The town of Valdobbadiene is very pretty, nestled in the foothills of the Dolomites mountains and famous for its prosecco wineries.
We are here to visit
Ruggeri Winery on the recommendation of a friend. The wineries here are mostly large-scale export businesses, not quite set up for walk-in visits from foreign tourists. My pre-visit emails did not yield any responses from Ruggeri. We decided to drive there anyway and just pay them a visit. We walkd up to the reception desk -- it's more like a business than a Napa-style winery -- and shamelessly name-dropped our friend's name (he's in the wine business), and in a few minutes a handsome man emerged from upstairs and introduced himself as Giuistino Bisol, the eldest and only son in the family carrying the name of their most famed prosecco - Giustino B.
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| Giustino B. holding a bottle of his namesake (actually it's is Grandfather's name) |
Although he is a busy man, he graciously took the time to give us a tour of his familiy's winery, explaining how meticulous they are in the wine making process to ensure top-quality wines. He ended it off with a lovely tasting session in a well-furnished conference room with an internal window overlooking the winery operations. Perfectly chilled, he served us the famed Giustino B and the pride of the family - VecchiViti, a hard-earned project of his father and grandfather to create a more matured and more flavorful prosecco. Both wines were delicious.
He was very proud to inform us that Giustino B 2012 was awarded the Tre Bicchieri (Three Glasses) of the Gambero Rosso 2014, a recognition given to the best Italian wines. He was kind enough to make lunch reservations for us at
Salis Ristorante, a lovely restaurant perched on a ridge overlooking the valley, and to give us his cellphone number in case we needed any assistance during our visit to Valdobbiadene. Truly, a charming young man who is carrying on the family business.
After leaving Ruggieri Winery, we drove on small winding country roads into the hills just east of the village of Valdobbiadene to Salis Ristorante, which is part of a small spa and hotel that overlooks the surrounding vineyards. We were shown into a tastefully modern dining room and seated at table with a wonderful view. We enjoyed a lovely meal that included an aromatic, flavorful pumpkin risotto, and a filet accompanied by potatoes and grilled radicchio from nearby Treviso.
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| Restaurant terrace |
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| Pumpkin Risotto |
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| Filet di Manzo, with Potatoes and Treviso radicchio |
This day, which began in Padova, was a fitting end to our visit to northeastern Italy.
