Prosecco
Within the world of sparkling wines, the Prosecco has a privileged place. It is the most productive appellation of origin in Italy with 2,648,400 hectoliters and the Glera grape, responsible for this wine, is the most planted white grape in Italy and represents 4% of the area under vineyards in Italy.
This particular sparkling wine maintains a fruity, fresh character with a well defined and balanced acidity. The bubbles are refreshing and never aggressive. The essence of Prosecco is due to several reasons that involve the terroir, the grape and its method of production.
Production area: Region Veneto (mainly) and Friuli (a small part of it).
Grape varieties: Glera at least 85% Complementary varieties: Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Nero which should not exceed alone or together 15% of the blend.
Production Method: Charmat method is also known as Autoclave or Martinotti, thanks to Federico Martinotti who developed this process in 1895 and adopted by Eugène Charmat in 1910. This method consists in carrying out the second fermentation in closed tanks to conserve the CO2, once the second fermentation is finished and, having obtained a sparkling wine with a minimum of 3 atmospheres of pressure, it proceeds to the bottling under a controlled environment to avoid (as far as possible) the loss of CO2, it is at this moment when the tirage liqueur is added, which will give the style of wine wanted.
The styles are determined by the amount of sugar in the wine, for Prosecco are the following:
BRUT less than 12 g / liter.
EXTRA DRY between 12 and 17 g / liter.
DRY between 17 and 32 g / liter.
DEMI-SEC between 32 and 50 g / liter.
Status Prosecco maintains a DOC (Controlled Denomination of Origin) status since 2009 and protects a vineyard of around 23,300 hectares. The DOC includes almost all of Veneto and the entire Friuli Venezia Giulia region. However, there are two more specific indications: DOC Prosecco Trieste, made in Friuli. DOC Prosecco Treviso in the Veneto.
Additionally, there are two production areas that hold a more prestigious category: DOCG Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore. DOCG Prosecco Asolo Superiore.
From 2019, Prosecco could tap into the sparkling rosé market, allowing its production under the DOC Prosecco, which currently authorizes the production of whites only.
Source: Consorzio Tutela Prosecco, Italian Wine Central.
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