9 Prosecco Flashcards
1
Q
Overview of Prosecco in Italy
Styles, varieties, region.
A
- Sparkling spumante or frizzante white (some rosé)
- Glera grape (85%)
- grown in N-E Italy (Veneto)
- tank fermented (Italy Martinotti 1880s, refined Charmat)
- light/med- int apple & pear, light body, m/m+ acidity.
- DOCG more flavour - incl white peach
- Brut to Demi-Sec (Extra Dry 12-17g/l the classic)
- acceptable to good in Prosecco DOC
- good to very good in Prosecco DOCG
- huge commercial success!
- Rose recently introduced - 10-15% PN, bal Glera
2
Q
Describe the Prosecco PDO’s
A
Prosecco DOC (82%)
- Covers 9 provinces from Veneto to Friuli:
- DOC is vast from Trieste to Vicenza
- Plantings 23000 ha
- Region includes mountains and plains - grapes grown on plains
- GI Treviso or Trieste can be added on label if grapes grown and wine made there. (Treviso more significant volumes)
- Max yield 125 hl/ha
Prosecco DOCg (16%)
- Hilly area between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (7700ha) promoted to Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco DOCG
- Producers must use either or both town names
- If spumante category , “Superiore” may replace or be added to “Prosecco” means nothing - just a name.
- Max yield 94,5 hl/ha
Asolo DOCg (2%)
- Separate DOCg, 1800 ha
- Hilly area S of Valdobbiadene
- max yield 94.5hl/ha
- If spumante can add “Superiore” means nothing - just a name.
- Max yield 94,5 hl/ha
Glera Variety
- Made the official principal variety to legally protect PDO/Name Prosecco in 2009 and prevent other countries exploiting it.
3
Q
Prosecco PDO Climate and Soil
A
-
Climate:
- Warm/mod continental, mod rainfall.
-
Flatter areas/plains
- Moist air & fog from rivers means need for more spraying to manage fungal disease
-
Hilly areas
- altitude cools / higher diurnal range => longer, slower ripening => wines from DOCg have higher acid, higher int fruit flav.
-
Soils vary considerably
- Plains more fertile => higher yield, lower intensity fruit, less acid.
4
Q
Vineyard practices, Training, Harvest….
A
Glera
- vigorous, high yielding; semi aromatic,
- susc to mellerandage, downy mildew, grapevine yellows; drought in summer
- Low/med planting density 3000/ha (due to vigour)
Training / Trellising
- Trained long (18 buds, first 2 don’t yield much)
-
Sylvoz high cordon system
- shoots hang down, mechanisation/hi vol, plains of DOC
- ++ aim for high yield, cost containment - minimises winter pruning; height provides some protection from frost
- – may encourage over-cropping; needs canopy trim to avoid excessive shade; diff to dist clusters evenly
-
Guyot
- after winter pruning poss to work with mach, reduces cost
-
Double Arched Cane used on slopes MOST POPULAR
- canes arched for even growth
-
PROS better qualiity fruit
- improves fruitfulness of Glera
- improves evenness of growth
- increases ventilation of canopy/ reducing fungal
- works on steep slope of DOCG hills
-
CONS labour/ cost
- individual branches must be tied by hand
- care to maintain open canopy
DOC
- flatter, fertile plains, most vineyard work & harvest - machine
- large vineyards, economies of scale,
- high yield - wines of lower concentration
DOCG
- work done by hand on s-f hills,
- higher diurnals (and acidity) slower growth, longer season to develop flavours, esp S facing slopes.
- Poorer soils and better drainage = less fertile, Lower yield lead to more concentration.
- Steepest parts - “Ciglione” (grassed terraces) need maintenance (cost) only hand harvest poss.
DOCg Categories “Cartizze”; “Rive”; “sui lievite” mb hand harvested.
5
Q
Wine making of Prosecco
A
-
Press
- Hand picked - whole bunch press - fruit flavours, less phenols
- Else de-stem and press
-
First Ferment
- Slow cool first ferment 15-20 days controlled temp 18C to preserve primary fruit
- Block Malo - retain acidity
- Second ferment also in tank one month 12-15C again to preserve primary fruit. Some DOCG cool it further to slow it further for quality
-
Tirage calc: allows for CO2 reqd (spum/friz) and RS Brut/BN/EB
- Since 2014 can adjust sweetness (dosage) after 2nd ferment
- Wines chilled, filtered, bottled.
