New Website Spotlights Certified California Sustainable Wines, Vineyards And Wineries

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance) launched a new website, the start of Down to Earth month, dedicated to the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing program at californiasustainablewine.com.

Developed for trade, media, consumers and visitors who want to find sustainable wines, wineries and vineyards that are certified with a rigorous third-party audit, the website also illustrates how sustainable vineyards and wineries are making wine in an environmentally and socially responsible way.
“
The new certification website is a tool to convey key sustainability messages and to connect certified wines, wineries and vineyards with interested trade and consumers,” said Allison Jordan, CSWA’s Executive Director. “The California wine industry is a global leader in sustainability and well positioned to meet the growing interest we’ve seen in recent research.”

Feature pages of the new site are:

FIND – Users can search for certified wines, wineries and/or vineyards, and sort by varietal, region or appellation. With 2,247 Certified California Sustainable Vineyards that farm 204,000 acres (32% of California winegrape acres; another 22% are certified by other California sustainable winegrowing programs), 171 certified wineries producing 255 million cases (80% of California wine) and 9.4 million cases (113 million wine bottles) bearing the certification logo or claims, the search function is a valuable new tool to discover California wineries and vineyards that are committed to sustainability. VISIT – Visitors can browse an interactive map to plan a wine country trip to certified wineries with tasting rooms open to the public. The website allows users to identify certified wineries within a specific wine region, or see the broad embrace of sustainability across California.

LEARN – An overview of certification addresses requirements, key areas of sustainable winegrowing and why supporting vineyard and winery sustainability efforts matter. Additionally, there are insights on Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing’s logos, other California sustainability programs (e.g., LODI RULES, SIP Certified and Napa Green), and definitions for sustainable/organic/biodynamic wines. Via the Learn page, users can also “dig deeper” for even more details about the program.

About the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 2003 by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. CSWA’s mission is to encourage adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices and communicate the California wine industry’s global leadership through education, outreach, certification and partnerships. The result of this work will be a healthier environment, stronger communities, and vibrant businesses.

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New Weapons Against The Most Notorious Vineyard Diseases

A tractor at Champagne Louis de Sacy, armed with garlic spray. It is also rumored to ward off Champires. (Anthony Chaudron)

A Champagne vine expert and a Bordeaux lab have developed potential keys to winning winemakers' eternal war with powdery and downy mildews

 Winemakers have numerous adversaries: phylloxera, smoke taint, birds and saboteurs, to name just a few. But one of their most persistent foes has been that oddly unthreatening-sounding scourge, powdery mildew (aka oïdium). This fungal disease, a menace to wine regions around the globe, creeps its way across vines’ leaves and onto grapes, ultimately choking yield and quality if not managed. Given the damage it inflicts, winemakers have long wondered what can be done to stop its spread. Some vintners turn to sulfur sprays, some to synthetic fungicides. But for French vineyard specialist Anthony Chaudron, the new weapon of choice is a familiar friend to gastronomes and chefs: garlic.

“Garlic is an anti-fungal, so it naturally fights off powdery mildew,” Chaudron told Unfiltered via email. “[It] reverses the [vines’] pH. The fungus no longer feels comfortable on the [vine].”

Chaudron first heard of using garlic as a preventative fungicide almost a decade ago. Gardeners and farmers have known for a long time that the foodstuff was a fungus fighter, which could be attributed to garlic's high concentration of allicin, a sulfur-based acid with several supposed health benefits for humans and plants alike. With the help of his friend and associate Jonathan Sacy, now the operations manager at his family’s winery, Champagne Louis de Sacy, Chaudron was able to do full-scale vineyard trials of garlic spray on 22 acres of vines, determining that his scampi-friendly method does the best job of keeping oïdium at bay (as far as produce goes).

Another tractor goes to war at Champagne Louis de Sacy (Anthony Chaudron)

“To my knowledge, I don't know of anyone who uses this method in Champagne,” said Chaudron, besides Louis de Sacy. “So I might be the first to use garlic against powdery mildew.” Now, the mildew-busting pair use organic garlic from France’s Lorraine region, macerating it in oil for 12 to 24 hours before making it into a rainwater-based spray. The spray is applied long before harvest in the growing season, so garlic aromas in the grapes are not an issue.

Per Chaudron, the use of garlic doesn’t break any of Champagne’s strict viticultural regulations and could even benefit winemakers’ wallets, being a cheaper alternative to sulfur. Some members of the Champagne community have been skeptical of his technique, he claimed. Nonetheless, Chaudron is hopeful that his pungent protective can fight the good fight at other estates. “Obviously, this method should become more widespread in all vineyards,” he said.

