#ItalianFWT,  Veneto

Step Up Your Game with Altaneve Prosecco Superiore

Altaneve, Bubbles that Rise Above the Rest

Sparkling wine is fun, fashionable and just delicious. One such sparkling wine is Prosecco, the popular Italian sparkling wine, which is everywhere these days. In fact, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Prosecco region as a whole, and the 10th Anniversary of Prosecco Superiore! Sounds like a party to me. We’ll be celebrating with our friends in the #ItalianFWT group.

Did you know that last year, Prosecco surpassed Champagne, not in terms of volume, but in terms of production and consumption? Although price is likely a factor, according to The Associated Press, Prosecco’s production “eclipsed Champagne’s five years ago and is now 75 percent higher at 544 million bottles.”  How, though, do you sift through these bottles to find quality Prosecco bubbles for your glass? A few things need to be taken into consideration: location of production, producers and production methods. Think Prosecco Superiore.  Think Valdobbiadene. Think, for example, Altaneve.

Hills of Valdobbiadene
Conegliano Valdobbiadene is a microarea located on a series of hills in the Venetian Prealps, in northeast Veneto, Italy. The Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, which gained official DOCG status in 2009, is located above the Piave River in the province of Treviso covering the towns of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. Valdobbiadene is located on the higher, steeper slopes in the west, while Conegliano, is located in the east on lower, gentle slopes.  Glera, known for the production of Prosecco, is the principal white grape in this region. Glera, the grape formerly known by the name prosecco until 2009, is certainly not new.  In fact, it is the grape behind the Pucino wines that were enjoyed by the ancient Romans, royalty and nobility of the 15th-17th centuries. While Prosecco is produced in other areas of northeastern Veneto, as well as in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, along with its only official subzone, Cartizze, represents one of the most important and reputed sparkling wine districts. 
Map of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
c/o Consorzio di Tutela del Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene

Views of Valdobbiadene c/o Altaneve

Let’s zoom in a bit on Valdobbiadene.  Here, the hills or steep slopes, which run from east to west, can reach up to 70% gradient and lie at elevations between 50-500 meters. This lends itself to excellent sun exposure. The higher hills are further away from the assuaging affects of the Adriatic sea on the east, and are instead impacted more by the Alpine breezes from the Venetian Prealps.  The elevation, along with the semi-continental climate and considerable diurnal temperature variation contributes to fresh acidity and aromatic complexity of the grapes. Altaneve provides an awesome example of this. Here’s why. 

Altaneve

Although Altaneve made its entry into the U.S. in 2013, the Noto family, originally from Calabria, has over 10 generations of winemakers. David Noto, the Founder, eventually moved to Northern Italy to begin producing sparkling wines from the old vines and steep hills of Valdobbiadene.  Altaneve, in Italian, translates to “high snow,” referring to the snow-capped mountains in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains (Monte Cesen) where it is produced. This same fact is manifested in the logo, which is a snowflake in the letter ‘A.’ The soil is composed of calcareous limestone, which, along with its proximity to the Adriatic sea, contributes to the notable minerality. The producers of Altaneve use the oldest vine clones of Glera that lead to more complexity and pronounced taste. Moreover, according to Altaneve, “we cannot terrace our vineyards, because the Glera vine enjoys a lot of water, but he roots of the vines cannot sit in stagnant water so we must promote the runoff leaving the vineyard slope as steep as possible.”  Therefore, the harvest is manual, selecting only the best grapes.  Then, Altaneve sparkling wine is produced in harmony with the DOCG regulations, via the Charmat Method, using 100% Glera grapes, although the required minimum is 85%, with the remaining 15% of local varieties. The Charmat or Martinotti Method is best for Prosecco, as it helps to yield a lighter body, sparkling wine. Altaneve rises above by employing an extended second fermentation. Although prosecco can be produced in tranquillo, frizzante and spumante styles, the Prosecco Superiore designation can only be used for spumante style wines.  Hence, Altaneve’s high elevation location and climate, along with its method of production make remarkable prosecco that is absolutely delicious and luxurious.  Moreover, all of Altaneve’s wines are all-natural, sustainable, vegan and gluten free with low sulfites and low calories.

The Wining Hour ft. Altaneve Prosecco 

Altaneve Z 2016 Rive Longa Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G 

Altaneve Z is a very limited production wine and represents an even higher level of luxury sparkling wine.  It comes from a 2000 year-old vineyard on a small hillside named Localitá Rive Longa. There are 43 rive in total and Riva Longa is one of them. The rive are steep single vineyard sites in specific villages or hamlets of  Conegliano Valdobbiadene.  The  rive have lower maximum yield and must be made as vintage-dated spumante.  Accordingly, Rive Longa can only produce 1,500 bottles per year.
Map of the Rive
c/o Consorzio di Tutela del Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene

 Altaneve Z is produced from 50+ year-old vines. 100% Glera grapes are manually harvested and pressed. Then in accord with the Charmat Method, the wine undergoes two fermentations, first stainless steel tank fermentation for 10-12 days at 17° C and then in autoclaves/210 days. Wow! That’s pretty long. This unique extended 7-month secondary fermentation process sets Altaneve Z apart, as it is unlike other Proseccos on the market. “Altaneve’s extended winemaking process lends the wine both the depth and complexity of a Champagne, while maintaining the signature crisp freshness of a great Prosecco.” Quite remarkable indeed!
Altaneve Z is pale yellow and opens with an intense nose of peach, ripe pear and white flowers with saline notes.  The palate is crisp and fresh with stone fruit, citrus, quince and more hints of minerality.  Altaneve Z is a bright, complex sparkling wine that maintains a well-balanced, silky finesse to the finish. Elegant perlage. Dry with 5 g/l of residual sugar, and approximately 350 calories. 12.2% ABV.  Altaneve Z Rive Long Prosecco Superiore is superb and is a prosecco game-changer.


