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Company Description
A Pioneer of Italian Sparkling Wine Since 1868
Founded in 1868 in Conegliano, Carpenè Malvolti is one of the historic pioneers of Italian sparkling wine and a key contributor to the development and international recognition of Prosecco.
The company was established by Antonio Carpenè, a visionary scientist and passionate researcher who dedicated his life to improving viticulture and winemaking techniques in the region. After travelling to the French region of Champagne, he returned to Conegliano inspired by the sparkling wines produced there, with the ambition of creating an Italian sparkling wine made from local grapes.
Working alongside his friend and financial partner Angelo Malvolti, Antonio Carpenè founded the winery with the goal of producing high-quality sparkling wines and distillates using grapes harvested from the hills of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
The Birth of Prosecco Sparkling Wine
At the time, the local grape Glera was cultivated mainly for family consumption. The wine produced from it was typically still or lightly sparkling, with no standardized method of production. Each grower followed traditional techniques passed down through generations.
Antonio Carpenè was the first to recognize the extraordinary potential of this grape and to transform it into a true sparkling wine. Initially, the wines were produced using the Traditional Method (also known as the Champenoise Method), which involves a second fermentation inside the bottle.
Later, technological innovation in Italy led to the adoption of the Charmat Method, which allows the second fermentation to take place in pressurized tanks, preserving the fresh and aromatic character of the Glera grape.
Education and Innovation
Antonio Carpenè strongly believed that the future of Italian wine depended on knowledge and scientific research. In 1876, only eight years after founding the winery, he helped establish the Cerletti Institute, the first oenological school in Italy, located in Conegliano.
For more than a century, this institution has trained generations of winemakers and is today considered one of the most prestigious wine education centers in the country.
In recognition of his contribution to Italian oenology and to the development of Conegliano as the homeland of Prosecco, the city dedicated a street to Antonio Carpenè and placed a bust in his honor in front of the Oenological School.
The First Prosecco Label
The legacy of Antonio Carpenè was continued by his son Etile Carpenè, who represented the second generation of the family.
After gaining international experience, including managing a company branch in Munich, Etile returned to Conegliano and in 1924 introduced a historic innovation: the first wine label bearing the name “Prosecco.”
Until 1923, the wines had often been referred to as “Italian Champagne.” When the designation “Champagne” became legally protected for wines produced exclusively in France, Etile Carpenè’s decision to identify the wine by the name of the grape variety and its territory proved visionary. This marked the beginning of the modern identity of Prosecco.
A Family Legacy
More than 158 years later, Carpenè Malvolti remains a family-owned company, now guided by the fifth generation of the Carpenè family. The winery continues to uphold its founding values: innovation, quality, authenticity, and a deep respect for the territory.
Located in the heart of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene hills, a landscape recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019, the company produces a wide range of premium sparkling wines, including:
- Prosecco Superiore DOCG
- Prosecco DOC
- Classic Method
- Distillates
Prosecco Today
Today, Prosecco has become the best-selling sparkling wine in the world, surpassing Champagne in global sales in recent years. Its success is driven by its freshness, elegance, versatility, and accessibility.
Carpenè Malvolti proudly continues to represent the origins and evolution of this iconic Italian sparkling wine.
Italian Excellence in Sparkling Wine
With over a century and a half of history, Carpenè Malvolti stands today as a symbol of Italian excellence in sparkling wine, combining tradition, scientific research, innovation, and sustainability to express the unique character of the Prosecco territory.