Italy · Piave, Lison & eastern plain (Treviso / Venezia)

Capo di Vigna Società Agricola S.S.

Three-generation Lunardelli family estate in Motta di Livenza, far eastern Veneto, farming 100 hectares of calcareous-clayey flatland across the DOC Prosecco and DOC Piave zones, producing Prosecco Frizzante, Brut, and Asolo Superiore DOCG.

The producer

Capo di Vigna farms 100 hectares of flat calcareous-clayey land in Villanova di Motta di Livenza, where the eastern Veneto plain runs close enough to the Friuli Venezia Giulia border that the proximity shapes the growing conditions. The Lunardelli family has worked these vineyards across three generations, moving from grape cultivation to estate production in the mid-1950s under Alfonso Lunardelli, then relaunching in the early 1990s as a modern Prosecco operation under his son Ruggero, a trained oenologist, and Ruggero's wife Patrizia. Stefano and Chiara, the third generation, have now joined the business.

The range is built around Glera and moves through three levels of the Prosecco appellation hierarchy: a lightly sparkling DOC Frizzante with white flower and Golden Delicious apple aromatics, a drier DOC Brut with a fuller bead and sharper citrus register, and the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, sourced from the Treviso hills sub-zone and given extended bottle rest before release. The estate also produces still wines under the DOC Venezia and DOC delle Venezie denominations, and carries the Poggio della Madonna range, named after a local agricultural apparition story from 1510.

Known for

Prosecco across DOC and DOCG tiers, with the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG as the premium expression from the Treviso hills sub-zone.

Notable facts

The story

The apparition in the field

In 1510, a local tradition says that farmer Giovanni Cigana was working his fields near Motta di Livenza when the Virgin Mary appeared to him among the rows. The story stayed in the area, passed through parish memory and local record, becoming one of those agricultural encounters that the eastern Veneto plain accumulated over its long history of cultivation. The Lunardelli family named one of their wine ranges Poggio della Madonna in direct reference to that apparition. The name fixes the range to a particular stretch of agricultural land and to a moment that pre-dates the estate, the denomination, and the Lunardelli family's own presence in these fields. Every bottle in the range carries the name of what a farmer claimed to have seen while working the ground in the same corner of Treviso province the estate farms today.

From the atlas

Capo di Vigna Società Agricola S.S.

At A Glance

Producer: Capo di Vigna Società Agricola S.S. Location: Motta di Livenza, Treviso province, Veneto Appellations: DOC Prosecco, DOC Piave, DOC Venezia, DOC delle Venezie, Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Grape: Glera (primary), with still wines under DOC Venezia and DOC delle Venezie Vineyards: Approximately 100 hectares across Motta di Livenza, Cessalto, and Gorgo al Monticano To Try First: Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG

The Producer

Capo di Vigna farms 100 hectares of flat calcareous-clayey land at the far eastern edge of Veneto, in the locality of Villanova di Motta di Livenza, where the plain runs close to the Friuli Venezia Giulia border. The Lunardelli family has worked these vineyards across three generations, moving from grape cultivation to estate production to a fully integrated sparkling wine operation built around Prosecco.

The estate sits within four denominations: DOC Piave, DOC Venezia, DOC delle Venezie, and DOC Prosecco. Its premium tier reaches into the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, a separate appellation in the Treviso hills that carries the highest official standing in the Prosecco hierarchy. That range of appellations gives Capo di Vigna a broad production canvas, from everyday Glera-based frizzante to a DOCG bottling held back for weeks of bottle rest before release.

Place

Motta di Livenza sits near the northeastern corner of Veneto, where the flat alluvial plain stretches toward the Friuli Venezia Giulia border. The soils here are calcareous and clayey, with a microclimate that supports even grape ripening across the growing season. Flatland viticulture in this part of Veneto produces wines with a softer natural acidity than hillside Prosecco from further west, and the Glera grape responds to the calcareous fraction in the soil with the floral and apple-fruit character typical of the denomination.

The DOC Prosecco appellation covers a large zone across Treviso and Friuli. Within it, Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG is a smaller, hill-based sub-zone in the Treviso province with a separate and superior classification. The hilly terrain of Asolo concentrates ripeness and aromatic depth differently from the flat land around Motta di Livenza, which is why the estate's Asolo bottling occupies a distinct tier above the DOC range.

Soil And Site

The estate vineyards in Villanova di Motta di Livenza sit on calcareous-clayey soils that drain reasonably well for flatland and hold enough moisture through dry periods to support even Glera ripening. The Friuli border proximity brings slightly continental airflows from the east, moderating summer heat and supporting the aromatic freshness that Glera expresses as white flower and orchard fruit. Vineyards spread across three municipalities: Motta di Livenza as the main holding, with additional parcels in Cessalto and Gorgo al Monticano. The estate manages these vineyards under sustainable viticulture principles.

Story

The Lunardelli family has grown grapes in this part of Treviso province for generations. Alfonso Lunardelli made the consequential step in the mid-1950s: instead of selling the family's harvested fruit or bulk wine, he began transforming and bottling the grapes under the family's own name. That decision established the estate production model the family has followed since.