Altaneve 2017 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G

Altaneve’s Prosecco Superiore is produced, of course, with 100% Glera grapes, which were cultivated and hand-picked, followed by gentle hand pressing. It begins in stainless steel tanks for 10-12 days at 27° C and then undergoes the Charmat method in autoclaves/45-50 days. Altaneve’s Prosecco Superiore is a light straw and has an elegant floral bouquet of acacia and honeysuckle, along with green apple and almond.  The palate is persistent with notes of white peach, pear and yellow apple. This prosecco is creamy and does a great job at balancing fruit and acidity. I appreciate the low sugar and caloric content (approx. 500 calories). Lingering finish and fine perlage. 11.5% ABV. 

Altaneve Sparkling Rosé NV 

We’ve been sipping Altaneve Sparkling Rosé ever since I met the owner and winemaker, David Noto, a few years ago. Delicious and refreshing then, delicious and refreshing now. 

Altaneve Sparkling Rosé is an exclusive blend of 70% Pinot Nero grapes from Oltrepò Pavese and 30% Glera grapes from Valdobbiadene. Since this bubbly is not produced exclusively in the Valdobbiadene Superiore area, the requirements are different and it is a non-vintage wine. However, it is also produced via Charmat. It is placed in stainless steel tanks for 30 days at 17° C, then in autoclaves for 60 days. Altaneve Rosé is a pale salmon pink with enticing aromas wild berries and dried rose petals.  It tastes of strawberry, red cherry and flint minerals, which is likely from the Pinot Noir, while the Glera grapes contributes more delicate floral and fruity flavors.  Approximately 450 calories and 11.5% ABV.

The Wining Hour with David Noto of AltaNeve 
It should be reiterated again, that all of Altaneve’s wines are all-natural, sustainable, vegan and gluten free with low sulfites and low calories. While there are many different expressions of prosecco, Altaneve Prosecco should be on your radar.


Now, did someone say celebration??? Read on to learn more about Prosecco Superiore and join me and my friends of #ItalianFWT this Saturday, July 6th on Twitter at 11 am/EST. What a lineup!

  • Wendy, of A Day in the Life on the Farm, says Summertime and the Living is Easy with Prosecco DOCG in My Glass.
  • Jill, of L’Occasion, asks Looking for Freshness? Check out Prosecco DOCG.
  • Rupal, the Syrah Queen, writes Prosecco Elevated – Sipping Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
  • Jane, of Always Ravenous, pours Prosecco Superiore Paired with Italian Small Bites.
  • Deanna, of Asian Test Kitchen, is Pairing Cartizze Prosecco DOCG Beyond Oysters.
  • David, for Cooking Chat, says Prosecco Superiore: The Special Italian Sparkling Lives Up To Its Name.
  • Liz, of What’s in That Bottle, is Discovering the Delights of Prosecco Superiore.
  • Jeff, of FoodWineClick!, goes Beyond Apertif, Enjoy Prosecco Superiore at the Dinner Table.
  • Martin, of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog, encourages Getting to Know Prosecco Superiore.
  • Pinny, of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings, is Sipping the Day Away with Prosecco DOCG.
  • Gwendolyn, of Wine Predator, shares 3 Prosecco DOCG and Calamari with Lemon Caper Sauce.
  • Linda, of My Full Wine Glass, offers Take-aways from a week of glorious Prosecco DOCG.
  • Jennifer, of Vino Travels, declares Prosecco DOCG is more than just Prosecco.
  • Susannah, of Avvinare, is Taking A Closer Look At Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
  • Kevin, of Snarky Wine, declares Vintage Prosecco DOCG: Quality Matters.
  • Cindy, of Grape Experiences, posts What a Girl Wants: Gourmet Popcorn and Prosecco DOC and DOCG.
  • Li, of The Wining Hour, asks you to Step Up Your Game with Prosecco Superiore.
  • Camilla, of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, is Climbing the Prosecco Hierarchy: To Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze with Steamed Clams, Smoked Scallops, and Capellini.


About The Wining Hour

The Wining Hour writes about wine, Italy and global travel.  The Wining Hour boutique caters to wine-lovers across the globe by offering all wine-related items.  The Wining Hour markets unique wine décor and furnishings, accessories, glassware, barware, wine racks, storage and cooling options, games, gifts and more. For more information, please visit www.thewininghour.com­­­
The Wining Hour also hosts #WiningHourChat on Twitter (@wininghourchat) on Tuesday’s at 9 p.m. EST. (For more, see link at the top or side of this page)

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Planted, harvested and aged in NY. I have a background in education and marketing, with a love and passion for travel...and all things wine. In addition to writing about wine, I also maintain an online wine boutique (thewininghour.com) that caters to the winelover, as well as the weekly vinous winechat (#WiningHourChat) on Twitter (see page for more info).

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