On the terraced hillsides of Conegliano Valdobbiadene -- a landscape so distinctive it earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019 -- the Sommariva family has spent two generations building one of the region's most respected Prosecco estates.
A Family Bet on the Hills
It was Caterino Sommariva who saw what the slopes could offer and began purchasing hillside vineyards with his wife Urbana in the 1970s, acquiring land in San Pietro di Feletto. Their daughter Cinzia studied marketing before discovering her own passion for the land and the wine it could produce. She traded her accountant's role for that of an agricultural entrepreneur, and has since become an adamant ambassador for the Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore style.
Fifty Hectares of Glera
Today Sommariva farms approximately 50 hectares planted entirely to Glera, the native grape of Conegliano Valdobbiadene. The vineyards sit on iron and mineral-rich clay soils typical of the UNESCO zone, and all harvest is done by hand -- a commitment that distinguishes Sommariva from larger-volume producers in the appellation.
Prosecco Superiore DOCG
The wines are produced using the Italian method (Charmat), with secondary fermentation in autoclaves to preserve the delicate floral and stone fruit aromatics of Glera. The flagship Prosecco Superiore Brut is clean, lively, and mineral -- less sweet and more food-friendly than much commercially produced Prosecco. Kermit Lynch has carried the wine in the United States, where it has found a loyal audience among those who take sparkling wine seriously.
Quality Above Volume
Cinzia Sommariva summarizes the family approach as "emotions, cultivated on the land and perfected in the cellar." The winery prioritizes biodiversity in the vineyard and careful monitoring at every stage of production. While Sommariva does not position itself as a zero-intervention producer, its sustainable farming practices, hand harvesting, and family-scale oversight place it firmly in the tradition of artisan Prosecco.
