Michael Dal Zotto
PROSECCO PIONEER
Winemaker Michael Dal Zotto is at the helm of his family business in the King Valley wine region, where he’s continuing the family tradition of pioneering Australian Prosecco.
Michael’s wine story began with his parents. Otto and Elena moved to Australia from Italy, met and fell in love, and bought land in Victoria’s picturesque King Valley. Like many Italian immigrants in the region, they started out as tobacco farmers, but as the industry declined, they planted grapevines. Having grown up among the vines, Michael started his working life as an accountant but soon joined the family business. He was first a grower but over time learnt how to make wine from his father, the same way Otto had learned from his father. Now he’s forging his own path.
A sparkling start
Fizzy and refreshing, Prosecco is a wine on the rise in Australia – and that’s partly thanks to the Dal Zotto family. They took a chance in 1999 and planted Australia’s first commercial Prosecco vines, inspired by the Prosecco of Otto’s hometown of Valdobbiadene.
“It was probably Dad’s proudest achievement,” says Michael. “He was so, so happy. And then that culminated in 2004 in releasing Australia’s first Prosecco, and that was the real realisation of Dad’s dream.”
In 2017, Michael and his brother Christian bought the family business, although Otto and Elena are still involved. Today Dal Zotto Wines is synonymous with Prosecco in Australia, renowned for pushing the boundaries in quality and style.
Recently, Michael started using an ancient method of making Prosecco that he discovered on a trip to Italy. It involves drying some of the grapes to produce a thick, syrupy juice and adding that to the wine. Once bottled, the wine then naturally ferments again, producing a cloudy sparkling that Michael says is “true, true Prosecco”.
Dal Zotto Wines has also built a reputation for growing other Italian varieties that were once uncommon in Australia, including Arneis, Fiano, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and a new addition, Pinot Bianco.
“King Valley is exceptionally unique, because you have this ability to grow a number of different varieties, and you’ve got a lot of different lovely valleys,” says Michael. “People are always experimenting. As much as winemaking is a job, there’s a sense of adventure within it. Of trying to explore and push the boundaries a little bit. And I think that’s pretty exciting.
“I really feel fortunate that I’m able to have a family here, to bring up my own family, but also run a business here that reaches Australia nationally.”
“As much as winemaking is a job, there’s a sense of adventure within it. Of trying to explore and push the boundaries a little bit. And I think that’s pretty exciting.” – Michael Dal Zotto
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