Which one will you vote for? Italia! invites its readership to vote for the very best Reader’s Photograph of 2015…
One of our most popular sections, the Readers’ Photo Competition draws in dozens of entries every month, many of them absolutely superb. The Italia! team selects the best for publication each issue, and then we carefully narrow that selection down to the very best – the winner of a magnum of Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco and a wine chiller to keep it in.
But which is the best of the best from our 2015 collection? That’s for you, the readers of Italia! magazine to decide. We’ve published all 12 of last year’s winning photographs online and now we invite you to vote for your favourite. The ultimate winner will receive two nights in the stunning Villa Barberina in the Veneto, owned by Nino Franco.
Vote for your favourite by completing this short survey!
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Vote for your favourite by completing this short survey!
All votes should be cast by Friday 25 March, and we’ll announce the winner in the May 2016 edition of the magazine. And to those of you’ve been entered for the prize, the Italia! team wishes you the very best of luck. The winner will be contacted directly by editor Paul Pettengale after voting has closed.
About the villa
In the quiet and historic town of Valdobbiadene, right in the heart of the Prosecco hills, this beautiful villa is a wonderful evidence of the glorious past of Treviso. Built by the wealthy family Sarri-Dall’Armi, it was bought by Celestino Piva – silk industrialist and philanthropist of the local community – in the late 19th century. The house was owned and inhabited by his successors until a few years ago when it was bought by Nino Franco Spumanti winery. Mr Franco’s artistic sensibility led to the accurate restoration of this villa and transformed it into a refined and charming relais. Here the past blends wonderfully with the present, while respecting the original architecture and the precious interiors – thanks to which Villa Barberina has recently been defined a “museum house”.
The atmosphere of bygone days that pervades this place can be felt as soon as you walk through the large iron gates. From here a long avenue leads to the residence and runs through a magnificent park with luxuriant trees, picturesque statues and fountains. Villa Barberina is made up of a central body and two side wings ending with graceful dovecote towers. Behind the house stands the wide porticoed barn providing access to the vineyards. The real surprise is, however, the interior, which still preserves the furniture, the curtains, the frescoes and even the antique furnishings.
The five bedrooms have been converted into charming suites with luxury bathrooms and all modern comforts, and the old library, the elegant living and sitting rooms, and the spacious dining rooms are all furnished with taste and refinement. Something not to be missed is a dip is the amazing two-two-level swimming pool, surrounded by greenery, built in stone and open from April to November.
Villa Barberina is also ideal for small and exclusive business meetings and unforgettable social receptions.
Would you like to stay at the villa? Visit www.villabarberina.it.
About Nino Franco
Antonio Franco founded the Cantine Franco winery in Valdobbiadene back in 1919. Valdobbiadene is located at the foot of the Pre-Alps, in the Veneto region, and is famous for its Prosecco vine and wine production. This winery is proud to be one of the oldest in Valdobbiadene, located in the town centre, not far away from the countryside and the vineyards. Thanks to a careful and wise management, the estate has been growing and evolving through three generations of producers. Antonio founded it, Nino expanded it and Primo improved the company performance through the years. 1982, when Primo took over its management, was the turning point.
Primo began to travel and to successfully export the wines in Europe as well as in the Americas and the Far East. At the same time he invested in the production process in order to make higher quality wines, eliminating all those wines that were atypical for the area. He also started to monitor closely the grape cultivation with the aim of achieving high quality from the raw material level to the final product.
Primo Franco was one of the first pioneers to export Prosecco and to introduce a different sparkling wine than Champagne into the international market. He has been successful thanks to his open mind, personality, his spontaneity, reliability and competence, as well as his charm and ability to communicate his love for his job, and last but not least thanks to his high quality and delicious wines.
Nino Franco Prosecco Superiore DOCG is available in the UK via www.sommelierschoice
.co.uk. To learn more about Nino Franco and its range of prosecco wines, visit www.ninofranco.it.