Mionetto

In probably the most radical move Moreno Wines has made in recent years, we decided to take on not just any Italian wines, but Prosecco specifically. We see a great future for Prosecco in the UK. Also, the superb products from Mionetto and the enthusiasm of the Mionetto team were an important factor in deciding which Prosecco producer to work with.

The Conegliano-Valdobbiadene zone (named after the two towns which form the epicentre of each region) is in the Province of Treviso, a mere 30 miles from Venice and from the mighty Dolomites. It lies in the strip of hills at the foot of the Treviso Prealps and covers 15 communes with the area of registered D.O.C. vineyards at 4,500 ha. In the D.O.C. area the vineyards are all on hillsides: these are higher in the Valdobbiadene zone and more gentle in that of Conegliano. Mionetto is based in Valdobbiadene and hence the wines are referred to as DOC Valdobbiadene Prosecco where required, to divide them from IGT wines . There is also a sub-zone - 'Cartizze', of 106 hectares representing the "Grand Cru" of the region which is in effect a rather large hill incorporating the hamlets of San Stefano, San Pietro di Barbozza and Saccol.

The winery was founded in 1887 by Francesco Mionetto. His descendent, the ebullient Sergio Mionetto is still at the forefront of Prosecco production and knows all the local growers intimately. Prosecco is often known primarily as a wine, but it is actually a grape variety. Sparkling wines from this region are invariably 100% Prosecco but can be 85% with other varieties such as Verdiso, Perera and Bianchetta making up a maximum of 15% of a blend. For 'rose' Prosecco the Raboso variety is used, but technically it is not a Prosecco at all. It's still rather good though! The vineyards are in places quite unnervingly steep and much Prosecco is still hand harvested. The Prosecco is typically fermented using the Charmat method with two fermentations usually carried out in stainless steel. They produce a very fresh and aromatic wine which can be either Spumante (fully sparkling) or Frizzante (lightly sparkling). The wines from Cartizze are much more complex and often richer in style. All the wines are made to be enjoyed young and fresh and are not for keeping. This is a delight in many ways when compared to other wines. It takes just 6 weeks from vineyard to table! The key wine in our portfolio is the 'Spago' or Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC Frizzante to give it its full name. It has the 'legatura', a traditional, hand applied string around the cork. This is complemented by the Rose Legatura (Raboso grape). These are both 'frizzante'. We then have the IGT Brut Prosecco Spumante and going up the scale, the wonderful Sergio duo which are both blends and appear in a fabulous and rather sexy bottle. At the top of the pile are the Valdobbiadene DOC Spumante and finally the 'Cartizze de Valdobbiadene' which as mentioned, comes from a very small and select hill site. The grapes here are highly prized and produce a much more serious wine of major depth, yet it is still incredibly approachable and lively. On a very modern and contemporary front, Mionetto also produce some charming sparklers in a fetching, 'Indian Club' shaped bottle with a crown cap. These are easy drinking and made as an Italian lifestyle wine, ideally suited to the bar patio or a street café setting. They are called il Prosecco. In addition to all this lovely Prosecco, we were very fortunate to discover two wines that we weren't looking for on our visits there! They were both too good to ignore. Firstly the MO Pinot Grigio, which is a DOC Piave and really is a cut above the usual Pinot Grigios with more intense flavours and aromas. The other find was a red - Cantaro Rosso. It is technically an IGT Marca Trevigiana wine made at Amistani Guarda in the Venegazzú. We like to refer to it though as a 'super Trevisan' (you heard it here first). It is a Cabernet Merlot blend and it has attractive aromas of hazelnuts, rose and musk finishing with a touch of toast. Full-bodied, smooth and velvety on the palate, it has alluring undertones of soft berries and vanilla.