Winemaker **Eros Zanon** walks in his Valdobbiadene vineyards.

Zanon - Italy

Wandering with winemaker Eros Zanon through his lush vineyards on the steep hillsides in the heart of the Valdobbiadene appellation, the natural beauty of the old vines is only matched by the passion of Eros as he quietly shares his winemaking philosophy, “Every vineyard has its own expression and characteristics. it is very important to leave each wine to express its soul.”

His natural winemaking style has been inspired by his love for the hills of Valdobbiadene and his land and vineyards. Surely, his natural methods are aided by the unique soil underneath his Glera and Boschera vines. Filled with marine fossils from an ancient glacier, for years before vines were planted, cows ranged free creating natural fertilizer still giving nutrients to the vines. As well, the vines give their own complexity, with the average vine being 50-60 years old.

In the winery, Eros only uses natural methods and native yeast fermentation for his wines, which he crafts in a pet-nat or ancestral method of sparkling wine production. He works with only white grapes, the traditional glera (the grape of prosecco sparkling wine), and the rare Boschera, of which there are only 7 hectares in the world. In fact, Eros has worked diligently to save the indigenous boschera from near extinction, now working to craft a wine that he hopes will bring the grape back to recognition. He practices only natural winemaking methods in his winery, crafting his white wines in the ancestral or pet-nat method.