Storia
1769: Giovanni Follador
The family's recorded winemaking history begins in 1769. Giovanni Follador devoted all the land he owned to vineyards and employed winemaking techniques considered notably advanced in quality for the period. Alvise IV Mocenigo, Doge of Venice and a member of the patrician House of Mocenigo, formally recognised the quality of Giovanni's wines. A reproduction of the certificate associated with that recognition forms part of the family archive.
The move into sparkling wine
Winemaking knowledge continued through successive generations for more than two centuries. Gianfranco Follador, a direct descendant of Giovanni, changed the direction of the business by concentrating on sparkling-wine production. He and his wife, Italia Rossi—whose full name is given as Italia Libera and who is widely known as Rita—were among the early families in the Valdobbiadene area to enter the sparkling-wine sector. Gianfranco was also an early exponent of sparkling Prosecco made by the Charmat method, following an era when Prosecco was commonly refermented in bottle and served principally as frizzante.
Gianfranco subsequently developed the proprietary Gianfranco Follador Method®, a protocol governing the first stages of vinification. Follador became the first producer in Valdobbiadene to experiment with the Krios system, using rapid cooling after crushing to limit oxidation before cryomaceration. The method was formally protected as an exclusive process.
The family business today
Gianfranco and Italia passed their commitment to quality to their four children: Michele, Mariacristina—generally presented as Cristina—Francesca and Emanuela. Each took a distinct operating role. Michele directs production innovation and technological development; Cristina leads sales, marketing and international communication; Francesca, trained in oenology at the G.B. Cerletti School in Conegliano, oversees enology and quality control; and Emanuela manages administration, finance, back-office activity and aspects of packaging design.
The four siblings now guide the ninth generation. Their approach combines traditional vineyard work with contemporary production technology. By 2025, annual output was approximately 1.5 million bottles.
Recent milestones
On 7 July 2019, the hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Part of the family's vineyards lies beneath the medieval Torri di Credazzo within this cultural landscape.
In 2020, a Follador Prosecco received the title of “Best Prosecco” at The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.
The family celebrated the 255th anniversary of its winemaking heritage in 2024. That year also brought a broad environmental investment program: photovoltaic panels managed through the Regalgrid® platform, adoption of the Sustainable Wine management system, entry into the Equalitas certification process, acquisition of a continuous-cycle GEA wine decanter, and the first 500 plantings in a planned 1,500-tree Follador Forest.
In 2024 the entire wine range moved to FSC-certified labels, made from a mixture of material from certified forests, recycled inputs and FSC-controlled wood. Recycling QR codes were added to guide consumers in disposing of every component of the packaging.
The 2025 harvest started about one week earlier than the preceding vintage after abundant rainfall and above-average temperatures at the end of July accelerated ripening. Conditions immediately before picking favoured healthy grapes with balanced sugars and lively acidity. Federico Salvador reported that the first base wines showed floral and citrus notes after processing through the Gianfranco Follador Method.
Terroir
Follador is based in Col San Martino, in the Province of Treviso in northeastern Italy. The village lies at the centre of the hilly Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone, whose 15 municipalities extend between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. The area stands between the Dolomites and Venice and has formed the setting for the family business throughout its history.
The landscape alternates between gentle and very steep hills, interspersed with historic villages. Part of the family's vineyard holding extends below the medieval Torri di Credazzo. On 7 July 2019, the wider Conegliano Valdobbiadene cultural landscape became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Col San Martino combines a temperate, cool and ventilated microclimate with frequent rainfall, mild conditions between April and October, strong temperature variation during ripening and well-exposed slopes. Follador's steep sites face principally south and southwest. These exposures maximise sunlight, while the incline drains rainwater rapidly and reduces the problems associated with standing moisture. Irrigation is available when heat and dry soils threaten vine hydration.
The soils are described as mixtures of rock and clay, with limestone also specified for the vineyards used by the principal ranges. Their mineral, clay and calcareous components are linked to the structure, freshness and mineral expression sought in the wines.