But the crisper drawer isn’t the only source of potential mildew solutions. On the laboratory side, a group of researchers have been developing a way to keep another disease, downy mildew, out. Simply put, they’re looking to throw off the flirting game of the microorganism that causes it.

The deviants in the act of germinating: Plasmopara oospores, left ((c) INRAE, Isabelle Demeaux)

The idea appears in new paper published last month in Current Biology, “Identification of the first oomycete mating-type locus sequence in the grapevine downy mildew pathogen, Plasmopara viticola,” based on work from researchers at France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) in Bordeaux and a few partner labs. The paper’s chief researcher, François Delmotte of the INRAE, gave us the lowdown on what it all means.

Delmotte and his team researched the DNA of several strains of Plasmopara viticola, the microorganism responsible for causing downy mildew in vineyards, taken from afflicted Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and other varieties. (Powdery mildew is a true fungal disease, while downy mildew is not; they tend to prefer different climate conditions and present similar, but distinguishable, patterns of infection on vines.)

“The discovery we have just made is fundamental,” said Delmotte. “We have identified the mating-type locus of grapevine downy mildew.” That's the part of the microorganism’s genome relating to mating and reproduction compatibility. Now that researchers know the genes that spur plasmopara’s reproduction, they could one day understand how to interrupt the organism’s microscopic mating rituals. Add this to research from Japan that identified the hormones involved in a similar microorganism's reproduction, and science is arming up to shut down downy mildew epidemics.

The telltale yellow-red-brown spots of downy mildew on a grapevine leaf ((c) INRAE, F. Delmotte)

This practical application isn’t science fiction. It's been done before. Between 1974 and 1995, INRAE found a method to fight another vineyard pest, Lobesia botrana—the European grapevine moth—by disturbing its mating cycle with artificial pheromones, confusing communication between the female and male moths. “Today, up to 10 percent of the French vineyards [are using] ‘mating disruption,’” Delmotte observed. “The [new] method, when it will be fully developed, would prevent the epidemics [from starting].”

This technique could be used to defend crops other than vines, too. Potatoes are susceptible to another, similar microorganism. But more research is necessary: Next up, Delmotte’s team is planning to identify the exact genes involved in downy mildew’s mating hormone signals. They're also trying to reconstruct the history of its invasion of Europe from North America centuries ago, to determine how these shenanigans got started in the first place.

Contributed by By 

• Collin Dreizen

Source: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/sex-and-garlic-new-weapons-against-the-most-notorious-vineyard-diseases-unfiltered

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Alsatian Wines Strike A Balance Of Dry And Sweet #Wine #FrenchWine

Eric Asimov

THE POUR AUG. 17, 2017

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André Ostertag of Domaine Ostertag in the Alsace wine region of France.CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

EPFIG, France — The Muenchberg vineyard outside this small town is considered one of the best in Alsace. It’s among several dozen in the region that have earned the status of grand cru, vineyards from which the wines have the potential to transcend the qualities of the grapes to express the character of the place.

While the notion of grand cru in Alsace reaches back only a few decades, the individuality of Muenchberg has been recognized for centuries.

Cistercian monks first planted vines in a natural amphitheater in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains in the 12th century. Perhaps for them the potential greatness of Muenchberg was evident in its complexity: diverse exposures angled in all directions and wide-ranging soils including red sandstone with lots of iron and quartz, volcanic sediment and limestone.

From any angle, however, the vineyard is gorgeous. The light is pure, and the breeze fresh.

“Grand crus are always beautiful places where you feel the force and energy,” said André Ostertag, proprietor of Domaine Ostertag, which has holdings in Muenchberg as well as numerous other plots in the middle and northern parts of the Alsace growing region. “In any strong terroir, you have the feeling of the place.”

Olivier Humbrecht of Zind Humbrecht in his cellar. CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

The Alsace wine region, from Mulhouse on the south to Strasbourg on the north, is full of beautiful places and great terroirs. This long, narrow slash of rolling hills and pretty half-timbered towns between the Vosges on the west and the Rhine to the east has its share of great growers and winemakers, both older masters and young up-and-comers.

Alsace also has an image problem. Or, to be more precise, in the United States it faces the absence of one. Ask a young person about the wines of Alsace, and chances are you will be met with a blank stare. The best wine lists in New York may have only a handful of Alsatian bottles, and the hipper lists none at all.

