Not all Prosecco is the same. The Prosecco you drink at brunch (DOC, from the flat Veneto and Friuli plains) and the Prosecco from the steep hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (DOCG, the original, UNESCO-inscribed since 2019) are related but different wines. DOCG Prosecco Superiore comes from hand-harvested Glera grapes grown on vertiginous slopes — some vineyards are so steep they're called "heroic viticulture," harvestable only by hand, with gradients up to 70%. The wines have more complexity, more fruit, more persistence than the industrial plains version. And then there's Cartizze — a 107-hectare cru (the only one in Prosecco), producing the finest and most expensive sparkling wine in the region. Veneto guide → · Treviso →
Plan my Prosecco hills trip →Bisol (Valdobbiadene): One of the great names — their Cartizze is benchmark. Beautiful hilltop estate. €15-25 tasting. Nino Franco (Valdobbiadene): Primo Franco makes some of the most elegant Prosecco — the Rive di San Floriano is outstanding. €12-20. Col Vetoraz (Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene): Hilltop winery with panoramic terrace — the view alone is worth the drive. €10-20. Ruggeri (Valdobbiadene): Historic, accessible, great value. Bortolomiol, Merotto, Adami: All excellent, all visitor-friendly.
The Strada del Prosecco runs 44km from Conegliano to Valdobbiadene through the UNESCO hills. The landscape of steep vine-covered slopes, patches of forest, small villages, and the Dolomite foothills on the horizon is gorgeous. Drive slowly. Stop at the panoramic viewpoints (San Pietro di Barbozza has the best). The Rive: 43 sub-zones (rive) within the DOCG that designate specific hillside vineyards — wines labeled "Rive di [village]" are single-origin and show terroir. The best: Rive di Col San Martino, Rive di Santo Stefano, Rive di Guia.
Getting there: Conegliano station (Venice-Udine line, 1h from Venice). Car essential for wineries. Stay: Valdobbiadene (€55-90), Conegliano (€50-80), or the hill agriturismi (€60-100). Prices: DOCG Prosecco Superiore €8-15 retail (vs DOC €4-8). Cartizze €15-25. Extraordinary value for quality. Best time: autumn harvest (September-October — golden hills), spring (April-May — green, wildflowers). Combine with: Treviso (30min — the most underrated Veneto city), Asolo (30min — the most beautiful hilltop town in the Veneto), Venice (1h), Dolomiti Bellunesi (1h north).