thumb|A bottle of Prosecco di Conegliano spumante extra dry and a glass of Prosecco frizzante, which stops forming bubbles soon after it is poured

Prosecco (, ) is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco, in the province of Trieste, Italy. It is made from the Prosecco grape (renamed "Glera" in Italy in 2009), but denomination rules allow up to 15% of the wine to be other permitted varieties. Prosecco is almost always made in sparkling or semi-sparkling style (' and ', respectively), but a still wine (') is also permitted. Within the larger designation are two small DOCG areas, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco in the hills between the comuni (municipalities) of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and Asolo Prosecco around the nearby comune of Asolo. Prosecco Superiore is always spumante and comes only from these DOCG areas.

In 2019, Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene (Conegliano and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Hills) became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in large part due to the region's role in the production of Prosecco. Since 2020, the DOC rules allow a rosé variety of Prosecco designated spumante rosé, which must contain Glera blended with 10–15% Pinot nero.

History

thumb|The cover of the book Il Roccolo Ditirambo (1754), containing for the first time the exact word Prosecco

thumb|The poem where the term Prosecco appears for the first time within Il Roccolo Ditirambo (1754), growing on the hill of Monte Berico in Vicenza

thumb|Monte Berico's hill in Vicenza (UNESCO), where the first described prosecco was growing

thumb|Vineyards in the Prosecco region of origin (UNESCO)

In Trieste at the beginning of the 16th century, the local wine "Ribolla" was promoted as the recreation of the Pucinian celebrated by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History and praised for its medicinal qualities by Livia, the wife of Emperor Augustus. The need to distinguish the "Ribolla" of Trieste from other wines of the same name, produced in Gorizia and at lower cost in Istria, led, at the end of the century, to a change in name. Following the supposed place of production in antiquity, the wine was referred to as "castellum nobile vinum Pucinum", after the castle near the village of Prosecco. The method of vinification, the true distinguishing feature of the original Prosecco, spread first in Gorizia, then—through Venice—in Dalmatia, Vicenza, and Treviso. Monte Berico is the hill of the city of Vicenza.

The wine was defined by the grapes used to make it, Prosecco. The village of Prosecco was about 150 km from the growing areas, and had never grown the glera grape. British importers started to be interested in importing the wine in quantity; in response the Italian minister of agriculture expanded the denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) to cover far-away Prosecco. This was followed by claiming UNESCO World Heritage status for "Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene" a few years later. Prosecco was introduced into the mainstream US market in 2000 by Mionetto, now the largest US importer of Prosecco, who reported an "incredible growth trend" in 2008. Production expanded massively, to €500m sales in 2019. as Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, Prosecco di Conegliano, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, and Prosecco di Colli Asolani. From 2009, these two area were promoted to DOCG status. To further protect the name, an association of traditional Prosecco growers advocated a protected designation of origin (PDO) status for northern Italian Prosecco under European law. The Colli Asolani Prosecco Superiore DOCG later changed its name to Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG in 2014.

Production

thumb|Glera grapes on the vine in the Prosecco zone, pre-veraison

Unlike Champagne and Franciacorta DOCG, Prosecco is usually produced using the alternative Charmat–Martinotti method, in which the secondary fermentation takes place in large stainless steel tanks rather than in each individual bottle, making the wine less expensive to produce, and the minimum production time is 30 days. Higher quality Prosecco using this method will ferment the wine over a longer period, up to around 9 months (Charmat Lungo). Nevertheless, the production rules for both the DOCG's also allow the use of the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle, known in Italy as Metodo Classico. DOC and DOCG rules allow up to 15% of Prosecco wine to be a blend of Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Chardonnay, Pinot bianco, Pinot grigio, or Pinot nero (vinified white).

Approximately 150 million bottles of Prosecco were produced in 2008.

