We have always lived in our district. It is here that we were born; here we have grown up, along with our children, with our communities, with our wine. The vines, the hills and the biodiversity that renders them special constitute our most valuable legacy: that is the reason we have multiplied our efforts to protect and defend it. And that is why our deeds are our greatest demonstration of love for our zone.

1. The Viticultural Protocol. Our self-regulatory code for sustainable vineyard management, aimed at minimizing the impact of chemicals on our environment, pre-dated the ministerial and European Union regulations regarding the use of plant protection products. To date, it is more severe than the legislation currently in force: it excludes various active substances that are still allowed by the Ministry of Agriculture, by the EU and the World Health Organization, and bans others totally (such as Folpet and Mancozeb). Thanks to this code, the number of annual sprayings has fallen dramatically since 2013.

2. Rural policing. 14 communes out of the 15 in the zone have made respecting the Viticultural Protocol obligatory. The local councils control and give fines for any violations, thanks to the intervention of the Municipal and Forestry police forces.

3. Organic farming. The work carried out over the years has given rise to the conditions for creating a bio-district in the D.O.C.G. zone, in line with the Ministry of Agriculture’s regulations. We are in favour of organic farming and of any other measures aimed at limiting the impact of viticulture on the environment, such as integrated pest management.

4. The area under vines. Any increase in the area under vines in the last few years has been limited by law. Including both re-planting and new vineyard plantings, in 2017 only 50 hectares have been added. Today the area devoted to viticulture is 7,549 hectares, counter-balanced by 11,500 hectares of trees and woodland, indispensable for improving the quality of the air and giving Prosecco Superiore its incomparable aromas.

5. The Consortium. Our activity includes monitoring the behaviour of the vine-growers. We are involved in studies aimed at promoting ever more sustainable viticulture (such as the research launched in cooperation with the University of Freiburg on disease-resistant vines, which has as its goal the complete elimination of plant health products in the vineyard). We take part in multi-year programmes with precise intermediary control dates and we only announce indisputable, certified results.

6. The local community. According to a survey carried out by SWG in 2017, 92% of the community supports the Consortium and its activities, such as the UNESCO candidacy related to the cultural value of the landscape of the D.O.C.G..  78% of the population believes in the attainment of this recognition, and of its importance as a model for development for the younger generations. The individuals totally against it represent 3% of the population.

7. The District. The activities of the District have promoted the development of the zone and employment among young people. Conegliano Valdobbiadene is one of the most ecologically sustainable wine production Districts in Italy. At the end of 2016 it also became the most high-performing one in the country, with its current 3,387 vine-growers, 433 vinifying companies and 181 producers of sparkling wine. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore represents an example of Italian excellence in markets worldwide (42 % of production is exported).

We all believe in the successful reality expressed in these figures, just as we believe in the future generations: no less than 1,900 students fill the classrooms of the School of Oenology in Conegliano each year.