Yet no region in France has a higher percentage of organic or biodynamic growers than Alsace, which theoretically should attract the keepers of natural wine lists.

It is time for a deeper look at Alsace, where I spent a few days this year visiting a range of producers. I tasted many wonderful wines, like Mr. Ostertag’s 2015 riesling from the Muenchberg vineyard, savory and saline, full of power and finesse. And, for a wine of less grandeur, his 2015 sylvaner, a grape practically unknown in the United States, is floral and zesty.

Bottles of Domaine Ostertag wines before labeling. CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

Alsace did not always draw a blank in America. In the 1980s, when I was first learning about wine, the slender bottles from Alsace were known as delicious high-quality values, dry contrasts to the generally sweet wines from Germany made from a similar set of grapes.

It helped that André Soltner, the superstar chef and owner of Lutèce, New York’s leading restaurant back then, was Alsatian. His list was full of the top names of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but the wines of Alsace were his favored selections with the cuisine.

In the ’90s, estates like Zind Humbrecht became critical darlings. But the wines also seemed to ebb from the general consciousness and slowly slip away.

The problem was that over time, too many of the historically dry wines of Alsace were sold with residual sugar in them. These wines were sweet, heavy and out of balance, with no indication of sweetness on the label. The problem is not new, and much has been done to rectify it. But the perception appears to linger.

Bottles of Domaine Ostertag wines before labeling. CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

Alsace did not always draw a blank in America. In the 1980s, when I was first learning about wine, the slender bottles from Alsace were known as delicious high-quality values, dry contrasts to the generally sweet wines from Germany made from a similar set of grapes.

It helped that André Soltner, the superstar chef and owner of Lutèce, New York’s leading restaurant back then, was Alsatian. His list was full of the top names of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but the wines of Alsace were his favored selections with the cuisine.

In the ’90s, estates like Zind Humbrecht became critical darlings. But the wines also seemed to ebb from the general consciousness and slowly slip away.

The problem was that over time, too many of the historically dry wines of Alsace were sold with residual sugar in them. These wines were sweet, heavy and out of balance, with no indication of sweetness on the label. The problem is not new, and much has been done to rectify it. But the perception appears to linger.

A glass of Zind Humbrecht wine in the tasting cellar.CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

Mr. Ostertag attributed the increasing sweetness to American critics who favorably rewarded those wines. “The sweeter the wine, the higher the score,” he said. “More and more wine appeared with sweetness and nothing more.”

Winemakers in Alsace have been working on solutions to the sweetness issue for years now. Partly, the problem was the result of idealism. Producers like Zind Humbrecht and Domaine Marcel Deiss, who work organically and biodynamically, were loath to pick grapes before they achieved absolute ripeness. They refused to add powerful store-bought yeast to complete fermentations that the indigenous yeast had not finished, which left residual sugar in the wine.

Over time, Olivier Humbrecht, whose family owns Zind Humbrecht, adjusted his viticulture so that ripeness could be achieved with less sugar in the grapes. You can taste the difference. Bottles that I used to find almost syrupy are now sharp and focused, even when they do have some residual sugar.

For years, Zind Humbrecht has put a code on its label to show the level of sweetness consumers can expect. The numbers, or indices, run from 1 (dry) to 5 (rich and sweet). I tasted a 2015 riesling from the Clos Häuserer vineyard, marked Indice 3, that was clearly sweet, yet it was vibrant and refreshing, with a balancing zing of acidity that I would not have found a decade ago.

The Zind Humbrecht estate in Turckheim, France. CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

Zind Humbrecht’s dry 2015s are lovely, including a fragrant gentle muscat from the grand cru Goldert vineyard and a deeply mineral, concentrated riesling from the grand cru Brand vineyard. I was especially impressed with their pinot gris, a grape that seems particularly susceptible in Alsace to cloying heaviness.

“There’s a lot of work done in the vineyard getting the precision right in pinot gris,” said Jolene Hunter, Zind Humbrecht’s export manager. “If you hesitate for a day, the acidity drops massively and alcohol shoots up.”

The 2014 pinot gris from the Rotenberg vineyard was beautifully balanced, fruity and saline, deliciously refreshing.

At Domaine Marcel Deiss, Jean-Michel Deiss and his son, Mathieu, have also been working in the vineyard to achieve riper grapes with less sugar. Mathieu Deiss’s side project, Vignoble du Rêveur, allows him to experiment with techniques popularized in natural wines: macerating white wines with their skins in the manner used for making red wines, fermenting and aging in amphoras, and working without sulfur dioxide, the stabilizer used in most wines.