- No requirement to age as emphasis is on freshness, though some DOCG lees age it for few months for extra complexity - agitate with insert in tank
-
Charmat Lungo
- ex of longer tank method + ageing on lees 9mth
6
Q
Define Prosecco “sur lieviti” (previously Col Fondo)
A
- Traditional style of Prosecco - second fermentation is in the bottle
- Can be either DOC or DOCG
- Must have rifermentazione in bottiglia on the bottle
- Wine is left undisgorged and is bone dry (all sugar ferments to alcohol)
- Finished with crown cap, contains sediment - can age short time - “sur lieviti”
- Lightly cloudy, dry wines in frizzante style
- Production tiny, but found in trendy places (like Pet Nat)
7
Q
Name the four categories of Prosecco and the legal requirements to meet them
A
- Prosecco DOC max yield 125hL/ha
- Prosecco DOCG 94.5 hL/ha
- Prosecco Rive 90hL/ha
- Superiore di Cartizze (don’t use word Prosecco) 85hl/ha
- Asolo Prosecco DOCG 94.5 hl/ha
- All require minimum 85% Glera
- balance from local or certain int varieties
- no minimum ageing (as aim to preserve fruit)
- if vintage wine must be 85% of that vintage
- must be sold in bottle
8
Q
Why are there two further designations within the DOCG area of Prosecco and what are they?
A
- To give more value to higher quality grapes
-
Rive
- “slope of a steep hill” and a place name
- 43 single communes/ vineyards
- hand-picked, lower 90hl/ha
- must show vintage on label
-
Superiore di Cartizze DÓCg OR Cartizze DÓCg
- historic VY, single & delimited 108ha in Valdobbiadene
- requires lower yield/ha; only spumante style
- shallow soils, steep hillside, S facing, good drainage,
- highest quality - more full bodied, RS above Brut
- max yield 85 hL/ha, only spumante allowed
- Not usual to see “Prosecco” together with Cartizze, label will say Superiore di Cartizze DÓCg OR Cartizze DÓCg
9
Q
How is Prosecco DOC’s wine business structured?
A
- 10,000 growers (av 2.5ha) many selling to negotiants/ co-ops
- 1200 producers of base wine;
- 350 producers sparkling (incl large cos like Zonin)
- Co-ops grow half the fruit; private cos bottle 75% of wine
- means co-ops make large vol base wine sell to pvt cos to finish.
- Treviso most important area for production volume and for sale of base wine. Name Treviso can appear on bottle after Prosecco DOC - IF fruit grown and wine produced there.
- Outstanding growth, led by export
- Prosecco DOC >half Italy’s SW
- => Italy now world leader in SW exports (vol)
- Prod x 2 between 2011 and 2016
- 3:1 Spumante:Frizzante
- Asolo DOCg from 1m bts - 12m bots 2013 - 2018
- Exports 75%
- UK, USA; Ger => 2/3 of exp by vol
- x 3 in decade to 2014
- Prosecco seen as “everyday luxury”
- alt to cheap champaigne or alt to still, inexp, mid-price rose
- pop in cocktails
- Domestic 25% 50/50 retail/hosp - steady growth
10
Q
What are the business challenges for Prosecco and how are they meeting them?
A
- Maintain recent growth with increasing competition
- Added BN and EB styles for customers wanting drier styles
- Plans: Prosecco Rosé (currently not permitted) with PN
- Protect the name
- Australian cos use Prosecco for glera sparkling
- sparkling wines sold on tap as Prosecco
- Non-wine products using name
- DOCG needs to improve recognition of higher quality to be able to grow from price adjustment as area is fully planted.
11
Q
Prosecco DOCg common styles, sales and exports, challenges?
A
Most common style
- Extra Dry 60%
- Brut 30%
- balance Extra Brut (0 - 6g/l)
- 32 Cos prod >1m bottles pa accounts for +-90% of Prod
- 40% Export - Germ, UK, CH (outperforming dom sales ito growth)
- Producers Nino Franco, Bisol
Challenges:
- Improve recognition of quality among customers
- Differentiate from generic “Prosecco” (to get higher price)
- DOCg is fully planted - continued growth relies on higher price.
