Prosecco

Question 1

Prosecco Overview/Characteristics

Answer 1

• Glera grape
• light to medium intensity apple and pear aromas, light body, medium to medium + acidity, low or medium alcohol
• Brut to Demi Sec
• Extra Dry most common
• both Spumante and Frizzante styles

Question 2

Prosecco Deliminations

Answer 2

1. Prosecco DOC - GI Treviso can be added if grapes grown in region
2. Prosecco DOCG - historic hilly area between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Either or both towns must be on label
   * can be Superiore if Spumante.
   * can have mention of Rive
3. Asolo Prosecco DOCG - hilly area south of Valdobbiadene
   * can be Superiore if Spumante
4. Cartizze DOCG - “grand cru” of Prosecco - historic single vineyard located in Valdobbiadene. Lower yields and only made in Spumante style. Usually RS is above Brut

*Rive + place name - 43 rives - grapes must be grown in one of the 43, picked by hand and harvested at lower yields with vintage year on bottle

Question 3

Prosecco Climate

Answer 3

• warm and moderately continental with moderate rainfall
• flat plain requires more spraying to combat disease due to the moist air and fog from rivers
• in the hillier DOCG, cooling influences from the altitude and diurnals allow for slower longer ripening - giving higher acid and more intense flavors

Question 4

Glera

Answer 4

• vigorous and very easy to grow (“farmer friendly”) - capable of high yields
• permitted yields are high but low to medium planting densities are common due to high vigor
• must be trained on long vertically trellised systems as the first two buds do not bear much fruit
• Aromas of pear, golden apple, sweet almonds
• Glera can have a bitter aftertaste so dosage helps
• Too weak of a varietal to withstand the traditional method

Question 5

Glera training methods

Answer 5

1. Sylvoz - high cordon system with shoots that hang downwards. Well suited to high vigor sites on fertile, flatter land of Prosecco DOC. Inexpensive to create but may encourage overcropping.
2. Double arched cane - form of replacement cane pruning where the canes are bent into arches. Very common in the DOCG as it improves the evenness of ripening and fruitfulness of Glera. Can be more expensive
3. Guyot - used on flatter land where it is possible to work with machines

Question 6

ciglione

Answer 6

grassy bank terraces in the steepest part of the DOCG - these terraces must be maintained and repaired which adds cost (think Port)

Question 7

Prosecco Col Fondo

Answer 7

• Col Fondo = sediment
• Ancestral method Prosecco
• IGT only
• Lightly cloudy wines in the Frizzante style
• Finished with a crown cap
• refermentation in the bottle must be stated on bottle

Question 8

Tranquillo

Answer 8

still wine made in Prosecco