Vineyard land prices in Cartizze are ‘crazy’

The price of vineyard land in the jewel in Prosecco’s crown – Cartizze – have spiraled out of control in recent years, one producer has admitted.

Paolo Bisol with his prized piece of land in Cartizze

Speaking to the drinks business during a recent visit to the region, Paolo Bisol, winemaker at Ruggeri, said: “It’s crazy that the vineyard land in Cartizze is more expensive than land in Barolo.

“The price for a hectare of land is currently around €1.8m, but it’s a theoretical price as land almost never comes up for sale. The last sale was two years ago.

“People aren’t making their money back from the wines but it’s more a case of tradition and history than profits. I paid €200 per square metre for our plot as I wanted land there.

Cartizze spans 107 hectares, within which around 140 producers own land, the majority of whom own less than a hectare as the area is so prized.

At €1.8m, the price for a hectare of land in Cartizze is higher than the average price of a hectare in Champagne, which currently stands at around €1.2m.

Grape prices in Cartizze are also much higher than the rest of the Prosecco DOCG region at around €4.50 per kilo verses around €2.50.