It is almost time once again for one of the most famous wine festivals in the Veneto region: from 18 March to 11 June the hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG will be the focus of the event “Primavera del Prosecco Superiore“. For the last 22 years this oenological tourist attraction has successfully welcomed and entertained the many thousands of people who come to visit the lands that gave birth to the much-celebrated Prosecco, now famous and appreciated throughout the world.

It is here, among these rugged hills and small villages, where with great effort and passion the vines are grown that give rise to a wine which is full of history, a history of people and places that the “Primavera del Prosecco Superiore” narrates every year through a series of events. It is easy to discover the paths and byways that connect the towns and villages, through forests and countryside festooned with vineyards. Just follow the marked trails described in the project “Le nostre vie” (“Our paths”) promoted by the organizing committee in collaboration with the local Tourist Office and associations. Starting from one of the 17 wine exhibitions that make up the wine festival, visitors can immerse themselves in unique landscapes unlike anywhere else in the world, discover corners of the local area which are unknown to most people, and follow the old mule tracks or paths traveled by soldiers during the First World War.

“Primavera del Prosecco Superiore” is a festival which comprises a series of 17 events across the area from Valdobbiadene through the towns and villages right down to Conegliano. Each event is marked by an exhibition of wines where, in addition to being able to taste the best local wines on offer, visitors can also discover the region’s culinary traditions: every event offers local delicacies prepared using traditional methods, to enable visitors to rediscover the unique tastes and traditions of the region’s specialities.

But tradition is not experience just at the dining table; hidden behind the walls of the ancient houses across the area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, visitors can find many beautiful sundials, which represent an artistic and cultural heritage of an ancient tradition, and which this year will be part of the Photographic Competition entitled “Scatta la Primavera del Prosecco Superiore” (“Photograph the Springtime of Prosecco Superiore”) and which from 24 to 26 March will be the focus of the 21st Gnomonic Seminar which will take place right in Valdobbiadene. And finally, Don’t forget the national oenological competition, the only one dedicated to the wines of Conegliano Valdobbiadene; now in its 4th year, the event will see sparkling wine producers and wineries competing for the title of Champion Wine of the “Primavera del Prosecco Superiore”.

[This article was originally published in the Visit Conegliano Valdobbiadene magazine, issue Spring Summer 2017. The magazine is available here]