La Prova Uno Prosecco is a new chapter in a decades-old family story
When Silvio Dal Cin planted the first Prosecco vines in Australia more than 20 years ago, he wasn’t motivated by the idea of introducing a new wine variety to his adopted country.
For Silvio - an Italian expatriate - his small vineyard was a way to connect with family and his roots. His parcel of land at Norton Summit was chosen because the region reminded him of Conegliano - his childhood home in Italy. On the site, he and his son hand-planted and hand-tended imported Prosecco cuttings, which were selected on the advice of Silvio’s sister-in-law - a Professore at the Conegliano School of Viticulture.
Two decades later – in a time where Prosecco has gone from obscure Italian variety to a staple of Australian wine menus - La Prova is privileged to work with the fruit grown in Silvio’s tiny but pioneering vineyard. The collaboration, which began in 2019, honours the original spirit of the Dal Cin plantings by setting aside half of the wine produced for Silvio’s family to enjoy.
The 2019 vintage was light yield, providing only enough fruit to create a highly limited selection of 62 bottles of La Prova Uno Prosecco. Made using basket pressing and wild-yeast fermentation in amphora, the wine was then racked and inoculated for a secondary fermentation in bottle, before spending three months on lees prior to disgorgement in February this year. The result is an extremely individual Prosecco with a low dosage that brings the chalkiness typical of the varietal forward.
The 2019 vintage is available soon, until sold out. The 2020 vintage release date will be announced later this year.