The Conegliano Valdobbiadene wine area in the pre-Alpine hills of Treviso province was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, the first Italian wine landscape to receive this recognition (before the Langhe-Roero-Monferrato Barolo hills followed). The UNESCO inscription recognized not just the wine quality but the specific landscape character: the ciglioni (narrow grass terraces cut into the steep hillside at intervals by generations of farmers, creating the characteristic striped appearance of the Prosecco hills) and the unique combination of human organization and natural beauty that has been maintained for centuries in a zone where mechanical cultivation is impossible and every vine row requires human hand attention.
The Prosecco of this specific zone, the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, is a different product from the Prosecco DOC that covers most of northeast Italy and is sold in every supermarket internationally. The distinction isn't merely commercial. The Glera grape grown on the steep ciglioni slopes of the Conegliano hills has more mineral character, more complexity, and more site specificity than the same variety grown on the flat plains of the broader DOC zone. The single-vineyard Rive Prosecco (the most specific sub-appellation, requiring vintage-dated production from a single village's vineyards) represents the highest expression of what Prosecco can be when it is treated as a serious wine rather than a party beverage.
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The Prosecco Production Zone
Conegliano vs Valdobbiadene
The DOCG zone extends between the two towns. Conegliano (home of the Scuola Enologica di Conegliano, the oldest wine school in Italy, founded 1876) produces fuller, slightly more structured Prosecco. Valdobbiadene, specifically the Cartizze subzone, a 107-hectare amphitheater of particularly well-exposed steep vineyards, produces the most sought-after and most concentrated Prosecco in the DOCG. The Cartizze is always slightly off-dry (between dry and demi-sec) due to its terroir characteristics. It is the only Prosecco denomination that consistently commands premium prices on international markets.
The Strada del Prosecco
The Strada del Prosecco e Vini dei Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene is the signposted wine road connecting the main Prosecco producers and villages from Conegliano to Valdobbiadene, approximately 50 km through the UNESCO hills. The road passes through the ciglioni terraces that give the landscape its character, through villages with 15th-16th century churches and villas, and past many producers offering tastings. The 1-2 day driving tour of the Strada del Prosecco is the standard format for experiencing the zone.
Q&A: Prosecco Tour Italy
What is the difference between Prosecco DOC and Prosecco Superiore DOCG?
Prosecco DOC covers nine northeastern Italian provinces, the broad flat plains of Treviso, Padova, Vicenza, Venezia, Belluno, Udine, Gorizia, Trieste, and Pordenone. The zone is enormous. The production volume is similarly enormous. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG is the restricted zone within the broader DOC, limited to 15 communes in the Treviso hills. The DOCG requires minimum alcohol levels, lower yields, and hand harvesting on the steep slopes. The flavor difference: the DOCG wine has more complexity, mineral character, and varietal specificity. The DOC is more generic and consistent.
Can I stay overnight in the Prosecco hills?
Yes, many agriturismo (farm stay) and wine estate B&Bs operate throughout the Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone. Staying overnight in the hills rather than returning to Venice (approximately 60 km south) gives access to the early morning light on the terraces and the producers' tasting rooms before the day-tour groups arrive. The area's restaurants, simple trattorie serving the specific local cuisine of the Treviso Marca (radicchio di Treviso, bigoli pasta, risotto with Prosecco, white asparagus in season), are excellent at prices well below Venice equivalents.
What Nobody Tells You About Prosecco Country
The Prosecco hills in the golden light of late afternoon in October, when the Glera leaves are turning yellow, the harvest is complete, and the ciglioni terraces glow in the low sun against the pre-Alpine backdrop of the Dolomites visible to the north, are among the most beautiful agricultural landscapes in northern Italy. The UNESCO inscription recognized this specific combination of landscape and wine culture. The photos taken at the Follina Abbey or from the Cartizze amphitheater overlook in October are as impressive as anything in the Tuscan wine country at the same season, with a fraction of the tourist traffic.
