The past week has been hellishly hot in New York, where a heat dome has trapped the city in 100+ degree temperatures. Not even Central Park, which allows Manhattanites to breathe during the summer months, provides any respite.

How am I surviving it? Blinds down, A/C on blast, constant hydration. And a vivid imagination . . .

Recently I attended an online presentation of Andreola Valdobbiadene DOCG, an Italian winery perched atop the verdant hills between the Dolomite Mountains and Venice. Export manager Cristina Binotto described it as a place that is “shaped by hand, heritage, and heroic viticulture.”

I closed my eyes and imagined myself there, basking in the calm green energy of the forest, filling my lungs with fresh, cool air. And sipping a glass of sparkling wine born in that quiet, refreshing, place.

About Andreola

In 1984, Nazzareno Pola hung up his cycling cleats and returned home to Valdobbiadene to grow grapes. Throughout his career as a professional cyclist, Pola would set aside his winnings to purchase small vineyard plots. He named the collection of properties after his mother, Andreola.

Today, the Andreola enterprise comprises about 110 hectares divided into 250 micro-plots scattered across the 15 villages of Valdobbiadene, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019. It’s now run by Nazzareno’s son, Stefano, who sees his mission as elevating Valdobbiadene DOCG by presenting the purity of the Glera grape and honoring the uniqueness of every slope, parcel, and rive.

Tending these vineyards isn’t for the faint of heart: many lie on slopes with inclines of 70%; all must be harvested by hand. According to winemaker Mirco Balliana, that amounts to more than 800 hours of labor per hectare, per year.

This ain’t your run-of-the-mill Prosecco, folks.

About Valdobbiadene DOCG

Glera constitutes the majority of plantings in the 15 approved villages and is sometimes blended with small percentages of other native grapes (Bianchetta, Verdiso, and Perera).

Rive and Cartizze are officially identified subzones within the Valdobbiadene DOCG that produce wines reflective of their microclimates in which the slopes, exposures, elevations, and soil combinations vary greatly from one plot to another. There are 43 rive in Valdobbiadene, each individually named on the labels of the wines produced there. Cartizze, plots known as the crown jewels of Valdobbiadene DOCG, comprise just 107 hectares in the steep hills of San Pietro di Barbozza, Santo Stefano, and Saccol. They also are identified on the labels.

In short, all Valdobbiadene DOCG wines come from small plots scattered across the 15 villages included in the appellation. Each plot varies in elevation, exposure, and soil composition, all of which bring nuance to the finished wine. Indeed, the three wines I tasted were all blends of several microplots, selected by the winemaker for their special attributes.

As Cristina remarked, Andreola sees its mission as “interpreting each vineyard, each vintage,” showing that Valdobbiadene DOCG is a wine capable of expressing terroir and the subtleties of each growing season.

A hallmark of all fine wines . . .

Tasting the Wines

2025 Andreola Valdobbiadene DOCG Rive di Col San Martino Extra Brut (11.5% abv; $25 SRP)

Mirco calls this wine Andreola’s “iconic wine” because it’s the product of four hectares of their original vineyards planted in the 1980s. Plots lie at 400 meters above sea level and have full southern exposure. Soils are a complex mix of conglomerate rock native to the Dolomites, sand, and marl. It was also one of the first wines from the region to be bottled without dosage (added sugar.)

I found this wine to have an enchanting floral quality, especially on the nose. There were also notes of ripe green apple and pear and citrus (lemon, orange). As it opened, there were hints of honey, sweet herbs, and white peach. On the palate it was clean and fresh, with the same lovely fruit profile as the nose. The finish had fresh orange peel and ripe pear, with a pleasant chalky note. Such a luxurious, creamy texture, too.

After a few sips of this wine, I had already forgotten about the heat dome . . .

2025 Andreola Valdobbiadene DOCG Mas de Fer Rive di Soligo Extra Dry (11.5% abv; $22 SRP)

Grapes for this wine come from six hectares of vines at the highest altitude of all the plots. It’s the property’s second single-vineyard wine and was first vinified in 2012. With minimal dosage (14 grams/liter) this is classified as Extra Dry and is a little fruitier than the previous wine. A bit less structured, too.

It’s a beautiful pale, lemon-green color with intense aromas of ripe green pear complemented by fragrant fresh basil and fennel. Notes of lime zest, ripe apricot, and white flowers. Very complex and inviting, it smells like I’m walking through a mountain garden. On the palate there is a panoply of fruit: peach and apricot, orange, ripe pear and apple. It’s tantalizingly tangy and refreshing, with a bitter almond note on the finish. I was sad when the last drop was gone.

2025 Andreola Dirupo Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut (11.5% abv; $24 SRP)

The most popular wine in the portfolio, this is a blend of grapes from different vineyards and takes its name from the local word for “steep.” It links the property’s dedication to viticulture with the larger history of the region. As Cristina described, this wine is “a synthesis of Valdobbiadene and Andreola.” Even the label is a nod to the winery’s inception: it dates to their original bottlings of the 1980s.

Pale lemon color with a mélange of ripe fruit on the nose (orange, lemon, peach, apricot) as well as a smattering of fresh herbs (torn basil leaves), white flowers, and a fresh chalky note. On the palate it’s refreshing and light, chock full of ripe green apples and pears, some white peaches, and lemon. It finishes on a slightly saline note, which heightens the fruit character of the wine. Mirco describes it as “a wine for every moment of the day.”

I couldn’t agree more. Especially for those moments when the heat dome is in full force!

Grazie mille to Cristina, Mirco, AB Communicazione, and everyone at Andreola for inviting me to participate in this discussion. I hope my notes have piqued your interest in trying the wines of Valdobbiadene DOCG. In my opinion, they deliver excellent value for the price, especially given the great care with which they are made.

With 40+ years of experience in the region, Andreola has mastered the art of producing terroir-expressive sparkling wines of high quality, at a cost that’s accessible to most consumers.

I’ll drink to that!