Adami

For over 90 years Adami has produced only Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG and Prosecco DOC Treviso in its various types and expressions, both traditional and more modern, linked to the diversity of each single hill.

The Alta Marca area near Treviso has been renowned for its excellent wine as far back as the Middle Ages. Excellent white wines have always been produced here, and, as recorded in 1606, were exported and appreciated “in Venice, Germany and as far afield as Poland”.
It was a process of natural selection that saw glera become the variety of choice for wine making in this area of the Alta Marca, especially in Valdobbiadene, where the variety dominates the steep slopes of its hills. The environment may seem forbidding, with the Dolomites in the background, but is sheltered and blessed by warm midday sun. It is here, amidst hardworking farmers and solid traditions, that our story begins.

In 1920, Abel, the grandfather of the current owners, purchased a natural amphitheatre vineyard from Count Balbi Valier. This beautiful site with fantastic potential was the ideal place to start out afresh, with the help of his son Adriano. Abel had the inspired intuition of separating this vineyard from the others, due to its different characteristics. So it was that he presented in August 1933, at the 1st Mostra Mercato dei Vini Tipici d’Italia in Siena, his Riva Giardino Asciutto, the first real vineyard selection from Valdobbiadene.

Carrying on the family tradition, Adriano Adami continued in his father’s footsteps, making a name for the winery’s quality Prosecco on the local market. The 1980s saw the arrival of the third generation, with the newly qualified oenologists Armando and Franco Adami, combining family traditions with specialization and technology. With a modern winemaking and sparkling wine production facility, the brand moved onto new markets and acquired a solid reputation.
Adami now produces about 750,000 bottles with grapes from 50 hectares of vineyards, 12 of their own land, the rest farmed by other small growers with time-honored links to the winery, and sharing its commitment to quality.

The DOCG Area

There are magical places which guide the strong hands of those who tend them with the protection of the Dolomites’ majestic peaks and the refuge of the sea. In the hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene we find the Prosecco Superiore e Cartizze DOCG area, awarded DOC status in 1969 and then the higher DOCG status on 1 April 2010. Prosecco here enjoys Superiore status thanks to its high inherent quality, a result of the unique microclimate created by the Dolomites to the north, “Europe’s biggest fridge”, and by the natural air circulation from the Venice lagoon to the south. This allows our “Rive” to enjoy an ideal diurnal temperature range for the ripening of grapes rich in aroma and freshness.

The Rive

There are vineyards that can manage to take root on steep slopes soils in which the vines cling tenaciously to the chestnut poles supporting them. The local dialect term “Rive” is used for hillside vineyards planted on steep slopes. As far back as 1933 Abel Adami selected and presented his “Riva Giardino”, from grapes grown in what is now known as the Giardino vineyard. The “Rive” are now recognized in the Valdobbiadene DOCG production protocol, and together with the name of the municipality or village, indicate the exact place of origin of the grapes. The “Rive” are selections synonymous with excellence, revealing the precious uniqueness of each single hillside plot.

The Giardino Vineyard

The development of viticulture in the hills of Valdobbiadene during the Renaissance also changed the appearance of the Colbertaldo area. An oak forest cut down between 1490 and 1542 was replaced by “plantings of vines and trees”, and the old name “Bosco di Gica” (“Gica Wood”) no longer seemed appropriate. The new name, “Zardin” (“Garden”), meanwhile, was perfectly suited to the charm of this rediscovered land. In a land register entry of 1717 it was changed to “Zardini” and subsequent Napoleonic and Austrian maps gave it the name of “Giardino”. The medieval intuition regarding the innate qualities of this land for winegrowing was reflected in the subsequent viticultural approach. This is a difficult territory, but one which is generous to those who dedicate their energies to its steep slopes. The soil is chalky, lean and shallow, lying directly on the bedrock, which emerges in places. The vines cling to chestnut poles in south-facing parallel rows, echoing the typical uneven contours of these slopes. The incessant, painstaking care needed to farm here confirm the “cru” status of this vineyard.

The result is a “dry” wine, which brings together all the qualities of the Prosecco area: elegance, harmony and freshness, but above all fruit salad aromas. This is a wine that already in 1933 was selected as one of the best from Valdobbiadene, and was sent to represent the area at the 1st Mostra dei Vini Tipici d’Italia, held in Siena between 3 and 18 August 1933. This recognition of merit is just one of the many awards our wines have received, that we still today remember with affection and pride. This is why the Giardino Vineyard has become Adami’s standard bearer. The symbol of quality.

Col Credas

Pride, commitment, and courage are the values that motivate winegrowers to climb up to Credazzo, beneath the stone towers that for 1000 years have testified to man’s intimate bond with this growing area. Dedication to hard work and age-old expertise in vine management provide the crucial keys for coaxing out the secrets from a vineyard that reserves its innermost qualities only to those who respect its character, its silence, and its trust. These steep slopes, which over the centuries served also as a means of defence, are today are the key to the quality and to the future of this area. The RIVE encompass all of this. The name Col Credas refers to Credazzo, a hill complex in Farra di Soligo, whose soils are marked by rich deposits of clay (creda, in the local dialect); Col Credas is one of the “Rive,” hillslope vineyards that are sometimes unbelievably steep. This single vineyard cru boasts a superb nose, spacious, well-balanced, and intense, laced with delicate floral notes of wisteria and acacia blossom. The palate progresses to an elegant finish remarkable for its crisp dryness.