the world’s wine) - but very few can boast that they date back to Roman times and are now a denomination. Nowadays the D.O.C.G. Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore is home to wonderful sparkling wines, like the Santa Margherita Valdobbiandene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.

The Santa Margherita winery, founded in 1935 by Gaetano Marzotto, was the first to believe in the potential of this territory, which is unique in the world for three reasons: its soil, its climate and the way it is worked. The Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area is fed by very ancient soils, rich in marine and lake beds, in a pre-alpine area, with hills and valleys, which fortunately today is barely polluted. Here Santa Margherita has 43 Rives, small vineyards located on the steepest slopes. The loams and sandstones are the perfect place for the Glera, a variety native to the area, which grows well in the rains (which drain down the slopes) and the warm breezes that allow the clusters to dry quickly. Ripening is more than guaranteed by the sun exposure and the temperature contrasts between day and night, due to the different altitudes the vineyards grow at (between 100 and 500 metres above sea level). These high locations firmly determine the way of working, which is always manually, following the natural contours of the landscape and based on an indisputable element of discipline and hard work.

Taking all these factors into account, nothing else can come out of here but the “most exclusive” prosecco, like Santa Margherita Valdobbiandene Prosecco Superiore DOCG. After harvesting (mid-September) and pressing, Santa Margherita Valdobbiandene Prosecco Superiore DOCG is fermented and the base wine is made, which will then be placed into the autoclaves, where the second fermentation takes place. Unlike the more traditional methods (which occur in the bottle), this method - known as Metodo Martinotti-Charmat - is carried out in pressurised tanks at a controlled temperature and pressure with the addition of sugars and yeasts. That means after 18 to 20 days, the desired pressure is reached and the wine is allowed to cool to stop fermentation and stabilise. Finally, for a much more natural result, Santa Margherita Valdobbiandene Prosecco Superiore DOCG is left for a month in these autoclaves, in contact with its lees, before bottling. A completely unique luxury at an affordable price!