Prosecco road
What is Prosecco?
It is not so simple to define what the Prosecco is. First, it is necessary to understand where the name originates and what are the organoleptic properties that distinguish it and enhance it among the several types of wine on the market. The term “Prosecco” appeared for the first time in the poem “Il Roccolo” in 1754, written by Valeriano Canati and set in the province of Vicenza, although historical research stated that the name derives from the Province of Prosecco, from which the name seems to have originated.
Prosecco is a particular white wine made in the geographical area of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and recognized as DOC, a denomination of controlled origin obtained in 2009. The vineyard is the reason this quality product is so precious. At the beginning, the vineyard developed in Gorizia and then spreads to all the territories of Venezia, Vicenza and Treviso. In the first part of the twentieth century, however, the Prosecco’s production faded in several of these areas, expanding its sales volumes exclusively in the hills of Conegliano, Col San Martino, Asolo, Valdobbiadene and in the Province of Treviso.
Only in the ninety’s, Prosecco achieved success on a global scale, with the obtaining of the IGT certification, a protected geographical indication, by which Prosecco started to be sold across the border. Its production boomed between 2005 and 2010, also thanks to the DOC recognition, allowing the 8000 wineries and 269 sparkling wine houses to place on the world market about 330 million bottles pro year for a turnover of more than three billion euros. This economic success is enhanced by the obtaining of the DOCG quality mark for some historical wine denominations, such as the Prosecco of Conegliano – Valdobbiadene. All these factors contributed to the achievement and overcoming of the sale of Champagne in 2014.
What are the Prosecco’s characteristics?
How is it produced?
What characterizes Prosecco compared to white wine is the vine with which it is made. In fact, the Glera grapes must constitute at least 85% of the product, while in the remaining 15% other types of grapes can also be used, such as Chardonnay, white, grey, and black Pinot. The colour that distinguishes Prosecco is straw – yellow, and the freshness both on the nose and on the taste allows it to be combined with different dishes, both sweet and savoury: Usually Prosecco is combined with dry desserts or with cream desserts, but lately it is trendy to choose Prosecco to accompany aperitifs or fish appetizers.
Prosecco can be produced in four different types: Prosecco, also known as quiet Prosecco, which has a minimum alcohol content of 10.50% vol and can only be produced in a dry variant; Prosecco spumante, with a minimum alcohol content of 11.00% vol, which can be made in brut, dry and extra – dry variants; sparkling Prosecco with a minimum alcohol content of 9% vol, which can only be made in a dry variant; and finally, from 2020 the Prosecco Rosé, made with Glera and Pinot Noir grapes, has also been included in the specification.
Initially, Prosecco was produced only in the traditional type (quiet). Only after 1950 the wineries began to product sparking Prosecco and Prosecco spumante through two different methods: the Marinotti method and the classic method. The substantial difference between these two methods of production of Prosecco lies in the place where the refermentation of the wine takes place: in the classic method, it takes place in the bottle for a medium to long time, while with the Marinotti method, also known as the Charmat method, the refermentation takes place autoclave, by using the tanks closed at controlled pressure and temperature.
Why is the quality of Prosecco higher in the Cartizze area?
A fact of fundamental importance makes us understand the richness of the geographical area of the Venetian provinces: about 80% of the Prosecco is produced in the municipalities of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, including the CRU excellence of the Prosecco of Cartizze. The remaining 20% of production concerns the provinces of Friuli. At the top of the Pyramid of Prosecco, which represents the different denominations of Prosecco in order of quality, there is the Superior Prosecco DOCG of Cartizze, produced in 107 hectares between the hills of Santo Stefano, the hamlets of Saccol and San Pietro di Barbozza, belonging to the municipality of Valdobbiane.
The Grand Cru of Prosecco is characterized by a unique quality, deriving from the climatic conditions of the geographical area and the preciousness of the soil where the Glera grapes grow. In particular, the exposure to the south, the ventilation, the richness of mineral available to the soil and the morphology of the valley that favours the drainage of water.
Once the right balance between acidity and sugar content has been achieved, the Glera grapes and the vinification according to the regulations requires a lower yield than in the other production areas, a factor that attests the quality of Prosecco Cartizze, characterized by a unique taste and aroma.
