4 facts to know about Prosecco

What is Prosecco?

Prosecco is a sparkling white wine made from Glera grapes.

Where does Prosecco come from?

The appellation is produced in 9 provinces spanning the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia region. The Prosecco Superiore DOCG can only be made in the area of Vadobbiadene hill, the Prosecco DOC Treviso from the area that surrounds the hill and Prosecco DOC from elsewhere in the region.

How is it produced?

Following the Charmat method, the first fermentations is still wine, the secondary fermentation is when the foam is produced in closed stainless steel tanks under pressure. This method is different from that applied to champagne (traditional method). Under this method the foam (secondary fermentation) takes place in the bottle.

How do you produce a quality Prosecco?

Several factors come into play to produce a high quality Prosecco. This is what the producers Setteanime do to produce Prosecco Extra Dry DOC:

The yield in the vines: maximum production authorized by the appellation is 180 quintals per hectare. Setteanime limits to 150 quintals per hectare to obtain the best quality of grapes.

Selection of musts: Setteanime only keeps the best during pressing ie. the first press (55% of the yield) with the rest being sold to the local cooperative. This operation keeps the freshness and the primary notes of fruit in the Prosecco. It should be noted that the average yield obtained by producers is 73%.

Grape variety: finally, Setteanime only uses the Glera grape. The appellation authorizes a maximum of 15% Pinot Noir or Chardonnay to be included.

In conclusion

Prosecco can be a quality product!

Unfortunately, too often customers neglect the quality aspect in favour of the price in the purchase decision. Even in a Spritz, we would like to drink the best ingredients surely? So, the next time you order a Spritz or a glass of Prosecco, ask to see the bottle and especially ask if they have Setteanime!