Photo

From left, Jean-Michel and Mathieu Deiss of Domaine Marcel Deiss. CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

The 2015 Vignoble du Rêveur Singulier Sec is, like many of the Deiss wines, a blend of different grapes, in this case riesling, pinot gris, pinot blanc and pinot noir. It’s a beautiful amber, textured and tannic, bone-dry, fresh and energetic. It reminded me of the wines of Radikon, the great producer from Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Residual sugar does have an important place in Alsace, as long as the wines are balanced and consumers know what to expect. But Deiss leaves this responsibility to the wine trade and to consumers themselves rather than indicating on its bottles the characteristics of its various bottles.

For example, the Engelgarten wines — from a gravelly terroir where muscat, pinot gris, pinot noir and riesling grow together — are generally dry, earthy and savory. But wines from the limestone Grasberg vineyard — combining riesling, pinot gris and gewürztraminer — are invariably floral, spicy and sweet, though balanced by excellent acidity.

“The nature of this vineyard is the expression of residual sugar,” said Marie-Hélène Cristofaro, commercial director and enologist for Deiss. “The wine never completes fermentation. This balance comes from nature.”

Sampling a pinot noir at Domaine Valentin Zusslin. CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

She said, though, that Mathieu Deiss’s experiments indicate that fermentation can go more smoothly with skin maceration, and suggested a future application in wines like the Grasberg.

“It raises new questions,” she said.

At Domaine Valentin Zusslin, where Marie Zusslin and her brother, Jean-Paul, have managed the estate since 2008, there is no question about which wines are dry and which is not.

“In Alsace, heavier, sweeter wines were understood,” she said, noting that that is not the case internationally. To eliminate confusion, the Zusslin wines are dry unless clearly indicated.

From the Clos Liebenberg, a southeast-facing vineyard outside Orschwihr in the southern part of the region, you can see the Swiss Alps on a clear day. Riesling is planted in rows and on terraces. Beehives are nearby for honey and pear trees for making eau de vie. Like all of the Zusslin estate, it has been farmed biodynamically for almost 20 years. Each element of the undulating terrain is different, with varying microclimates, exposures and soils.

Marie and Jean-Paul Zusslin of Domaine Valentin Zusslin in Orschwihr, France.CreditPascal Bastien for The New York Times

“To observe is paramount,” Ms. Zusslin said, a key tenet of biodynamic viticulture.

The Zusslin wines reflect this precision. They are characterized by acidity, energy and a savory quality that I can only describe as saltiness. I especially liked the lively 2014 sylvaner and the gentle 2014 riesling, both from the Bollenberg vineyard, along with the mineral 2013 riesling from the grand cru Pfingstberg vineyard and the linear 2013 riesling from Clos Liebenberg.

Alone among the estates that I visited, the venerable Maison Trimbach did not acknowledge any confusion in the marketplace about its wines.

The United States is its biggest market, said Pierre Trimbach, who oversees the winemaking, and Trimbach continues to do well there.

Perhaps that is because Trimbach has never deviated from its policy of clarity in its labeling. Consumers know that its wines, like the great riesling Clos Ste.-Hune and the more affordable Cuvée Frédéric Émile, are going to be dry. But when I said this to Mr. Trimbach, he grimaced.

Balanced. I can live with that.

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It sparkles. It bubbles. Is it Champagne, Cava, Asti Spumante, Prosecco, Sekt?

Exploring the effervescent world of sparkling wine tourism.

It sparkles. It bubbles. Is it Champagne, Cava, Asti Spumante, Prosecco, Sekt?

How do you know what is in your glass if it has bubbles?

Determine where the grapes are grown and how they are fermented

1.  If they are from the Champagne region of France and are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Pinot Meunier – it is likely that you have Champagne in your glass (and the bubbles are small and gentle).

2. If the grapes were grown in the Piedmont region of Italy and the wine sparkles in your glass, it is likely to be Asti Spumante. Classified in 1993 as the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), as of 2004, it is the largest producing appellation in Italy. More than ten times as much Asti is produced in Piedmont than Barolo (a well-known Piedmontese red wine).

3. If the grapes were grown and harvested near Trieste, Italy and the wine was produced using the Charmat-Martinotti Method (secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks) it is likely that it received the DOCG (Prosecco Valdobbiadene) designation and you are drinking Prosecco. The rules also permit the use of Methodo Classico (secondary fermentation in the bottle). Grape varieties include Glera (up to 15 percent of total), as well as Verisco, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera Lunga, Chardonnay, Pino Biano, Pinot Regirgio and Pinot Nero.

