The Rive Extra Brut Collection

Nazzareno Pola, the founder of our winery, embodies a life dedicated to the land, tradition, and innovation.

Born into a family of farmers, his bond with the land was a natural destiny. As a child, he envisioned a future as a farmer, but his youth led him down a different path – ten years as a competitive cyclist, pursuing a passion shared with his friends. However, the call of the land and wine never left him. After leaving the sport at 25, Nazzareno spent a decade working as a bartender while continuing to cultivate a small production of grapes in his family’s vineyards.

The turning point came at the age of 35 when he decided to transform this passion into an entrepreneurial project. He officially founded the company in 1984, starting with humility and dedication, acquiring new vineyards, and overcoming significant challenges such as limited financial resources and inadequate facilities. Nazzareno’s vision was clear: to produce high-quality wine that respected nature and celebrated the traditions of Valdobbiadene. Despite not having formal training as an oenologist, his farming roots and hands-on experience allowed him to develop a unique approach aimed at creating a wholesome and authentic product. He was a pioneer in Italy in adopting modern bottling systems, demonstrating from the very beginning an openness to innovation without ever betraying his connection to the land.

Today, alongside his son Stefano and the company team, he continues to work tirelessly to enhance the quality of their wines, inspired by the enthusiasm of those who appreciate the fruits of his labor. His story is a tribute to passion, perseverance, and a deep love for the land he calls home.

Balliana Mirco was born and raised in Col San Martino, just a few kilometers from Andreola, in a virtuous viticultural and oenological environment that sparked his passion for the world of wine from a young age. This passion led him to pursue studies to specialize in the art of winemaking.

He joined us in 2011 as a simple student eager to learn and began working during the summer school holidays, taking on various tasks across the vineyard, cellar, bottling, and warehouse. Over the years, he continued this collaboration through his university studies, alternating between school and work, with the only exception being the 2017 harvest. During this period, thanks to a scholarship, he completed his four-month university internship at a winery in California, while simultaneously managing his own family winery.

Thanks to his passion and perseverance, we grew together, establishing an internal analysis laboratory that made us self-sufficient in the control phases of various production processes. We also continued meticulous work on vinifications from single vineyards within our viticultural heritage. Our constant desire to challenge ourselves found fertile ground with Mirco, allowing for the development of other parallel projects, such as the production of classic method wines or still wines from other wine regions where we have recently been able to invest.

The art of making quality wine is certainly full of challenges, but in him, we have found solid foundations to face the upcoming ones, building strong connections with our entire production team.