Dal Zotto Wines
Star Cellar Door
It all started when a young man, Otto Dal Zotto from Italy’s Veneto region, possibly feeling a little homesick, planted one of the Veneto’s most prized grapes, glera (prosecco). It was the beginning of something big not just for the Dal Zotto family but the entire Australian wine industry.
The Dal Zottos continue to lead with the grape, producing five different styles, including the intriguing Pucino Col Fondo, a remembrance of old ways with yeast left in the bottle after fermentation. Cloudy and flavoursome, make it the first stop at the tasting bench.
Life here revolves around family (every member has a role to play), wine (understandably, Italian grape varieties rule) and food (the kitchen is led by matriarch, Elena). It’s no fuss and inviting. It’s also popular, so if you are intending to book into some of the winery’s annual events, such as the La Dolce Vita Festival, the King Valley Salami Festa, the Prosecco Picnic and Melbourne Food and Wine lunches, book early.
Winemaker Michael Dal Zotto has a restless mind – hence all that prosecco experimentation – but returns time and again to a signature winemaking style that celebrates everyday drinking. Arneis, a grape that hails from Piedmont, is the premier white. Nebbiolo and sangiovese vie for top red but spare a tastebud for barbera – so underrated, so drinkable. JENI PORT
OUTSTANDING WINE: 2014 Dal Zotto L’Immigrante Prosecco, A$36