4. If the grapes are Macabeo, Parellada or Xarel-lo, and they are grown/harvested in Catalonia, Spain, and the wine is made using the same method as Champagne, it is likely to be Cava.

5. Espumante is the Portuguese version of sparkling wine and made in the Champagne style. It is produced only in DOC Bairrado, south of Vinho Verde. It must be stamped with the VEQPRD (Vinho Espumante de Qualidade Produzido em Regiao Determinada) certification.

6. Sekt is the German/Austrian version of sparkling wine made from Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc grapes in the Champagne (Charmat) method.

Asti Spumante Suggestions. Recently Curated

At a recent New York City event, wines from the Cembra Valley (near Trento) a selection of regional wines were introduced.

1. The tradition started in the 1950s by Ignazio Moser who cultivated a few rows of white grapevines. In the 1970s, with assistance from his sons, Francesco and Diego, the first bottle of Trentodoc was introduced. This wine is perfect as an aperitif and pairs well with international cuisine. Today, Francesco is also a legendary Italian cyclist.

• Moser 51.151 (Brut). Named in honor of Francesco’s 1984 Hour Record when he smashed the previous world record.

• Metodo Classico supmant. Trento DOC Bianco. Chardonnay and Pinto Nero grapes, farmed and harvested by hand. The vineyards are located near Maso Villa Warth overlooking the Adige Valley and Trento. The wine is made by soft-pressing whole bunches of grapes. Fermentation and ageing takes place in stainless steel tanks and oak casks. The wine is bottled and undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Bottle ageing on its lees for at least 30 months until degorgement phase.

• To the eye, fine perlage, straw-yellow color, directing a fresh and fragrant note to the nose. Dry and fresh on the palate with a long-lasting finish.

• Moser Rose (Extra Brut). Trento DOC Rose. Pinot Noir grapes, farmed and harvested by hand, sourced in the vineyards of the family estate in Maso Villa Warth, overlooking the Adige Valley and the town of Trento. Soft pressing of whole bunches of grapes with first fermentation and ageing in stainless steel tanks and then bottled for secondary fermentation. Bottle ages on its lees for at least 40 months until the degorgement stage.

• Light pink trending to coral to the eye (think coral reefs in Fiji and the Caribbean). To the nose – fresh fruits of apples, cherries and perfectly ripened strawberries leading to a slight hint of sweetness that is enchanting but not off-putting. The palate is fresh and lively. Pair with crayfish.

2. Altemasi offers sparkling wines from Trentino that are made using the Classic Method approach with bottle fermentation. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes create cuvees that are world renown thanks to the position of the hillside vineyards that reach altitudes of over 600m above sea level.

• Altemasi Trentodoc Riserva Graal 2008.

• Grape variety: Chardonnay – 70 percent; Pinot Noir – 30 percent. Produced in the highest and most suited vineyard in Trento and the Valle dei Laghi. Aged on the lees – over 60 months.

• To the eye, almost clear trending to sunlight yellow with a tilt to light green. Very light and persistent perlage. The nose detects notes of pressed flowers, dried apricots, honey, ripe apples, and hazelnut. To the palate – vigor, great freshness, acidity that is well-balanced (a hint of citrus zest); offers remarkable length and pleasant memories. Serve as an aperitif or with smoked salmon and dill.

• Altemasi Millesimato Trentodoc 2010. Chardonnay – 100 percent. Grapes selected from the highest and most suited vineyards in Trentino (Valle dei Laghi and hills around Trento). Fining on the lees 36-48 months.

• Sunlight yellow to the eye, persistent foam with minute fine grain perlage with hints of honeysuckle, and ripe yellow apples to the nose. Dry and crisp on the palate that leaves a memory of well-balanced structure. Enjoy as an aperitif or with deep fried king prawns or veal escalopes alla livernese (tomato and herbs).

3. Ferrari. The company brochure claims, “It isn’t easy being a legend…and to go on being one, vintage after vintage, for over a century. To do so calls for passion, care and respect for tradition…” “As Italy’s most prestigious sparkling wine maker, Ferrari expresses itself in an anthology of products of matchless finesse.”

• Ferrari Brut. Chardonnay – 100 percent. Hand-picked at the beginning of September among the many communes of the Province of Trento in the Val d’Adige, Val di Cembra and Valle dei Laghi (985-2300 ft.) above sea level with south easterly or south westerly exposure. Maturation – for several years on selected yeasts from Ferrari’s own cultures.

