The heroic grape harvest season of the Glera falls between the end of September and early October in Refrontolo. Refrontolo is a small town in the heart of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene and the Colli di Conegliano region.

Glera is the principal white grape variety of the prosecco sparkling wine. It is a late ripening grape variety. They are green and have a thin skin. The grape is classified as semi-aromatic with a high acidity, making it perfect for prosecco wine production.

The “vendemmia” in the province of Treviso is one of the most fascinating time of the year. It is a busy period when it comes to local harvest festivals and feasts.

Many tourists visit Italy especially in the fall season to discover the best (new) wines and food the region has to offer.

Vintage 2021

Summer 2021 in Italy was a warm growing season for the grapes. Warmer than average summer. The grapes didn’t suffer from water stress and sunburn, fortunately.

The quality of the grapes is superior this year. Due to the warm weather conditions the berries have accumulated more sugar than usual. The grapes are in good health and excellent in balance of sugar-acidity.

They say vintage 2021 is an outstanding wine year for prosecco. Good news for fans of this wine. Cheers!

Production process Prosecco Superiore

The area Conegliano Valdobbiadene is situated between Venice and the Dolomites. 

All the grapes have to be hand picked. The vines are planted on hills with narrow ridges and steep slopes. This makes mechanized harvest impossible.

After picking, the tractor driver brings the next load to the winery for fermentation. But before they are unloaded, they are weighed by the winemaker in order to check that they do not exceed the production limits fixed for each vineyard every year.

The grapes are pressed gently in absence of oxygen and any skin contact. 

The freshly pressed fruit juice is the must. The sugar concentration and the acid content will be measured before fermentation starts. Corrections/additions of yeast or acids can be needed and sulfites (SO2), are always be added during the wine making process.

Metodo Charmat / Martinotti

Prosecco is an Italian DOC and DOCG white sparkling wine.

The tank method “Metodo Charmat or Martinotti” is a very common method to make prosecco. The first fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to keep the fruity flavors in the wine.

While the second fermentation takes place, the large tank is sealed to prevent CO2 from escaping. This is a slow process.

The longer and slower the winemaking process, the more delicate the prosecco wine will be.

There are different qualities in prosecco. Production and quality of the grapes are definitely Superiore at Toffoli. Therefor their DOCG Superiore prosecco is often more expensive over the standard DOC.

Mind that prosecco is a wine to drink young, ideally within one year of its production. It is not a wine for storing.

Strada del Prosecco / Prosecco road

The Strada del Prosecco is Italy’s oldest wine route. At first it linked the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene but now it winds its way through more communities between the towns Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.

The area has a number of biking,- hiking trails and good restaurants to eat. It is a unique and magnificent place where past and present come together.

Since 2019 the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene hills are UNESCO World Heritage site.

Wine tasting

Visitors are welcome at winery Toffoli to taste their wines. It is recommended to call or e-mail in advance to book a date and time.

The prosecco wine tasting takes place at the winery. Before you taste the wines the wine maker will guide you through his vineyards and the wine cellar.

Family Toffoli is happy to welcome you in Refrontolo!

Online wine tasting

A Taste of Veneto! is a unique wine experience with the winemaker himself Sante Toffoli and an Italian sommelier.

This online tour and tasting is the perfect way to get to know the winery and the wines from Veneto.

The tasting can be organized at any date and time of your choice. All wines from Toffoli will be sent from our distribution centre in Holland.

Getting excited? For more information about this online wine experience visit my website “A Taste of Veneto!” *

* I do not organize online tastings anymore.