THE DISTRICT

The District of Conegliano Valdobbiadene is a real self-contained economic system. Thanks to the wine production that epitomizes these hills, many associated activities have started up, so as to create a veritable value chain. In close contact with the wineries there are the distilleries, which transform the grape pomace into the precious spirit that is, likewise, an expression of the area: grappa. The distilleries represent a real team thanks to the Istituto Grappa Veneta, a body which has its headquarters in Conegliano and acts to safeguard and promote grappa. Then there are the companies that design and manufacture winemaking machinery. In the zone, in fact, there are some of the most important firms providing technology for vineyards and wineries around the world. Because of the many local wine producers, other businesses have also developed in the zone that are linked with wine, such as laboratories providing analyses and companies supplying winemaking products and services. Also of great importance is the role played by the scientific institutions, which each year train the wine professionals of the future, and by the local institutions, which defend and promote the identity of the area. Last but not least, other actors in the District are those who provide hospitality and accommodation, including restaurants, wine shops, trattorie and agriturismi, where a glass of fragrant, bubbly wine provides an excellent welcome. This territorial system, made up of a whole host of very different subjects, was recognized in 2003 as the First Sparkling Wine District of Italy, a designation that has opened up possibilities for developing economic and scientific research projects as well as promotional programmes.