In 2015, one particular style of sparkling wine hit the headlines more than any other: Prosecco. For the first time, it was reported that UK supermarket shoppers spent more on Prosecco than on Champagne. There were also scare stories of a looming Prosecco shortage, although this proved largely unfounded.
Prosecco is the Italian sparkling wine produced in the northern regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, traditionally mainly around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of Treviso. It is predominantly made from Glera grapes, formerly known also as Prosecco.
Prosecco is fruity and flowery with the majority made in pressurised tanks. The original base wine goes through a second fermentation in the tank with the carbon dioxide being trapped within the wine to create the sparkle. Over time, Prosecco itself has broadened from the traditional light, floral and frothy, off-dry fizz we’ve all grown to know and love, to include artisan, bottle-fermented dry examples, and everything in-between. Finer Prosecco wines often exhibit notes of tropical fruits, banana cream, hazelnut, vanilla and honeycomb.
It’s also handy to remember that wines labelled Brut will be drier than Extra Dry, and that spumante wines will be fizzier than those labelled frizzante.
Sales of our Romeo Prosecco brand reached record levels last year so riding on the crest of the Prosecco wave we are delighted that the makers, Colli Vicentini, have just launched a new label, Tullio 1. Named after the company’s first president it certainly caused a lot of excitement at the sales meeting last week. It is made using a traditional single must fermentation of a single vintage, rather than the normal secondary fermentation and the result is something a bit special! It has the usual soft style with a lasting mousse and delicious toffee apple flavours.
www.ewga.net
