I was invited to attend a lunch and Valdo Prosecco tasting by Morgana Germanetto, Account Coordinator for Colangelo & Partners at Corkbuzz wine bar in NYC. This was of interest to me because I am familiar with Valdo Prosecco and I would be able to do a vertical tasting of Valdo Numero 10, Valdobbiadene Metodo Classico, going back to 2011.
The speaker was Matteo Bolla, Development Manager for Valdo USA, Inc. and the third generation of the renowned Bolla winemaking family involved in the winery.
The Valdo Winery is located in the town of Valdobbiadene in the heart of the sub-region Conegliano Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOCG, in Veneto, Italy. Matteo said the winery was founded in 1926 by the Society Anonima Vini Superiori and purchased by the Bolla Family in 1938.
The name Valdo is short for the name of the region, Valdobbiadene. Sergio Bolla, Matteo’s grandfather, wanted to make his Prosecco more accessible and easy to understand. He shortened the name so that people could recognize it easily and remember it. Thanks to his grandfather the Bolla name was known in the US starting in the 1950”s
The Prosecco
Valdo “Cuvée 1926” Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry DOC made from 90% Glera and 10% Chardonnay from vineyards at 250 meters. There is a brief maceration on the skins in a closed press, followed by a soft pressing with the first of the free run juice. After the first fermentation the wine remains for two months on the lees at a control temperature of 10C in steel. After the bottle fermentation the wine spends 3 months in pressurized tanks (Martinotti-Charmat method). The wine has hints of ripe fruit, apple, pear, pineapple and a touch of banana.
Matteo Bolla said this wine celebrates Valdo’s history. It is an unusual blend of Glera and Chardonnay with a brief maceration of the skins before fermentation to give this sparkling wine a more unique character. In 1926 the first bottle of the wine was opened in the winery that was to become known as Valdo. This bottle celebrates that event.
- Valdo Numero 10
Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico Valdobbiadene DOCG 2019, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2011 made from 100% Glera. This is a metodo classico vintage sparkling wine. The grapes are grown on the hills surrounding the historic Valdobbiadene winery and are designated with the appellation “Superiore.” The vineyards are at 250 meters with a southeastern exposure. Soils are clayey and calcareous. Harvest is in September when the grapes reach the right amount of ripeness. Tirage (drawing off the blended wines into bottles ready for a second fermentation) is with selected yeasts in the spring following the harvest. There is a soft pressing of the grapes at a controlled temperature of 64F.
This classic method vintage Brut is produced by bottle fermentation remaining on the lees for at least 10 months. After disgorgement it is aged for another 6 months in the cellar. Matteo said this maximizes the fruity aroma typical of the grape variety. The wine has hints of mature fruit, apple, pear brioche, a note of honey and a touch of orange zest with bright acidity.
The Numero 10 went especially well with the Fluke Crudo and the Seared Bass at Corkbuzz.
This is their top of their line and the first vintage was in 2004. The wines have the same aroma and flavor profile but as they become older they have a more yeasty brioche quality about them. Some, like the 2014 have a bit more acidity. The Valdo Numero 10 Brut Metodo Classico sells for about $35. Valdo produces a number of other Prosecco’s in all price ranges.
Matteo said all this would not be possible without the unceasing collaboration of 70 grape growers who grow the grapes and supply them to the winery. The relationship between Valdo and its grape growers is a long-standing one, an alliance based on trust, respect and reciprocal exchange. The winery offers them an agronomic and wine-making consultancy, providing them with support from the pruning stages of the grapevines to choosing the ideal period for harvesting.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Charles Scicolone on Wine 