Vinificazione
Traditional vineyard cultivation is combined with modern agronomic and production tools. The steep DOCG vineyards are harvested entirely by hand to protect the fruit; the difficulty of working these slopes leads the family to describe the harvest as heroic. Glera destined for Prosecco Superiore is rigorously selected, with a documented maximum annual yield of 12,000 kg/ha for the DOCG range.
South- and southwest-facing slopes maximise sunlight and shed heavy rainfall quickly. During excessively hot, dry periods, an installed irrigation system maintains vine hydration. A dedicated pesticide-treatment protocol has also been adopted and further developed by local authorities under the UNESCO ADOPTION Regional Planning and Management project for protection of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene landscape.
The Sustainable Wine management system addresses climate-change mitigation and adaptation, responsible water use, pollution prevention, biodiversity protection and the transition to a circular economy. Equalitas guidelines extend this approach through the complete supply chain, covering environmental indicators, carbon and water footprints, ethical economic conduct, workers' rights and relationships with local communities. The declared objective was to achieve Equalitas certification in 2025.
The Follador Forest project, created with B Corp Treedom, plans 1,500 trees at a rate of 500 annually for at least three years. Its first 500 white mangrove, cashew, coffee and cocoa trees were prepared for planting in Colombia, Nepal, Kenya, Haiti and Tanzania. Besides capturing carbon, the plantings are intended to supply food and economic opportunities to rural communities.
The winery in Col San Martino occupies 8 ha and is divided into three functional areas: fermentation, bottling and cellars. Every stage from harvest reception to bottling is carried out on the property.
Gianfranco Follador Method®
The protected house method regulates the initial stages of vinification. Carefully selected grapes pass through a crusher and are immediately conveyed into Krios equipment. A sharp reduction in temperature limits oxidation caused by oxygen. Cryomaceration then draws compounds from the skins to build freshness, structure and an individual aromatic profile.
A separate description specifies keeping Prosecco juice on its lees for 14–20 hours during the Krios process. This costly step is retained to reduce the quantity of sulphites subsequently required.
Fermentation and maturation
First fermentation converts must into wine with selected yeasts. The prise de mousse follows the Martinotti–Charmat method in sealed autoclaves. Selected yeasts initiate the second fermentation, which lasts at least 20 days for frizzante wines and as long as 30 days for spumante wines.
Extended maturation in autoclave can continue for up to six months under the long-Charmat approach, producing a finer, more persistent bead and greater aromatic and flavour refinement. For the Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG range, carefully selected and cryomacerated fruit is fermented in small autoclaves for as long as approximately 120 days.
Continuous-cycle decanter
A GEA wine decanter performs high-quality must extraction and clarification in a continuous cycle. By replacing several pieces of conventional equipment, it removes the need for processing adjuvants classified as special waste and reduces the water required for final washing.
The complete supply chain is managed under FSSC 22000 certification issued by IQNet. The wines contain no animal-derived ingredients and are suitable for vegan consumers.
Filosofia
Follador presents family continuity, care for the land and conviviality as the foundations of its identity. Nine generations have treated winemaking as an inherited responsibility: the current generation pledges to preserve the family's reputation with the same care, passion and commitment received from its predecessors.
Tradition is not treated as resistance to change. Traditional cultivation on steep vineyards is deliberately paired with technological research in the cellar, including the Krios system, cryomaceration, controlled autoclave work and continuous-cycle clarification. Michele Follador's remit formalises this search for techniques capable of improving grape and wine quality, while Francesca Follador's work links technical control to freshness and the quality of the bead.
The family describes sustainability as a principle guiding production decisions rather than a single environmental measure. Its stated objective is to preserve the Conegliano Valdobbiadene landscape while optimising water, energy and material use, protecting biodiversity, supporting workers and local communities, and maintaining transparent business conduct. Cristina Follador also frames wine as a means of conviviality and solidarity, reflected in the family's long-running support for medical research.
Vini