• To the eye – straw yellow to pale green. To the nose fresh without being aggressive leading to a fruit note of ripe yellow apples, citrus and wild flowers and a hint of yeast. To the palate it is clean and very well behaved that suggests ripe fruit and crusty bread with a finish that (fortunately) lingers. Pair with sashimi.

• Ferrari Rose. Made in the classic Method for sparkling wine from a blend of Pinot Nero (vinified as a rose) – 60 percent, and Chardonnay – 40 percent. Harvested by hand in mid-September. Grapes selected from hillside around Trento (985-1970 ft.) above sea level with south easterly or south westerly exposure. Sevela years of maturation on selected yeasts from Ferrari’s own cultures.

• The color of fresh salmon to the eye, elegant to the nose with flower blossoms and hints of red currants and berries. Dry, clean and refined to the palate with a suggestion of sweet almonds and aromatic musk. Long dry finish. Pair with mushroom quiche or fried calamari.

* BELSTAR Prosecco di Valdobbiadene "D.O.C." N.V. - ITALY

:

100% Prosecco
This may be the perfect aperitif sparkling wine.  Made from the late ripening Prosecco grape and grown in the best region, it is redolent with enticing fruit and floral aromas. Light and elegant with a very fine bead, the wine is refreshing, pure and scintillating. Considered to be among the best of the Italian Prosecco producers, Bisol has a remarkable range of wines and this may be their best value. The clean fruit flavors and the tell-tale nuance of almonds on the refeshing finish make this a new favorite.

BISOLTrentino, Italy

The first traces of Bisol family in the heart of the Prosecco D.O.C area date to the 16th century and are contained in a census carried out for fiscal reasons by the aristocratic Venetian family Da Pola, who were landowners of the leading the very prestigious Cartizze hill.

The Bisol family initially oriented toward the production of grapes, added enological activities to viticulture when Eliseo, born in 1855, took charge. He was the first to vinify his own grapes and, once the capacity of the winery had been expanded, he began selling his wines on a limited scale (1875) outside the Valdobbiadene, an operation in which he used small barrels.

World War I interrupted that small but flourishing business. At that time, the border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire passed through the zone and in the fighting neither structures nor people were spared.

In that scenario, winemaking was neglected in favour of efforts to meet more pressing requirements. In addition, the vineyards suffered severe damage.
Eliseo Bisol died in 1923, leaving what remained to his son Desiderio who, in the thirties, began to plant new vineyards and reorganize the estate. He assigned a specific sector to each of his four sons. Antonio studied accounting and Eliseo, enology, while Aurelio tended to the vines and Claudio served as the house's general manager.


 
THE PRESENT - The best quality Prosecco is obtained through the direct management of all phases of the production

The Bisol winery is still a family run business and is managed by Antonio and Eliseo together with their sons: Gianluca and Desiderio, Claudio and Alberto.

Bisol Prosecco is considered one of the best, and what is important here is to understand what makes the difference.

First of all, Bisol has the all-important vineyard holdings that allow the company to choose how the grapes are grown and to select the best. In an industry where the average vineyard holding is tiny (around 1 hectare) and the larger producers are forced to buy in most of their grapes, the Bisol family are fortunate to own no fewer than 50 hectares of DOC vineyards, including three of the 106 hectares in the Cartizze zone, the highest vineyards in the region, where land is reputedly worth $1 million a hectare, were anyone willing to sell it.

Crucially, these vineyards also are in the prestigious DOC Conegliano-Valdobbiadene hillside vineyard corridor between the two eponymous towns that form the DOC limits. The DOC area is located in a very strategic position: just 1 hour by car from Venice, and at the same distance far from the Pearl of the Dolomites: Cortina D'Ampezzo.

Secondly, the Bisol estate chose the path of quality early on and have spent the last 30 years refining the process of producing Prosecco in the light of both technological and vineyard management progress. Bisol is one of the very few houses that integrate the entire production process, ensuring quality in every phase, from the selection of the terrain, to growing and hand picking the grapes in vineyards on steep slopes, to the bottling of the wine.

To enhance quality, Bisol produce grapes at around 90 quintals per hectare, a much lower ratio than official DOC regulations permit, and carry out a green harvesting of excess grape bunches every July. In particular vintages yield is further reduced to give fewer clusters even higher quality.

Each vineyard has been assessed for its potential and works its particular magic. Each hill, with different soils and expositions, yields grapes with different characteristics. 

Source: http://www.catavinoswines.com

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