Wine and economy, wine and beauty. These were the two central themes of the two-day event celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the Consorzio Tutela Asolo Montello , held on October 11th and 12th. On the first day in Asolo, producers and experts discussed the successes, challenges, and strategies for increasing the value of wine, and in particular, Asolo Prosecco Superiore. On the second day, at the Villa di Maser , designed by Andrea Palladio and frescoed by Paolo Veronese, hundreds of visitors, mostly young, had the opportunity to meet the producers of Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Montello DOCG, and Montello Asolo DOC at the event "Elevate your choice: wine, beauty, territory ," tasting the wines and more. The Consortium, which has always promoted the union between wine, art, and beauty , has organized two seminars, open to the public, led by wine critic Armando Castagno, to explore the theme of beauty and dedicated to the denominations of local wines.
Having concluded the celebrations with a more than positive outcome, the Consortium is now already looking to its next projects. Michele Noal, President of the Asolo Montello Wine Consortium , stated: " Our strategy is to focus on three distinctive elements. We have a territory that is home to world-renowned beauties, such as the Gypsotheca of Antonio Canova, who was born here, the Villa di Maser, designed by Andrea Palladio, the village of Asolo, and the Abbey of Sant'Eustachio, to name just a few. We have many attractions for sports tourism, such as paragliding, biking, and hiking, and cultural tourism, thanks to the Great War Trails. This heritage allows us to have a strong tourism potential, an aspect we would like to continue to focus on in the future. We are limited in size, which we want to maintain through the management of our facilities, which allows us to manage growth. Finally, we speak the language of the world, thanks to companies that work in Italy and abroad."
Wine Beyond Wine - " Orizzonte Vino. Asolo Montello: When a Product Generates Wealth and Well-Being for an Entire Region " was the title of the roundtable discussion moderated by Sebastiano Barisoni, Deputy Executive Director of Radio 24 – Il Sole 24 Ore, on Saturday, October 11th at the Teatro Duse in Asolo. Speakers included Eugenio Pomarici, Professor at the University of Padua, Marco Simoncini, Sales Manager at Metrica Ricerche, and Renato Mason, Secretary of Cgia di Mestre. The meeting presented the economic data of a healthy region, where Montello DOCG, Montello Asolo DOC, and Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG are produced on a total vineyard area of 2,271 hectares. Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, in particular, has grown significantly, from a production of approximately 1.2 million bottles in 2009 to 32,450,000 in 2024, 40% of which is sold in Italy and 60% abroad. This is followed by Montello DOCG with 25,400 bottles and Montello Asolo DOC with 473,500.
A successful region where producers remain grounded, as demonstrated by the district snapshot compiled by CGIA of Mestre, which highlights the area's balance of productive sectors—not just wine, but also business services, commerce, and construction, to name a few. The wine industry creates prosperity, as 32% of the value generated by businesses (20% in the rest of Italy) is reinvested primarily in the region, creating jobs, purchases, and services. Finally, it is a region that has resisted industrialization but has also remained attractive from a tourism perspective, as demonstrated by the 90,000 tourist arrivals and 230,000 overnight stays annually. Tourism, in particular, can be a way to enhance the product's distinctiveness, as Metrica's research shows; it still needs to work on strengthening its identity.
Metrica's analysis , conducted across the restaurant, modern retail, and consumer channels, with over 1,000 interviews, highlighted the wine's strengths and areas for improvement. While Asolo Prosecco Superiore is popular, and those who discover it repurchase it, awareness still needs to grow in a complex landscape. Strengthening its identity will be the goal for the future, as confirmed by Michele Noal, President of the Asolo Montello Wine Consortium, by creating a unified communication strategy.
