The Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are known throughout the world for a light, sparkling wine that is drunk in a single gulp. But a few kilometres from here, on the slopes rising towards Cansiglio, the same land has preserved for centuries a wine of the exact opposite kind: dense, sweet, very slow to make — the Torchiato di Fregona DOCG. A wine that at La Corte di Marga we always talk about with a touch of pride, because it speaks of the same philosophy that guides us: time, here, is not accelerated.
As often happens with great peasant wines, the history of Torchiato begins with a mistake, or perhaps a stroke of luck. The story goes that in an unspecified year in the seventeenth century, following a poor harvest, a local farmer from the area between Cansiglio and Quartier del Piave forgot some bunches of grapes in a granary. He only found them in spring — withered, almost reduced to raisins. Instead of throwing them away, he decided to press them: out came a very thick and sweet must, the ancestor of what we know today as Torchiato di Fregona.
The first documented traces of this wine date all the way back to 1560. But it is only in 1952 which receives the official name of “Torchiato di Fregona”, while the exact composition of the blend is fixed in 1977. For generations, in these houses, it was not just any wine: it was uncorked for the doctor's visit, for a birth in the family, as a restorative in the cold months, or to honour an important guest. A wine “for special occasions”, never ordinary.
“Torchiato is not a fanciful name: it describes precisely what is done to these grapes. After months of drying, the bunches are pressed — torchiati, precisely — over and again in successive rounds, so as not to leave behind a single drop of concentrated must. It is a gesture of respect towards a fruit that has already cost months of waiting: nothing is wasted.
The specification for the Colli di Conegliano DOCG, subzone Torchiato di Fregona, specifies a precise grape blend: Glera (minimum 30%), Verdiso (minimum 20%) and Boschera (minimum 25%), with a maximum allowance of 15% for other authorised white grape varieties in Veneto.
The least known protagonist of the three is the Boschera: a rare grape variety which, according to ampelographic sources, is not grown anywhere else in Italy outside of these hills between Fregona, Sarmede and Cappella Maggiore — the only three municipalities authorised to produce this designation. The Verdiso, which our guests already know if they have been to one of our tastings, does not just play a supporting role here: its natural acidity is precisely what prevents the dried grapes from sliding into a cloying sweetness.
The product specification mandates a minimum drying period of 150 daysthe grapes are harvested and then left to dry slowly on racks or hung from cords, in well-ventilated rooms, until they lose a large part of their water and concentrate sugars and aromas. Only starting from February of the year following the harvest pressing is permitted — which here, as mentioned, means pressing repeated in several stages.
The resulting must is fermented and then aged for a minimum of 24 months, traditionally in small wooden barrels. The result has a minimum total alcohol by volume of 18%, of which at least 14% is actually developed during fermentation: a powerful wine, but never burning, because that strength is balanced by an acidity that the product specification fixes at a minimum of 5 g/l.
Torchiato di Fregona presents itself with a deep golden-yellow colour, which with years of ageing develops amber highlights. On the nose it is a generous wine: Miele, dried fruit, notes by figs and apricots dehydrated, a hint of vanilla It gives hints of wood. On the palate it does not lean on exuberance: it sweet, but supported by a vertical acidity which cleanses the palate instead of weighing it down, with a slightly bitter finish that invites the next sip. Full-bodied, velvety, persistent — it is a wine to be drunk slowly, not to be swigged.
At Court we almost always present him as meditation wineto be enjoyed on its own, at the end of a meal, perhaps by the fireplace on the chilliest autumn evenings, served in a small glass and slightly cooler than room temperature. Precisely because of its concentration, a well-preserved Torchiato easily withstands the passing of decades: do not be surprised if a producer pours you a glass with twenty years under its belt.
Il Torchiato is a meditation wine, but it can also be an excellent table companion. The most classic pairing remains with the traditional Veneto biscuits — almond biscuits, cantucci, panforte — and with fruit or jam tarts, where the sweetness of the wine converses without overpowering. In the colder months, near the Cansiglio, it is also a natural pairing with chestnut-based desserts, such as castagnaccio or candied marrons.
For those who love bolder contrasts, Torchiato pairs well with a blue cheese structured (Gorgonzola piccante, Roquefort), where the sweetness of the wine softens the pungent savouriness of the mould, but also with a hard-pressed aged cheese such as a long-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, following the classic rule of pairing by contrast between sweetness and savouriness. The more adventurous can go further and try it with foie gras or a structured pâté: it is a less obvious combination, but food and wine tradition considers it to be among the most successful for great passito wines. It is never a banal pairing, but it is the one that increasingly convinces our guests when I propose it in a tasting.
If you have read our article on Moesin di Fregona or the one about rare cheeses from the Grotta del Caglieron, you have already been, at least virtually, to the same area: Fregona, Sarmede and Cappella Maggiore are the same municipalities, at the foot of the Cansiglio, which protect this wine. A small territory that in a few square kilometres encloses a rare cheese, another aged in a cave, and a wine that the rest of the world almost doesn't know.
From La Corte di Marga, on the side of the Cansiglio getting closer to Fregona takes about an hour by car — an excursion well worth combining with a stop at one of the local wineries to taste Torchiato right where it's made. Those who prefer to stick to Prosecco can also read our Prosecco Superiore DOCG guide, to understand how the very same Glera grape gives rise to two antipodal wines.
If you prefer to discover it without travelling, come and visit us: our sommelier often features it in the evening tastings at the property, along with the other native wines of the Treviso area. Discover La Corte di Marga and write to us to organise a tasting during your stay.
What is Torchiato di Fregona?
It is a sweet DOCG passito wine, produced exclusively in the municipalities of Fregona, Sarmede and Cappella Maggiore (province of Treviso), using a blend of Glera, Verdiso and Boschera grapes dried for at least 150 days before pressing.
Where does the name “Torchiato” come from?
From the fact that the withered grapes are pressed several times in successive stages, to extract all the concentrated must remaining in the skins.
How long does Torchiato di Fregona age before being put on sale?
The regulations require a minimum maturation of 24 months, traditionally in small wooden barrels, starting from 1 November of the year of the harvest.
What does Torchiato di Fregona pair with?
It is perfect as a meditation wine at the end of a meal, but it also pairs well with dry pastries (almond biscuits, cantucci, panforte), fruit tarts and blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola.
👉 Do you want to discover these hills at your own pace? Book your stay at La Corte di Marga, in Miane.