Since the 2000s, Glera grapes are cultivated and wine produced in other countries, including Brazil, Romania, Argentina, and Australia. and together they form the Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco from Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (Consorzio per la Tutela del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene). DOCG also has its own consorzio, with 94 producers.

Prosecco DOC

thumb|Bottle of Prosecco showing the DOC designation on the label

Most Prosecco, whether DOC or DOCG, is made as Spumante sparkling wine or Frizzante (semi-sparkling). Prosecco DOC Spumante is the most famous and popular variety, with longer-lasting bubbles. Prosecco DOC Frizzante has bubbles that linger for a shorter time. A small proportion is made as Tranquillo (still wine), with no bubbles. Extra-Dry has been the dominant style made, but the amount of Brut is now increasing.

Glera grapes made in a Prosecco style outside the DOC/DOCG have a non-protected designation, such as "IGT Veneto", are generally cheaper and of more variable quality and cannot be called Prosecco.

Prosecco Superiore DOCG

thumb|Prosecco Valley, UNESCO World Heritage Site

There are two Prosecco Superiore DOCGs, divided by the River Piave, in the province of Treviso, Veneto. Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG is made on the hills between the comuni (municipalities) of Conegliano, Valdobbiadene, and Vittorio Veneto. Producers from Valdobbiadene have recently tended to skip mention of Conegliano on their front label, calling their wine Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. The second DOCG is the smaller Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, produced on the hills near the comune of Asolo. Currently, in addition to the usual range of Prosecco styles, Asolo DOCG can also make an "Extra-Brut" (0-6 g/L), and Conegliano Valdobbiadene is expected to introduce this style soon. While the bulk of Prosecco DOC is grown on low-lying plains in an extended area covering 23,300 hectares, the DOCG Prosecco Superiore is grown exclusively on hillside vineyards in two far smaller growing areas, 6,860 hectares for Conegliano Valdobbiadene and 1,783 hectares for Asolo. The steepness of the hills means that everything, from pruning to picking, is principally done by hand. The manual aspect, especially for the harvest, further increases quality. owned by 140 growers. or even the "Grand Cru" of Prosecco.

Theoretically, a hectare of Cartizze grape land was estimated to be worth in excess of 1 million US dollars in 2008

According to a local legend, Cartizze grapes traditionally were harvested last, as the vines were situated on steep slopes and hard to reach, which led to vintners discovering that this extended ripening period improved the flavour.

Rive subzones

While Cartizze is a subzone at the top of the Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG quality pyramid, their Consorzio has also introduced official Rive delimitations, i.e. 15 communes that can make 43 different Rive subzone wines. These are named after the individual hills where the grapes originate, though this adds complexity and adoption so far is patchy. The intention is to highlight the different microclimates and distinct terroirs found in the DOCG. Asolo Superiore DOCG has not introduced subzones.

Col Fondo

Some winemakers are reviving the traditional Prosecco Col Fondo, refermented in the bottle but not disgorged, as the wines are left on their lees. This yeasty residue leaves fine sediment in the bottom of the bottle (Italian: fondo) that imparts more complexity, texture and flavour. They can be served either clear or cloudy. These wines are labelled Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, or Asolo Superiore DOCG. Col Fondo generally has a lower Frizzante-style of pressure. of its vintage. However, high-quality Prosecco may be aged for up to seven years.

The view that Prosecco cannot be aged has been challenged by other experts. A tasting in 2013 of wines produced between 1983 and 2013 demonstrated the longevity of the wines from one of their top producers.

Prosecco has a minimum of 10.5–11.5% alcohol by volume, depending on the DOC/DOCG rules. The flavour of Prosecco has been described as aromatic and crisp, bringing to mind yellow apple, pear, white peach, and apricot. With vodka and lemon gelato, Prosecco is also an ingredient of the Italian mixed drink sgroppino.

References

  • Consorzio di Tutela del Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG
  • Consorzio Asolo Montello DOCG
  • Consorzio di Tutela del Prosecco DOC
  • Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture