The history of Prosecco in the hills of Conegliano – Valdobbiadene has very ancient origins. Already in Roman times viticulture was a practiced art. Indeed, cultivating the vine to subsequently obtain wine is work, but the true art lies in the knowledge, tradition, care, passion, and innovation that people dedicate daily in the vineyards. As well as in the cellar and global market, to spread the word of Prosecco. A pearl of Made in Italy which today is easy to find and taste also in a wine bar of London or Shanghai.
Prosecco, 150 years of history
The first stage crucial in the history of Prosecco dates back to 1868, when Count Marco Giulio Balbi Valier isolated and selected a Prosecco clone superior to the others, the 'Prosecco Balbi'.
In 1876 the Enological School of Conegliano, the first in Italy, was founded.
In 1923 the Experimental Station Foundation of Viticulture and Enology of Conegliano was established.
In the 1930s the community, technicians, landowners, and politics defined for the first time the boundaries of the Prosecco production area.
On June 7, 1962 eleven producers established the Prosecco Protection Consortium of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
On April 2, 1969 the Controlled Designation of Origin was obtained for Prosecco produced in the 15 municipalities between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
In 2003 was assigned the status of First Sparkling District of Italy to the Prosecco denomination.
On August 1, 2009 the DOCG denomination was reached for the Prosecco of Conegliano – Valdobbiadene.
The production area
The Prosecco of Conegliano – Valdobbiadene DOCG includes 15 municipalities of the province of Treviso.
It is made by winegrowers who love the territory where they live. The writer can testify that in the companies in the Conegliano area, where hand-harvesting the Glera grape (from which Prosecco is produced) is common practice, the elderly winegrowers hand over the reins of the business to their grandchildren. But they precede them in the vineyard, scissors in hand, working silently from dawn without ever complaining about the heat or fatigue.
Three types of Prosecco
The ultimate expression is the sparkling version in three types.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG. It is the classic type, the most bottled, with just over 83 million bottles produced in 2016. It is produced in the 15 municipalities and represents the classic nature and quality of the grapes coming from the microzones of the various territories.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG. With a production of almost 2 million bottles in 2016, it is often obtained from the steepest and most suitable vineyards with grapes from a single municipality or its fraction, to enhance the characteristics that the territory imparts to the wine. The denomination includes 43 'rive'.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG. With about 1.5 million bottles produced in 2016, Cartizze comes from a subzone regulated since 1969, consisting of only 107 hectares of vineyard, pentagon-shaped, located among the steepest hills of San Pietro di Barbozza, Santo Stefano and Saccol, in the municipality of Valdobbiadene. A complexity of aromas that makes it the Cru of Prosecco.
The Frizzante and the Tranquillo
Not to be forgotten less famous but quality types such as Prosecco Frizzante and Prosecco Tranquillo. Both are ambassadors of the territory's tradition and their own winemakers. They are the versions consumed at home and mainly in the production areas.
The Prosecco Frizzante has a short secondary fermentation in the bottle on the lees to be consumed in the following months. About 3.6 million bottles are produced.
The Quiet Prosecco It is made from ripe grapes from less productive vineyards, with aromas that tend more towards sweetness, such as millefiori honey or almond. 131,200 bottles are produced. (1)
Export champion
In 2016, 42% of the produced Conegliano – Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco was exported. Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are the main destinations sparkling wine, for a value approaching 180 million euros. A wine that combines quality and tradition with innovation and especially with the communication of those family and territorial company values, which abroad are appreciated as a symbol of ours Made in Italy. A wine that accompanies the happy moments of life. In Italy and worldwide.
Francesco Dalla Riva
Notes
Born in Schio in the province of Vicenza, he studied New Technologies of Made in Italy in the agri-food and wine sector, in Conegliano. He began his career in the marketing department of a Prosecco world startup.
