Brindisi dorato

Venissa 2012 is En Primeur. After the notable success of Venissa 2010 and 2011, the 2012 vintage, which winemaker Roberto Cipresso has declared the greatest thus far, has arrived.

Venetian Dorona is a thick-skinned, golden-colored grape with unique leaves that endows us with a long-lasting and elegant nectar. A treasure hidden away in the tiny rural homesteads and in the history and traditions of the islands that was on the verge of extinction. Years of historical and oenological research, thanks to the passion and dedication of the Bisol family for Venice, together with the talent of Desiderio Bisol and renowned winemaker Roberto Cipresso, have managed to revitalize this precious grape variety on the Venissa Estate.

THE VINEYARD

The Venissa Estate is situated on the island of Mazzorbo, which, together with Torcello and Burano, is part of Native Venice, an archipelago of nature, colors, art, and flavors. Venissa is one of the last examples of a“walled vineyard”, and in fact the entire estate, which covers an area of two hectares, is entirely encircled by medieval walls restored in 1727 as indicated by the marble markers set into the two sidewalls of the estate.
Making this location rich in silence and serenity even more charming is the towering 14th-century bell tower of the church of Saint Michael the Archangel, built in the 16th century.
It is a special vineyard, mostly on its own rootstock, where the roots of the vines delve deep into the soil rich in clay-laden silt and microorganisms. “Heroic viticulture” that fully respects nature and is aimed at maintaining a delicate balance constantly threatened by high tides. An extreme phenomenon that places great stress on the vines, but one which is able to give unique organoleptic characteristics to a wine that is strongly linked to its terroir

GOLD AND GLASS

The bottle is a tribute to Venice’s past, paying tribute to three local traditions: Wine, Gold, and Glass. The inspiration came immediately through the association of idea and assonance sourced from the name of the grape variety itself: Dorona, or “gilded” – the Golden Grape.
The authentic sheets of pure gold leaf used in Venetian tradition are now difficult to obtain, but thanks to the Berta Battiloro workshop, whose family surname harks back to generations of gold workers, Venissa’s extraordinary labels are created. The gold leaf is applied by hand, and each bottle is then re-fired in the ovens of the Carlo Moretti glassworks on the island of Murano.

THE OENOLOGICAL PROJECT

The rediscovery of the Dorona grape led to the birth of Venissa, a rare wine – the nectar of a limited grape production of just slightly over 40 hectares – that has become part of the history of Venice. Venissa is nurtured by two great white and red wine oenologists, Desiderio Bisol and Roberto Cipresso, whose expertise has led to the creation of a white wine with the maceration of a noble red.
The vinification cycle is aimed at transferring the unique characteristics of the terroir into the glass and
creating a wine that is reminiscent of Venice and unlike any other: a truly unforgettable wine.

Fondamenta Santa Caterina 3 – 30142 Isola di Mazzorbo, Venezia | Italy
t +39 041.52.72.281 info@venissa.it www.venissa.it

THE GOLDEN SYMBOL OF NATIVE VENICE

“While accompanying several customers on a trip to Torcello, I noticed an old grapevine in a private house beside the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. I managed to persuade the owner to send me some of the grapes when they had matured. The crates arrived full of lovely thick-skinned grapes with a brilliant golden color. It was the famous Dorona, also known as the Golden Grape, well-loved by the Venetians and served during the banquets of the Doges, and then lost to history”.
(Gianluca Bisol)