5. Prosecco Flashcards
What is the principal grape variety for Prosecco?
Glera
Describe a typical Prosecco.
Light to Med- intensity flavours of apple and pear
Light body
Med to Med+ acid
Low or Med Alc.
What is the most common style of sweetness level for Prosecco?
Extra Dry (12-17 grams / medium dry)
What are the typical differences between DOC and DOCG levels for Prosecco?
Quality, intensity/complexity, price.
DOC - acceptable to good quality, light intensity, mid-priced but some inexpensive
DOCG - good to very good quality, medium intensity, mid-priced but some premium
When were the DOC/DOCG regulations changed in Prosecco and why?
2009, to respond to the huge commercial success of the category in the early 00s
What are the three PDOs for Prosecco?
Prosecco DOC
Congeliano Valdobbiadene DOCG
Asolo Prosecco DOCG
Where is Prosecco DOC?
It is a large, vast region that was once a IGT, but changed in 2009 with the rest of the PDOs. Covers 5 provinces in Veneto and 4 in Friuli.
Where are grapes planted in Prosecco DOC?
Mainly on the flats
What are the two possible named GIs in the Prosecco DOC?
Treviso and Trieste
Where are the vines planted in Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco?
Mostly between 200-320m
In the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, what is permitted for labelling in the Spumante category?
The addition of the term ‘Superiore’ or the omission of the term ‘Prosecco’
Eg. Valdobbiadene Superiore
What percentage of production do each of the PDOs account for?
Prosecco DOC - 82%
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG - 16%
Asolo DOCG - 2%
Describe the climate in Prosecco
Warm, and moderately continental. Moderate rainfall.
What are the geographical differences between Prosecco DOC and Prosecco DOCG?
The altitude gained in the DOCG areas helps to increase diurnal temperature range. In the DOC the flat lands can have a lot of moisture from fog and therefore disease pressure.
What are the soils like in the Prosecco region?
Varied, it’s so large. But generally more fertile on the plain
What are the key characteristics of Glera?
- Vigorous
- Semi-aromatic
- Susceptible to Millerandage, powdery, downy, drought and grapevine yellows
- First two buds don’t bear much fruit, so must be trained long. (8-12 buds)
What are the varieties permitted for Prosecco?
Up to 15% other local varieties. There are three different varieties known as Prosecco, but they are generally blended.
What are the three common trellising methods?
- Sylvoz
- Double arched cane
- Guyot (single or double)
Describe Sylvoz trellising method.
High cordon with canes that hang vertically. Well sutied for DOC area aiming for high yields.
- Inexpensive
- Minimises winter pruning
- Suitable for machine harvesting
What are the positives for using the Sylvoz trellising method?
- Inexpensive to set up
- Minimising winter pruning
- Suitable for machine harvesting
- Gets a high yield
What are the negatives for using the Sylvoz trellising method?
- Can encourage overcropping
- Requires canopy management to avoid over-shading
- Difficult to distribute the clusters evenly
Describe the Double-arched cane trellising method.
Replacement can pruning where the canes are bent into arches.
What are the positives of using the Double-arched cane pruning?
- Increases ventilation in the canopy
- Improves evenness of growth
- Suitable for high quality
What are the disadvantages of using Double-arched cane pruning?
- Every cane has to be hand tied (expensive)
2. Shoot thinning needed to maintain open canopy
Where are why would a vineyard manager chose to use Guyot pruning?
On the flats where after winter pruning, mechanisation is possible.
What are the differences between vineyard management in the DOC and the DOCG?
DOC - can be machine harvested, cost saving, higher yields, less concentration.
DOCG - Machines allowed, but mostly bu hand for quality but also accessibility.
Where are the best sites in the DOCG? Why?
South-facing hillsides. Reduced fertility (controlling vigour and increasing concentration).
What is the name of the grassy banks that seperate the terraces in the DOCG?
Ciglione
How are grapes pressed in Prosecco?
If picked by hand they can be either whole bunch or destemmed. If machine harvested they must be destemmed and pressed
Describe the primary fermentation
Constant, moderate temp (18C) to preserve primary fruit flavour.
About 15-20 days.
No malo.
Describe the secondary fermentation
In tank, cooler stil (12-15C)
About 30 days.
What are the ageing requirements for Prosecco?
There are none in either DOC or DOCG appellations. fresh fruit is the focus.
Most are aged on lees for about 3 weeks before filtering and bottling.
Does Prosecco add dosage?
Traditionally no, but it has been allowed since 2014
What are some quality producers choosing for second fermentation?
Longer slower ferment, increased time on lees.
Charmat lungo - typically at least 9 months on lees.
What is Prosecco Col Fondo?
Typically lightly cloudy, dry, frizzante. Must say:
refermentazione in bottiglia
Second fermentation in bottle and the wine is bone dry, and undisgorged. Crown seal.
Will need to be labelled ‘Sui Lieviti’ in the DOCG from 2020.
What is Tranquillo?
Still wine made in Prosecco.
What are the maximum yield levels for each PDO?
DOC - 125hL/ha
DOCG - 94.5hL/ha
DOCG Rive - 90hL/ha
DOCG Superiore di Cartizze or Cartizze - 85hL/ha
What are the labelling requirements for vintage?
If a wine is labelled with a vintage it must be 85% of the vintage.
What does Rive mean?
Local word meaning ‘slope’
How are Rive wines labelled?
What is required?
With the word Rive followed by a place name eg Rive di Soligo.
Hand picked and must be vintage.
What is Superiore di Cartizze or Cartizze?
A 108 hectare single vineyard in Valdobbiadene.
Must be made in Spumante.
Produces higher quality, fuller bodied styles.
Typically not also called Prosecco.
Generally what are the trends for the Prosecco business?
Growth. Even in the smaller categories such as Asolo which has increased production 12-fold in five years up to 2018
What proportion of DOC production is spumante vs frizzante?
spumante - 75%
frizzante - 25%
Describe the ownership of different parties in Prosecco production.
Fragmented. There are roughly 10000 growers but only 1200 producers of base wine and 350 makers of sparkling wine. Including some very big companies.
What role do Co-op play in the supply chain?
Co-ops make a large amount of still wine that they on-sell to private companies to finish.
When can a Prosecco be labelled Treviso?
When not only the grapes are grown there but the entire production process must occur in the region.
What are domestic sales like?
Growing steadily, half and half split between on premise and off premise
What are export sales like?
Triple in the decade up to 2014. Markets are UK, USA, Germany (2/3 of all export by volume)
What has contributed to the strength of the Prosecco brand?
Cocktails
A perception of everyday luxury and an alternative to cheap Champagne
What opportunities are being explored as new options for growth of Prosecco?
Brut Nature and Extra Brut which were added in 2019.
Prosecco Spumante Rose - 15% Pinot Noir blended as still, Brut Nature - Extra dry only
What threats are present to the Prosecco market?
Brand protection - Australian producers using the Prosecco to label their wines. Cheap alternatives being offered on tap and called Prosecco
What is the ownership like in the DOCG regions?
32 large companies account for nearly 90% of all production.
Just over half consumed locally, 40% exported.
What limitations is the DOCG facing?
No more room for planting.
Must gain recognition for increased quality against consumers with a view of Prosecco as a generic brand.