In the early 1990s, Alfonso's son Ruggero, a trained oenologist, relaunched the business as the present Capo di Vigna together with his wife Patrizia and with the collaboration of Patrizia's sister Egle and her husband Massimo. Ruggero's professional formation as an oenologist shaped the cellar approach: advanced equipment for fermentation temperature control, autoclave secondary fermentation for the Prosecco DOC range, and a consistent focus on bringing out the varietal character of Glera rather than imposing an external style. The estate subsequently added the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG to its range, moving into the hills appellation to offer a tier with greater appellation standing and aromatic complexity.

Ruggero and Patrizia's children, Stefano and Chiara, have now joined the business as the third generation, carrying the estate into its seventh decade of family estate production.

Vineyards And Cellar

The 100 hectares spread across Motta di Livenza, Cessalto, and Gorgo al Monticano are managed under sustainable viticulture principles, with continuous vineyard renewal. Glera is the dominant variety, as required by Prosecco DOC and DOCG regulations, which mandate a minimum of 85 percent Glera in any Prosecco blend.

In the cellar, the Prosecco DOC Frizzante undergoes secondary fermentation in autoclave over approximately 20 days, which generates the light, fine bead characteristic of the frizzante style. The Prosecco DOC Brut is fermented at approximately 18 degrees Celsius, with fermentation running until sugars are fully consumed, producing a drier, more fully sparkling wine. The Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG receives additional bottle rest before release, allowing the floral and citrus aromatics to fully open and integrate.

Wines

The Capo di Vigna range is built around Prosecco at three levels of appellation and style.

The Prosecco DOC Frizzante is lightly sparkling, straw yellow with green reflections and a fine, persistent bead. White flowers and Golden Delicious apple dominate the nose. The palate is soft, low-pressure, and approachable, with the mousse sitting as a gentle texture rather than a full sparkle. This is a lunch-table wine: easy to pour, low in alcohol relative to the still wines in the range, and designed to be drunk young.

The Prosecco DOC Brut is fully sparkling, drier, and more structured than the frizzante. Temperature-controlled fermentation at 18 degrees Celsius preserves the Glera aromatics while driving the bead to full pressure. The palate is cleaner and crisper than the frizzante, with the lower residual sugar sharpening the citrus character.

The Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG is the premium expression, sourced from the Asolo hills sub-zone and given extended bottle rest before sale. The DOCG classification signals a tighter production zone and more demanding regulations than the broader DOC. The additional ageing time lets the floral and citrus bouquet develop beyond the immediacy of the DOC range.

The estate also produces a named line called Poggio della Madonna, a range of still and sparkling wines, and still wines under the DOC Venezia and DOC delle Venezie denominations.

In The Glass

Glera at its most expressive opens with white flowers, ripe pear, and Golden Delicious apple, aromas that come directly from the variety's characteristic aromatic profile rather than from oak or extended ageing. The Capo di Vigna frizzante keeps this profile light and immediate: low pressure on the palate, a soft mousse, and a clean, slightly floral finish without significant weight. The brut version amplifies the same register but with sharper edges, the dry fermentation drawing the palate toward citrus peel and green apple rather than ripe orchard fruit.

The Asolo Superiore DOCG shows more depth from the hills fruit and the bottle rest. The floral character becomes more layered, the bead is finer and more integrated, and the finish extends further with a delicate citrus lift. The calcareous-clayey soil gives the wines a clean mid-palate without heaviness, and the aromatic freshness holds through to the finish across the range.

A Bottle To Understand It

Start with the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG. It is Glera from the Asolo hills appellation, held for several weeks of bottle rest before release, which means the floral and citrus bouquet has had time to develop and integrate before the wine reaches a glass. The bead is fine and persistent, the mousse is light, and the finish carries a clean citrus lift without heaviness. The DOCG classification places it at the top of the Prosecco hierarchy, and the Asolo sub-zone is a well-defined territory with a character that is distinct from the flat-land DOC wines in the same range. It shows what the estate is working toward, and it shows it clearly.

Anecdote

In 1510, a local tradition says that farmer Giovanni Cigana was working his fields near Motta di Livenza when the Virgin Mary appeared to him among the rows. The story stayed in the area, passed through parish memory and local record, becoming one of those agricultural encounters that the eastern Veneto plain has accumulated over its long history of cultivation. The Lunardelli family named one of their wine ranges Poggio della Madonna in direct reference to that apparition. The name fixes the range to a particular stretch of agricultural land and to a moment that pre-dates the estate, the denomination, and the Lunardelli family's own presence in these fields. Every bottle in the range carries the name of what a farmer claimed to have seen while working the ground in the same corner of Treviso province the estate farms today.

Final Word

Capo di Vigna is a three-generation Veneto estate with a clear focus: Glera-based Prosecco from flat calcareous land near the Friuli border, running from a light frizzante through to an Asolo DOCG with genuine appellation standing. The estate's seven decades of family production have built a consistent range rather than a single famous bottle. The Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG is the clearest expression of what the estate can do with the denomination at its most demanding level.

Sources

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