Prosecco

In the past it was simpler, the grape and the area and the wine were simply called Prosecco. But with the decree of the Italian Minister of Agriculture of July 17, 2009, this is over, Prosecco is exclusively a designation of origin and the grape variety is called Glera. Basta! This has not pleased the grape variety researchers, because Glera is used to designate various wine varieties from the province of Trieste. But the ordeal for producers in the hilly area around Valdobbiadene and Conegliano was so long and hard that something had to be done. For years, mass-produced wines from all kinds of grape varieties and regions flooded the markets under the name Prosecco and did lasting damage to the reputation of these drinkable sparkling wines. This is now history, the name Prosecco refers exclusively to the DOC sparkling wines produced in the picturesque hilly landscape, the wines consist of at least 85 percent Glera grapes and glass bottles are mandatory! No more ugly canned bottlings and junk goods. At least that's the plan behind it, and hopes are high for an improvement. The white grape variety Glera is at home in northeastern Italy, in the province of Treviso. It is late ripening, with golden yellow berries of medium size. The grapes yield a light straw to golden yellow wine with a slightly nutty flavor, rich in tannins and with a subtle bitter note in the aftertaste. The fine fruity wines are excellent for a second fermentation and give structure to the wine. By the way, the name has little to do with the Italian "secco" (dry), it comes from a place name. Although Prosecco is often dry, there are also many semi-sweet or sweet variants.