Le Manzane

The Balbinot family established their wine business in 1958 when Osvaldo Balbinot and his wife Elsa began a small operation in the Treviso province. Their son, Ernesto Balbinot, who is an oenologist, expanded these family operations by founding the La Vigna winery in 1984 to produce and vinify his own fruit. In 1992, the current brand, Le Manzane, was launched to focus on bottling high-quality sparkling wines under a unified estate name. Today, the estate remains entirely family-owned and is managed by Ernesto and his wife Silvana, alongside their children Marco and Anna, who represent the third generation of the family business.

The estate manages approximately 82 hectares of vineyards located primarily in the Manzana area between Tarzo and Conegliano, situated within the hills of San Pietro di Feletto. This region is part of the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Prosecco Superiore Hills, where the terroir consists of morainic soils left by the Würmian glaciation. The climate here is influenced by the Belluno Dolomites, which provide protection from northern winds, and the proximity to the Adriatic Sea, which offers cooling breezes. While Glera is the primary grape variety, the winery also grows Verdiso, Incrocio Manzoni, and Pinot Nero. Winemaking occurs in a modern underground cellar built into a hillside to minimize environmental impact, using temperature-controlled stainless steel and automated bottling lines to preserve fruit aromatics.

Le Manzane is best known for its production of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, with a portfolio that includes single-vineyard bottlings from the Rive di Manzana and Rive di Formeniga sub-appellations. Their range covers traditional sparkling styles such as Extra Dry, Brut, and Extra Brut, as well as a bottle-fermented version produced without disgorgement. Beyond sparkling wines, the winery produces still wines from the Incrocio Manzoni and Merlot grapes. The producer has established a presence in over 30 international markets and is noted for its social commitment through the annual Vendemmia Solidale charity harvest. With an annual production reaching roughly one million bottles, the winery is a significant producer in the region that maintains a focus on the specific hilly terroir of its estate holdings.