Crotta di Prado

In the heart of Italy's Aosta Valley, in the village of Jovençan, Crotta di Prado winery preserves a family story spanning more than three decades. The estate was founded in the mid-1980s by Costantin and Jean Paul Praz, who transformed generations of family experience in viticulture into a dedicated winemaking venture. The first wines produced were simple table wines; in the early 1990s, the winery introduced its first appellation red wines, while the range was completed in the mid-2000s with the planting of white grape varieties. Even the winery's name reflects its roots: Prado comes from the nickname associated with the Praz family, given to them when they first settled in the village. Today, Crotta di Prado remains a family-run estate firmly rooted in the small Aosta Valley community on the right bank of the Dora Baltea River.

In the heart of Italy's Aosta Valley, in the village of Jovençan, Crotta di Prado winery preserves a family story spanning more than three decades. The estate was founded in the mid-1980s by Costantin and Jean Paul Praz, who transformed generations of family experience in viticulture into a dedicated winemaking venture. The first wines produced were simple table wines; in the early 1990s, the winery introduced its first appellation red wines, while the range was completed in the mid-2000s with the planting of white grape varieties. Even the winery's name reflects its roots: Prado comes from the nickname associated with the Praz family, given to them when they first settled in the village. Today, Crotta di Prado remains a family-run estate firmly rooted in the small Aosta Valley community on the right bank of the Dora Baltea River.

In the vineyard, Crotta di Prado follows the natural rhythm of its mountain environment. Its two hectares of vines lie on hillside slopes between 650 and 750 metres above sea level, facing north on the area known locally as the Envers. The vineyards are divided into seventeen small plots, making mechanisation impractical. From pruning to harvest, every operation is carried out by hand, a necessity given the steep terrain. Vineyard management follows integrated pest management practices, minimizing the use of pesticides and herbicides. Alongside the vineyards, the family cultivates a small orchard between 600 and 650 metres, planted with several apple varieties and a number of Martin Sec pear trees. The grapes are vinified in the estate's own cellar, a traditional stone-built building located on the edge of the village.

Crotta di Prado's production is centred on six wines. The red portfolio includes Torrette, Gamay, and Pinot Noir, while the whites consist of single-varietal Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Müller-Thurgau. Together, they express the mineral character of the valley's glacial moraine soils and the brightness that comes with high-altitude viticulture—hallmarks of Aosta Valley winemaking. The winery's philosophy is based on low yields and meticulous attention to each individual parcel. Producing around 15,000 bottles per year, Crotta di Prado remains one of the smallest yet most distinctive wineries in the Aosta Valley, preserving a close bond between family, mountain landscape, and vine.