Costantin and Jean Paul Praz’s Crotta di Prado Winery

La Crotta di Prado is a family-run fruit and wine-growing company (2 hectares of vineyards and 15.000 bottles per year + 1.6 hectares of apple orchards for 120 quintals of apples produced annually), located in the village of Jovençan which is 6 km away from the town of Aosta. The vineyards are located in a hilly area between 650 and 750 m a.s.l. northern exposure (Envers), while the orchards are at a lower altitude, at 600 - 650 m asl. The company was founded in the mid-1980s (previously, wine was produced for family consumption) with the production of 3.000 bottles of two types of table wine. In the early 1990s, they changed to the production of red DOC wines, and the white vineyards were planted in the mid-2000s. The cultivation of the vineyard is carried out completely by hand, from pruning to the harvest of the grapes, both on the steep slope and on the parcellings of the land (17 plots per 2 hectares). Particular attention is given to the use of pesticides and herbicides (integrated struggle).
The types of wine produced are all certified controlled designation of origin. Three red wines are produced, the Torrette (80% Petite Rouge vinesplus another 20% autochthonous vines such as Fumin, Premetta, Cornalin), 100% Gamay and Pinot Noir, and three white wines, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Müller Thurgau , all 100%.

The products
DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) white wines: Valle d’Aoste Müller Thurgau DOC, Gewürztraminer DOC, Pinot Gris DOC
DOC red wines: Valle d’Aosta Torrette DOC, Pinot Noir DOC, Gamay DOC

There is no sales point, but it is possible to purchase the products directly, after phone reservation.

The visit
The winery and the vineyards can be visited and it is possible to taste the wines produced here: 3 reds and 3 whites.
The company can always be visited by prior phone reservation. As it is a small family-run business, there may be the possibility of not guaranteeing the presence.
Number of visitors required for a visit: small groups.
Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
Once you have arrived in Jovencan, you go to the center of the village, go up the street and continue on until you reach the last houses in the village at the top of the hill, before reaching the vineyards you can see the winery on the left, a renovated stone cottage with green walls.