Caves Cooperatives de Donnas

In 1971, a group of winegrowers, after to have obtained the D. P. R. of the 8-2-1971 the Self-possessed Name of Origin to the wine of Donnas, has constituted in cooperative with the precise purpose of protect and to guarantee the quality and genuineness of the wine. This Cooperative with seat in the zone of origin of the wine, provided with the modernest installations of winemaking with a capacity of cellaring of about 1300 hl, provides in fact to the collection of the grapes, to the ageing of the wine in bangs of oak and, subsequently to the bottling and sold for an annual production media of 120.000 bottles.

The loc. of Donnas is a small country of the Low Valley of Aosta situated to 300 m on the level of the sea. In the first century A.C. the Romani left a visible imprint of their civility, chiseling in the alive rock, for more of 200 m., a road and an arc of stone under which passed the carts that traveled the road of the Gallie. Donnas, for a lot of centuries "capital" of the Low Valley, enjoys, in the mountain environment, of a moderate climate that allows to cultivate mediterranean plants (olive, lemons, palms, mimose) but that favorize the cultivation of the vines, today like in the past, how is shown from numerous historical documents, among which one of the 1214. "Its wines are very esteemed" wrote in 1737 De Tillier(main historical vof Aosta) talking about Donnas. The tradition, the winegrowing in Donnas, has in fact ancient traditions, even if is a difficult cultivation held account of the strong slope of the mountain. But the steep downward slopes are won from the age-old terracings detained from walls highs also 4 meters. In Donnas, the land situation of the wine-growing is characterized by dimensions very limited and broken. The work is manual and distributed during all the year. In winter while the wine is maturing, they build and put right the pergole, they cut and then they bind the vine-branches with wickers. Therefore they dug and, if necessary, they begun with manure; they do not use chemical weedkillers. After they have to do 4-5 treatments for the traditional illnesses of the vines. If the production seems ecessive, it is provided to eliminate some bunches to let the remaining ripen better. In the second half of October it is harvested.