| The Bisol reality, wine producers in Valdobbiadene for five centuries Testimony that firmly places the Bisol family in the heart of the Prosecco and Cartizze production zone i. e. the land known as “Chartice” - Today’s prestigious Cartizze hills - can be found as far back as the XVI century. Numerous references to the family have been made through the centuries leaving us with no doubt as to the permanence of Bisol’s forefathers in the area of Valdobbiadene up to 1542 when a historical reference affirming Bisol as a grape-growing and wine producing family can be found: Eliseo Bisol gives life to a small but flowering business. Only the brutality of the first world war would temporarily halt the progress of the business - in fact, the area around Valdobbiadene became the frontline for the opposing Austria-Hungary and Italian forces - in spite of everything, the viticulture business of the Bisol family once again gained strength in the middle 1920’s thanks to Desiderio Bisol, the son of Eliseo. After the second world war Desiderio - or Jeio, as he was affectionately called by his wife - assigned different roles in the company to each of his four sons according to their educational formation: Antonio took care of administration, Eliseo was responsible for oenology, Aurelio took over the running of the vineyards while Claudio became general manager of the company. From that moment on the growth in quality of the company has been closely linked to the experimentation of new techniques in the vineyards, all necessary to the aim of producing top quality wines. As the current president of the company Antonio Bisol recalls, “my father Desiderio was acutely sensitive to product quality and always tried to buy the best plots, the most expensive and steepest and therefore the most difficult to work, but it was that very steepness and composition which made them ideal for nurturing Glera grapes”. At the cutting edge of tradition The Bisol family, whose historical winery is located in S. Stefano di Valdobbiadene, cultivate directly more than 20 of the best-located plots immersed in the steep hills that lead from Valdobbiadene towards Conegliano, the most prestigious area of the appellation. The land is extremely fragmented and studded with small plots, so much so that the average size of each property is little more than a hectare. There is also the ulterior complication that the various stages of the winemaking process (grape-growing, wine-pressing, and sparkling wine production) are often carried out by different companies. A working knowledge of the peculiar problems inherent in this territory will allow you to fully understand the importance of that little bit extra that distinguishes Bisol: one of the few companies that directly manage the entire wine-making process from the initial careful choice of land right through to the final bottling process. This guarantees the maximum quality yield, as each single stage, fundamental in determining the final quality level, requires constant and rigorous control. The feather in the cap is the three hectares of land managed on the summit of the Cartizze hill: an area that winds along the crest of the steep hill at an altitude of 300 metres above sea level and benefits from total exposition to sunlight as well as continuous ventilation that together with the sandy nature of the land makes it an area of rare value. The 106 hectares of the Cartizze hill are divided up between 140 owners and the value of the land has reached the dizzy heights of more than 2,5 million euro per hectare. |
