Prosecco is one of the flagships of Italian viticulture, a wine that does not pretend to be a giant, but with a lot of humility and thanks also to the modest alcohol content, the cheerful character, as well as the freshness and sparkling vivacity, has been able to make appreciate in almost every part of the world.
The Glera
Glera is the vine with which Prosecco is produced and was born in the north-east of Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia , precisely in the areas adjacent to the Municipality of “Prosecco” once Prozek, with which it shared the name.
However, it is in neighboring Veneto, precisely in the Treviso area, that the most prestigious Italian Prosecco have been able to be appreciated, particularly in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area, within which we include the prestigious Cartizze hill .
Quiet or sparkling
Prosecco, obtained from glera grapes, can be produced “ still”, that is not exactly effervescent, but at most with a light “petillant”, when it is obtained from not very productive and particularly dense vineyards, where the grapes are harvested late. The result will be a delicate straw yellow, not particularly bright and lively, with aromas of fresh fruit reminiscent of apple, pear, almond and honey.
It will be “sparkling” instead when the second fermentation is carried out in an autoclave, as in the case of sparkling wine, but at a lower pressure, which does not exceed 2.5 bar. After a rather short refermentation, a fresh and lively wine will be obtained, even if with a perlage not at its best, but with extremely engaging general characteristics.
Martinotti-Charmat method
The glera will reach the maximum production result in the “sparkling” version, with the Martinotti-Charmat method , in which the refermentation will always take place in an autoclave , but at a minimum pressure of no less than 3 bar and with a much longer period of permanence . The wine produced will manifest itself with brilliant shades of yellow, a dense froth, a harbinger of numerous and persistent bubbles, ready to give us a fresh and mineral effervescence with aromas of fruit of the day and young flowers, as well as some timid hints of pleasant fragrance.
Cartizze
If, on the other hand, we talk about quality, and always with the utmost respect for all glera producers, we think we can give praise to the “sparkling” version of all the grapes coming and processed within the “Cartizze” microzone. In this case, there would also be the possibility of adding the mention “superior” in order to create the “Prosecco DOCG Superiore di Cartizze” , currently lacking a competitor from a qualitative point of view.
Cartizze is a hilly area of 108 hectares of vineyards, located within the vineyard area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, in the province of Treviso, which thanks to the particular “terroir”, therefore microclimate and soil, creates a particularly natural environment for cultivation and therefore Healthy Vines with unique and particularly valuable characteristics.
Terroir
Imagine a particularly mineral and draining soil, with an excellent southern exposure and an exceptional temperature range, from which it is produced with a very low yield per hectare (gold pentagon).
Prosecco obtained from Glera grapes has today become a reference, in Italy and in the world, for anyone who wants to spend a moment of pleasant conviviality, thanks to the frothy and brilliant aspect of the perlage, the moderate alcohol content, the particular freshness, flavor and minerality , which together with the more than affordable price, make it inevitable in moments of sociability.
Wine Tasting
The result will be a sparkling wine with a lively froth rich in aromas of fresh fruit and young flowers, with a flowing acidity and minerality in good balance with an attenuating softness.
With a nice glass tall and narrow enough to be able to appreciate the perlage and aromas, and at a temperature of 4-6 degrees at most , you can imagine it on every occasion, aperitifs, appetizers, fish and vegetarian dishes, meats and cheeses.
See all Prosecco wines.
