![]() ![]() All the Prosecco DOCs allow for more production when compared to the stringent DOCGs in the area. ![]() If wines are harvested, made and bottled within the provinces of Treviso and Trieste, they can be labeled Prosecco DOC Treviso or Prosecco DOC Trieste. These acronyms, Denominazione d’Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), represent legal quality categories established with the purpose of identifying and rewarding Italy’s great and best wines, respectively.Īt the base of the quality pyramid is the sizeable Prosecco DOC, which covers nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. You’ve probably seen the letters DOC and DOCG on a few of your Italian wine labels. Prosecco bottling / Getty Prosecco’s DOC and DOCG Regions This method retains Glera’s perfume and freshness. Cooling the wine when the desired atmospheres of pressure have been reached stops the rapid fermentation. It’s cheaper, faster and less labor intensive than the traditional method.īase wine is added to a pressure tank, then a second fermentation is triggered by adding yeast and sugar. There are several names for the process: Charmat-Martinotti, Italian method, tank method, cuve close in French, or autoclave in Italian. Some are better youthful and bright, which is why Prosecco undergoes a different process.įor most Prosecco, the second fermentation happens in a large tank. It adds complexity, texture and flavors like brioche and toast, especially as it ages.īut not all wines should be handled this way. However, this method also changes the wine. The traditional method requires that the second fermentation occurs inside the bottle you buy off the retail shelf. As the yeast consumes the sugar, it gives off CO2 as a byproduct. The winemaker fills a bottle with still, dry wine, then adds yeast and sugar before it’s sealed with a crown cap. This is how the Champenois produce their iconic sparkling wine. The most expensive and well-known technique is called the traditional method. There are several ways to get carbon dioxide (CO2) into a bottle of wine. Valdobbidene / Getty The difference between Prosecco and ChampagneĪ key difference between Prosecco and other sparkling wines, like Champagne, is how the bubbles are made. Depending on the producer’s style and amount of residual sugar, alcohol levels can range from 8.5% to 12.5% for fully dry wines. The resulting wines are typically light to medium-bodied. It gives a lovely perfume of melons, peaches, pears and white flowers. The grape’s moderately high acidity makes it a shoo-in for sparkling wine. Glera has a tendency toward high yields, and the greater the yield, the more neutral the resulting wine becomes. However, producers abroad have been known to also use the term for their own bottlings, sparking legal challenges. In Italy, Prosecco refers solely to wines made within three specific designated appellations produced with at least 85% Glera. That was also the year when Conegliano Valdobbiadene’s appellation became Italy’s 44th Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). The thin-skinned green grape has been grown in the Veneto and Friuli regions of northern Italy for hundreds of years.īut in 2009, an increased number of New World plantings led Italian authorities to seek legal protection for the name “Prosecco” by rechristening the variety as “Glera.” It was a move akin to how the French protect the name Champagne as a place of origin. In the past, the grape used to make Prosecco was called both Prosecco and Glera. Pre-veraison Glera grapes / Getty The Grape: Glera Indeed, the world of Prosecco holds much to explore for the curious wine lover. The result is better bubbles and diminished sugar levels that showcase terroir, quality and style. Production techniques continue to improve, and the appetite for experimentation grows. Many retailers now sell Prosecco for every occasion, from party-ready bottlings to companions for fine dining. While consumers often equate it with widely available commercial-quality fizz, access to Italy’s finest sparkling wines is rising. Prosecco hails from Northeast Italy, though its heartland is a small region in the Veneto called Conegliano Valdobbiadene. Decorative Wine Racks & Modular Systems. ![]()
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