Strada del Prosecco Site Features

The built landscape here is agricultural engineering. The ciglioni are narrow grassed earth terraces cut into slopes of thirty degrees and more, held by their own turf rather than by stone retaining walls -- a technique specific to these hills and the reason the vineyards look ribbed rather than striped.

They cannot be worked mechanically. Everything on the steepest rive is done by hand, which is why yields are low, the wine costs what it does, and abandonment is a live threat.

The road itself is a modest two-lane ridge route, following the crests rather than cutting through them, so it delivers a continuous sequence of views across the terraces on both sides.

The terraced rive

The steepest slopes, above Santo Stefano and Guia, where the ciglioni are most dramatic.

Cartizze

The small, famously expensive sub-zone above Valdobbiadene at the western end.

The hilltop villages

Rua, Col San Martino, Santo Stefano and Farra di Soligo, each with cellars open to visitors.

The two ends

Conegliano east, Valdobbiadene west, both reachable by train and bus respectively.

The route follows a band of morainic ridges formed by ancient glaciers, running east-west between the Piave valley and the Prealps. The slopes face south, the soils are stony and poor, and the day-night temperature swing is wide -- the combination the Glera grape needs.