Adami

Why Adami is Essential

Whenever I pour Adami for guests at my house, they not only notice the higher quality, but they feel compelled to comment on it. It doesn't matter if they're a wine obsessive or not: everyone notices. Adami's take on Prosecco is just better: more refined, more balanced, more delicious than the others.

Why is that? Well, that's another matter.

It could be the vineyards they have tended for generations, including some that demand 1,000 hours of labor per hectare per year due to their steepness and the age of the vines. But then again, most Prosecco producers in the Valdobbiadene put in those kinds of hours, too (the region is fantastically mountainous and wild).

Perhaps its the family's roots in Veneto viticulture, which stretch back to the 1920s. That may not be the longest lineage in the area (not even close, actually), but from the very beginning with Abele Adami, the house has always had a commitment to single-vineyard vinification. In the 1920s, that concept was novel. Today, everybody does it, but few actually show these differences better than Adami.

Maybe it's that they work sustainably and have the certifications to prove it. Or maybe it is because they've banned the use of weed killers for years now.

Whatever the secret is, I think — as with all things Prosecco — I should keep it simple and just say the Adami family has a knack for Prosecco. It is not something you can intellectually quantify with a wine like this. You just feel it.

Wines to Seek Out

Adami makes an entry-level wine from the Prosecco Treviso DOC called "Garbèl," three Valdobbiandene Prosecco DOCG wines ("Col Fondo," "Bosco di Gica" and "Dei Castel"), two Rive-level Valdobbiandene Prosecco DOCG wines ("Col Credas" and "Vigneto Giardino") and a single Cartizze. For me, the following four are the standouts.

Adami “Col Fondo” Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut

One of the most complex and compelling Prosecco wines on the market, with incredible aromas suggesting both pears and ripe apples as well as a rich autolytic note from the lees. There is a broadness to this wine that is far more expansive, and compelling, than most Prosecco. The slightly lazier bubbles and cloudier look are all part of the col fondo style, but for me, the entry points into this wine are quite clear.

Adami “Bosco di Gica” Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut

What is noteworthy about Adami's "Bosco di Gica" is the complexity of the fruit and the touch of sweetness that supports it. At 10 grams/L of residual sugar, it is flirting with the outer limits of the Brut category, but you won't notice that much given how well balanced and pleasing this wine is.

Adami “Vigneto Giardino” Rive di Colbertaldo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Dry

This is the wine that started it all for Adami. In 1933, when Abele Adami was invited to Siena to represent the wines of Prosecco, he bottled this single vineyard and presented it — the first such cru wine from the land of Prosecco. Today, it remains the estate's hallmark, a slightly sweeter and decadent version hailing from the steeply pitched "garden vineyard" within the Rive di Colbertaldo.

Adami “Col Credas” Rive di Farra di Soligno Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Brut

Sourced from one of the steepest and most labor-intensive vineyards in the Valdobbiadene zone, "Col Credas" is a dazzling version of Prosecco, with ultra-fine bubbles, three-dimensional fruit tones and — a rarity amongst this class of wines — the ability to shape-shift over an evening.