Montello, Asolo & Conegliano Valdobbiadene · Geomorphology of the Steep Slopes

UNESCO-protected cultural landscapes, hogbacks, and the terroir of heroic craftsmanship between the Piave and the foothills of the Alps.

Between the rugged foothills of the Venetian Alps and the historic course of the Piave river lies one of Europe’s most spectacular cultural landscapes. Far removed from the uniform monoculture of industrial lowland appellations, these hills form the morphological foundation for the renaissance of true sparkling wine craftsmanship. As a UNESCO-protected cultural heritage site, the region bears witness to a centuries-old coexistence between extreme topography and human labor: here, Prosecco Superiore is not tailored for mass production but wrestled from the steepest slopes in Northern Italy.

“Where slopes reach an incline of up to seventy percent, any semblance of mechanical convenience ends. True origin Prosecco is not a byproduct of industrial volumes, but the heroic legacy of steep-slope viticulture.”

Hogbacks, ciglioni, and heroic viticulture

The geomorphological heart of the region is formed by a system of so-called hogbacks—razor-sharp, elongated ridges with slopes sometimes exceeding 70 percent. To counteract massive soil erosion from alpine precipitation, winemakers have developed a landscape-defining cultivation technique over generations: the ciglioni. These narrow, grass-covered steep terraces function entirely without dry-stone walls, binding the soil in a natural way. Because modern harvesting machinery is physically impossible in this terrain, each hectare still requires hundreds of hours of purely manual cultivation to this day—a heroic viticulture that establishes the region's worldwide reputation.

Pedological dichotomy: From seabed soils to the red earth of Montello

The density of flavor in the wines is fueled by two pedologically distinct zones:

• Valdobbiadene & Conegliano: The western sector around Valdobbiadene is based on ancient marine seabeds of calcareous marl and sandstone, which lend the harvest finesse-rich freshness and chiseled elegance—culminating in the 107-hectare Grand Cru area of Cartizze. The eastern sector around Conegliano, meanwhile, is characterized by deeper clay and glacial conglomerate soils, which grant the wine structure, fullness, and aromatic persistence. Strict qualitative selection is guaranteed here by the Rive—43 precisely delineated steep-slope communes with mandatory manual harvesting.

• Montello & Colli Asolani: South of the Piave lie the hill chains of Montello and Asolo. This microcosm distinguishes itself through striking iron- and mineral-rich red earth soils (ferretto). On these compact clay and gravel formations, Asolo Prosecco DOCG gains its characteristic grip: a sparkling wine with a taut acid structure, distinct salinity, and remarkable aging potential.

The purity of the primary fruit

To ensure the delicate aromatics of the autochthonous Glera grape—white flowers, crisp apple, white peaches—are not masked by oxidative processes or dominant yeast notes, secondary fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled pressurized stainless steel tanks (the Martinotti-Charmat method). With precise pressure control, this method preserves pure fruit brilliance and translates the mineral tension of the terroir into a fine-textured, creamy perlage.

For MaWa, this protected cultural landscape sets the standard for authentic sparkling wine culture: with the Gasparetto family and their estate Rive della Chiesa in Selva del Montello, a producer family represents our selection that translates the potential of the steep slopes into structured, dry, top-tier Prosecco and the alcohol-free Florì 0.0.

Secure a quota of artisanal sparkling wines from the steep slopes of the UNESCO heritage site—as an elegant aperitif for your private table, as a distinguished addition to ambitious wine lists, or as a first-class gift.