VENICE – Romanticizing it a little, it could be defined as the “war of the Dorona”, the ancient vine of the Serenissima, the “golden” grape of the Doges: a dispute over who was responsible for the transformation of the Vignole wine into islands, a piece of countryside finished no one knows how, together with Sant’Erasmo, between ghebi and sandbanks in the lagoon. The vine, given the due proportions, is destined to become what Prosecco is for the Treviso hills: a heritage from the wine-tourism point of view, a treasure from the more prosaically economic one. No comparison with the values on the field, for goodness sake. One hectare in the Prosecco Superiore DOCG is worth a minimum of 400-500 thousand euros. Dorona, an “extreme” grape variety due to the conditions in which it is grown, practically does not yet have a price. Its value is in potential, all to be built. But the prospects are there, if there are those who have decided to invest.
AN INTERESTING MARKET
The story is this: the Venice lagoon is being repopulated with winemakers again. The island of Vignole would like to become what the Rive represent for Prosecco: the heart of quality production. The Dorona grape gives life to a still and savory wine, unlike the bubbles of Prosecco. However, it goes well with lagoon products, fish and vegetables. The best for those restaurants that want to focus on the territory. In short, a market with good prospects. A new food and wine project by the Biniola srl company, “IsoleLeVignole”, was presented on Thursday in Vignole, with development also linked to the slow tourism that aims to counteract the devastating “hit and run” that besets Venice. Its creators are Antonio Vianello (owner of the former historic trattoria on the island), Carlo Zangrando (agricultural entrepreneur, resident on the island), Roberto Boem (owner of Destination Venice), Marco Perco (co-owner of the Roncús winery) and Francesco Ghisini (lawyer). Their idea, to produce wine from the Dorona grape thanks to 8 thousand square meters of vineyard (0.8 hectares) – to which another 2 hectares were added this year to the south of the island, in front of the Arsenal of Venice) to enhance production with sales (around 5,500 bottles per year – but above all with a place that hosts events, ceremonies, guided visits to organic gardens and tastings.
THE CLAIM
However, the one who claims paternity of the Dorona alle Vignole project is the architect Emilio Trame, a professional from Mestre, owner of Double en Investment, with a returning passion for the lagoon and for typical products, if only for the roots of family (“my grandfather – he says – had a fur shop in Venice and vineyards in Tarzo”). About twenty years ago, Trame started an ambitious project to plant Dorona vines, reintroducing the vine to this forgotten and, at the time, inaccessible strip of land. «Le Vignole was the island of wine – he says – its old name was Biniola, island of 7 vineyards. When we started, the idea was to bring new life to the island, focusing on an almost forgotten grape variety that could express the true soul of this place.” «I was alone and everyone laughed at me – he continues – “Plant prosecco, you’ll make money with that”, they told me. And instead I remained faithful to the project, of cultural and historical values. To recover the Venetian spirit and not the alcoholic monoculture.” «Thanks to the collaboration with Daniele Ceccon of the Vivai Cooperativi di Rauscedo, an expert on the Dorona vine – explains Trame – the project took off successfully. Ceccon, with his profound knowledge, followed the evolution of the vineyards step by step. Today, the island of Vignole boasts approximately 2.5 hectares of vines, all owned by me, his wife and my children Marco and Emma. We are the only owners of the vines here, the others who speak have plots rented from me, to be terminated in 4 years”, adds Trame. Who also recently extended his commitment to the wine sector by founding a new company.
IN TREPORTI
«The latest purchase includes an area of approximately 4.5 hectares in Treporti, Saccagnana, Lio Piccolo, a small ancient village, where we want to further expand the production of Dorona. This new acquisition represents the future of our work, the expansion is essential to show the full potential of Dorona: it is not an economic deal, but a true act of love towards the land and the history of the city, an attempt to preserve and enhance the local agricultural heritage through innovation and sustainability. No interest in creating yet another restaurant on an island. This year I will produce around 3 thousand bottles in my vineyard, which will become 8 thousand with another hectare of vineyard that I will plant. When fully operational, between Vignole and Saccagnana I will have around 7 hectares of Dorona.” And again in Saccagnana, Trame will dedicate part of a restored farmhouse to a cellar and food and wine hospitality, while in Vignole, where he lives, he will set up a space for a cooking school for small groups of tourists eager to discover slow tourism and the treasures of the lagoon . «War of the Dorona? – concludes Trame – For goodness sake. No war, just a story for the sake of truth.” All this while the “IsoleLeVignole” project started in that 8 thousand square meter strip of land, close to the Lagunari compendium. An “enclave” between the vineyards, the olive grove and the artichoke of Trame, which surround the vineyard of Zangrando and associates. All in the name of Dorona and the new treasure of the lagoon: wine and tourism.
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