Le Rughe

Le Rughe

A blacksmiths' son trained at the Conegliano wine school, opened a wine shop for beach tourists, and built a Prosecco house that still runs its own shops.

For centuries the Sandro family were blacksmiths. Gaetano Sandro broke the pattern. He trained at the wine school in Conegliano, the one that has turned out generations of Veneto winemakers, and in the 1960s he opened a wine shop at Cavallino-Jesolo, serving the tourists who came for the Adriatic beaches. Selling wine to people on holiday is an education in what people actually like to drink, and the company he founded, Vinicoltura Le Rughe, has never quite left the shop counter behind.

Today the wine is made at Gaiarine, in the province of Treviso, and the DOCG grapes come from vineyards at Ogliano, just outside Conegliano. Gaetano's sons, Roberto and Francesco, are part of the story now.

At a glance

The story

Le Rughe is the most useful producer we know of for explaining the difference between DOC and DOCG, because it makes plenty of both. DOCG, here Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, is the top tier, from the hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Le Rughe's DOCG comes from Ogliano, on the Conegliano side. DOC is the much larger Prosecco zone, mostly on flatter land, and it is where most of Le Rughe's range sits: the Brut, the Extra Dry, the Rosé and the Spago frizzante. Neither is a dirty word; they are different jobs.

Then there is the mountain. A trade profile puts the Tenuta di Cor, near Belluno, at about 20 hectares and about 400 metres up; the producer itself says "dozens of hectares". There are ruins of a 15th-century castle on the estate, and the family plants high to keep acidity in the grapes.

The other thing that sets Le Rughe apart is retail. The company runs its own chain of 20 to 25 wine shops. Given how Gaetano started, behind a shop counter at the beach, that feels exactly right. The same trade profile puts production at about 500,000 bottles a year, with about a fifth exported, and the winery holds SQNPI certification, Italy's national standard for sustainable farming.

The founding year, by the way, depends on whom you ask. Sources differ between 1960 and 1961, and the family says simply "since the Sixties".

What to drink

Prosecco Rosé Brut Millesimato (DOC). Prosecco Rosé is a DOC wine, made mostly from Glera with a little Pinot Noir, and it carries a vintage. Decanter's Richard Baudains gave the 2020 92 points in 2021 and found "delicate pear and violets". Wine Anorak scored the 2020 89. We found no euro price.

Prosecco DOC Brut. 11%. Brut is the drier style. Falstaff gave the DOC Brut 89 points, and Wine Anorak also gave the Brut 89 in 2021. We found no euro price.

Prosecco DOC Extra Dry. 11%. Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut, which is the one Prosecco rule worth tattooing somewhere discreet. Wine Anorak gave it 88 in 2021. We found no euro price.

Rivaj Superiore Extra Dry (DOCG). Labelled "Rivaj Spumante" by the producer, and also made as a Brut. A 2018 Decanter panel gave the Extra Dry 90 points. We found no euro price.

Spago, Prosecco DOC Treviso Frizzante. The lightly sparkling one, with gentler bubbles than a spumante. There are also Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut and Extra Dry wines from Ogliano, and a Moscato, a Pinot Grigio and IGT reds.

Prices: euro prices are what the winery or an Italian retailer charges, with a rough dollar figure at about $1.14 to the euro (October 2026). In the US, expect more on the shelf once shipping, the 15% tariff on EU wine, importer and distributor margins and taxes are added.

Where it fits

Le Rughe is a Conegliano-side house with a big DOC range, which makes it a different animal from the small Valdobbiadene growers like Gemin or Zucchetto. If you want a well-reviewed Rosé, start here. If you want to understand why the hills cost more, put the Rivaj next to the DOC Extra Dry.

Where to buy

• UK: Wine Anorak named Beverage Boys as the importer in 2021 and quoted £12.95 to £14.95 a bottle; we have not re-checked either. Master of Malt also lists Le Rughe.
• Canada: the wines have been reviewed by Gismondi and Natalie MacLean, which suggests they are sold there.
• Italy: the company's own wine shops, and its online shop at lerugheshop.it.
• US: we found no importer. If you know one, tell us.

Visiting

The shop at the Gaiarine winery is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 18:00, for retail and tastings with something to nibble, according to prosecco.it. No tasting price is published. Call +39 0434 75033 or email info@lerughe.it.

Quick answers

Is Le Rughe Prosecco pink? Only the Rosé. Le Rughe's Prosecco Superiore DOCG and its DOC Brut and Extra Dry are white. The pink wine is the Prosecco Rosé DOC.

Who founded Le Rughe? Gaetano Sandro, who trained at the Conegliano wine school and came from a family of blacksmiths, in the 1960s.

Where are Le Rughe's vineyards? The DOCG vineyards are at Ogliano, near Conegliano. The family also farms the high Tenuta di Cor near Belluno.

Sources

• lerughe.it: home, the company, wines
• prosecco.it: Le Rughe
• Falstaff: DOC Brut, DOC Extra Dry
• Decanter: Rivaj Superiore Extra Dry
• Trade-fair profile
• Master of Malt: Le Rughe

Last checked: October 2026

The Prosecco Desk: the Proseccotists behind Bella Principessa Prosecco. We love this region and write about the families who make it. Producers do not pay to be listed.