Ch.9 – Prosecco Flashcards
1
Q
Compare vineyard management of DOC with DOCG
A
- DOC flatter, fertile plains, machine harvesting (day and night) large vineyards, economies of scale, but wines of lower concentration
- DOCG work done by hand on hillsides, 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.
2
Q
What are the business challenges for Prosecco and how are they meeting them?
A
- Maintain recent growth with increasing competition
- Protect the name
- Australian cos use Prosecco for glera sparkling
- sparkling wines sold on tap as Prosecco
- Non-wine products using name
- 2018 DOC Prosecco plans for “Brutnature” of 0-3g/l, plans for Prosecco rosé (not allowed in DOC) with PN
- DOCG needs to improve recognition of higher quality and therefore higher price
3
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 85hlL/ha
- must show vintage on label
-
Superiore di Cartizze
- historic delimited 108ha in Valdobbiadene
- shallow soils, steep hillside, S facing, good drainage, known for highest quality - more full bodied, resid sugar above Brut
- max yield 85 hL/ha
4
Q
How have the Prosecco DOC/DOCG regulations been revised since 2009 due to commercial success of Prosecco
A
- combined the former IGTs of Prosecco on the plains to new Prosecco DOC huge 23000 ha Treiste to Vicenza
- Promoted old DOC between towns Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (7700ha) to Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco DOCG
- Producers must use either or both town names
- “Spumante” replaceable by Superiore or added as well without meaning anything else (eg higher alcohol)
- Glera (ex “Prosecco”) becomes official principal variety to legally protect area Prosecco and prevent other countries exploiting it
5
Q
One card on Prosecco
A
- Sparkling spumante or frizzante white (some rosé)
- Glera grape (85%)
- grown in N-E Italy
- tank fermented (Italy Martinotti 1880s, refined Charmat)
- light-medium(-) intensity apple & pear, light body, med - med + 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!
6
Q
What is Asolo Prosecco DOCG?
A
- rapidly growing DOCG of Prosecco
- currently 1800 ha
- hilly area S of Valdobbiadene
- max yield 94.5hl/ha
7
Q
Define Prosecco Col Fondo
A
- Traditional style of Prosecco where 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 - Col Fondo “with the dregs” - can age short time
- Lightly cloudy, dry wines in frizzante style
- Production tiny, but found in trendy places (like Pet Nat)
- To be called sui lieviti (on the lees) with changes to regulations for Prosecco DOCG in 2020
8
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 or if Rive 90hL/ha
- Superiore di Cartizze (don’t use word Prosecco) 85hl/ha for Rive and Cartizze
- Asolo Prosecco DOCG 94.5 hl/ha
- All require minimum 85% Glera
- no minimum ageing (as aim to preserve fruit)
- if vintage wine must be 85% of that vintage
- must be sold in bottle
9
Q
What is the most popular vine training system for Prosecco DOCG?
A
- Double-arched cane canes bent into arches
- 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
10
Q
Wine making of Prosecco
A
- Slow cool first ferment 15-20 days controlled temp 18C to preserve primary fruit
- 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
- Since 2014 can adjust sweetness 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
11
Q
Compare climate of Prosecco DOC to DOCG
A
- DOC Warm, moderate continental, moderate rainfall
- flat plains need sprays v moist air/ fog from rivers
- DOCG hillier, cooling altitude/ higher diurnals means longer, slower ripening - higher acidity, more intense flavours
12
Q
Prosecco DOC wine sales
A
- Prosecco DOC half of Italy’s sparkling wine (and Italy world leader)
- 3/4 spumante, 1/4 frizzante
- Domestic market growing 40% (1/2 hospitality 1/2 retail)
- Exports (60%) tripled in decade to 2014
- UK, USA, Germany
- seen as everyday luxury (esp re discounted champagne and still rosé)
- Prosecco cocktails
13
Q
Describe the grape variety (ies) of Prosecco
A
- Glera (3 varieties, in practice blended)
- Vigorous, semi-aromatic, capable of v high yields
- Susceptible to
- millerandage
- powdery and downy mildew
- drought in summer
- grapevine yellows
- First 2 buds don’t bear much fruit, so long trellising
- Vigorous so low to med planting density 3000 p/ha
- Permitted yields high 125hL/l DOC 94.5 hL/l DOCG
14
Q
the three trellising systems used in Prosecco?
A
- Sylvoz high cordon system, shoots hang down, machine, plains of DOC
- Double Arched Cane canes arched for even growth, manual, hills of DOCG
- Single or double Guyot spur pruned VSP better quality grapes of DOCG
15
Q
Does Prosecco allow any adjustment to the sweetness of the final wine?
A
- Traditionally no - winemaker calculates sugar required as tirage for both the required level of CO2 (spumante or frizzante) and to remain in the final bottled wine (Brut, Extra Dry etc)
- Since 2014, can adjust sweetness when wine racked off lees of second fermentation
