Graziano Prà

À propos du vignoble et des vins

Graziano Prà was born in a traditional family of farmers. His father Angelo passed away when he was only 21, leaving him and his two older brothers Livio and Sergio two hectares of vineyards. All of them were willing to follow in their father footsteps. Graziano decided to study oenology and started producing some wine on his own. 1983 was the first vintage of Soave branded Prà Brothers. In 2007 the two brothers left the business, leaving Graziano as the only owner. In 1980's Graziano wants to develop the Monte Grande family vineyard and decides to use withering grapes from the vines and to make them separately into wine. Thus our Cru was born. In 2000 Prà receives the highest rating of Three Glasses (Tre Bicchieri) from the Italian food and wine magazine Gambero Rosso with his Soave Cl. Monte Grande 2000. Graziano buys La Morandina, in 2001, an organic vineyard for the production of the traditional Valpolicella red wines. In 2014 Pra Winery buy Monte Bisson, a hill surrounded by a tower builded by Venetians in the 1400s, that stands on the Soave plain and surrounds a castle.

Working the black volcanic soils of Monteforte d’Alpone, we produce some of the most interesting expressions of the Garganega variety, defined by their finesse, elegance, and distinctive volcanic minerality. This grape, with its golden bunches, has covered the black hillsides of the region forever; they are the part of the tradition of winemaking here. To preserve the tradition of the region, Trebbiano di Soave is also co-planted. All of his white wines are characterized by notes of exotic fruit and white flowers, savory minerality, and pronounced acidity, the wines promise great aging potential. We are one of the first producers in the area to bottle cru-designated wines, after noting the potential and distinctiveness of certain vineyards sites. Our single-vineyard Monte Grande Soave Classico DOC (70% Garganega; 30% of Trebbiano di Soave) was first produced in 1988. The Trebbiano is picked relatively early for freshness, but the Garganega is left on the vine until later in the growing season to concentrate both the juice and the acidity. The wine is then fermented and aged in botti grandi for 10 months and then bottle-aged before release. Later, he added two “Garganega Selection” wines, each with its own unique formula both in the vineyards and the cellar: the Staforte Soave Classico DOC – a selection of choice Garganega bunches from hilltop vineyards, then aged on its lees in tank with bâtonnage for a minimum of 8 months, followed by an additional year of bottle age – a