Prosecco, the Italian bubbles most appreciated in Italy and in the world. The quintessential aperitif, to be accompanied with crudités or finger food, and what follows. It is produced in two Regions of the Bel Paese, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Venice is located right in the middle of the area where Glera is cultivated, the grape variety from which Prosecco is derived. Treviso, on the other hand, is the reference point for excellence products such as Conegliano and Valdobbiadene DOCG and Asolo – Montebelluna DOCG Prosecco.
Prosecco, the history
The history of Prosecco dates back to Trieste, where its cultivation and production are documented. The writer and traveler Fynes Moryson (1566-1630) reports ofIstria, divided between Forum Julii and what is properly called Istria. Here grows the wine Pucinum, now called Prosecho, highly celebrated by Pliny’.
The wine in question is the Pucino, produced with Glera grapes. In Trieste, to differentiate the local wine from that of neighboring areas such as Istria and Gorizia, it was decided to find a name linked to the territory. The choice fell on the name Prosecco, for the cultivation of Glera grapes in the area surrounding the eponymous Tower of Prosecco.
From local wine, produced since the sixteenth century in the Gulf of Trieste, to the top sparkling wine by number of bottles sold worldwide (over 510 million in 2016) as well as a symbol of Made In Italy and Italian drinking. In 2017 Prosecco set another record, with 302 million dollars in sales in the off-premise (+19%), the Veneto-Friuli sparkling wine surpasses Champagne for the first time (277 million, -2%) also in terms of value.
Prosecco, the production
The Glera grape is harvested from mid-August to the first weeks of September, brought to the cellar, separated from stems and leaves and pressed with the crusher-destemmer. This produces the 'must flower' (the first part of the juice), which is transferred to the autoclave.
In autoclave the first fermentation begins, where sugars are transformed into CO2 and ethyl alcohol. At the end of this phase, which lasts on average 15-20 days punctuated by filtration and racking operations, a clear product is obtained.
Subsequently, still in autoclave, yeasts selected by the oenologist are inoculated and a new fermentation begins that lasts 15-25 days and generates the distinctive bubbles. According to the Martinotti method, also known as Charmat.
At the end of any centrifugation and/or filtration to precipitate tartaric acid, bottling is carried out. The final important aspect is the State mark, DOC or DOCG, affixed to every bottle intended for sale.
Prosecco is still cultivated and mainly produced by family businesses, which integrate technology with the traditions of the territory. A local commitment crowned by global growth. Without forgetting, hopefully, the native identity.
Francesco Dalla Riva
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 started his career in the marketing department of a startup in the Prosecco world.
