ITALY - Prosecco - Wine Laws and Business

Question 1

What is the maximum yield for PDOC at pressing?

Answer 1

125hl/ha

Question 2

What is the maximum yield for PDOCG & Asolo DOCG at pressing?

Answer 2

94.5hl/ha

Question 3

What is the maximum yield for PDOCG RIVE at pressing?

Answer 3

90 hl/ha

Question 4

What is the maximum yield for Cartizze PDOCG at pressing?

Answer 4

85 hl/ha

Question 5

What is the minimum ageing in Prosecco DOC, DOCG etc

Answer 5

There isn’t a minimum because the wine is about primary fruit and not secondary or tertiary character

Question 6

What does Rive mean and what follows it on the Prosecco DOCG label?

Answer 6

Rive means slopes

Rive + “commune/single vineyard name”

Question 7

What laws govern the 43 Rives?

Answer 7

• handpicking
• vintage must be stated (though allowed 15% reserve wine)
• 90 hl/ha

Question 8

Superiore di Cartizze DOCG
where is it?
what laws?

Answer 8

The term denotes a 108 hectare single vineyard in Valdobbiadene

• spumante style only
• 85 hl/ha

Question 9

What style of wine is made in the Vadobbiadene Dperiore Cartizze DOCG/Valdobbiadene DOCG?

Answer 9

Concentrated, fuller bodied wines with residual sugar above Brut level

Question 10

What has happened to Asolo DOCG production in 2013-2018

Answer 10

It has grown by 2 million

Question 11

what % of PDOC is Spumante and what part Frizzante?

Answer 11

75% is Spumante

25% is Frizzante

Question 12

How many growers, producers of base wine and sparkling wine makers are there in the Prosecco region?

Answer 12

• 10k growers
• 1200 producers of base wines
• 350 sparkling wine makers

Question 13

who creates most of the base wine?

Answer 13

coopertives make most of the base wine and sell to private companies

Question 14

Which area is most important in terms of volume of production and sales of base wine?

Answer 14

Treviso

Question 15

What % of Prosecco is sold domestically vs abroad?

Answer 15

25% Italy and remainer sold abroad

Question 16

What are the main export markets for Prosecco?

Answer 16

UK, USA and Germany

Question 17

What has contributed to its growth?

Answer 17

• sparkling cocktails
• alternative to discounted champagne
• alternative to inexpensive to mid priced rosé

Question 18

What style of Prosecco DOC was introduced in 2019 and why?

Answer 18

Brut Nature and Extra Brut

This was to stabilise and increase Prosecco’s market share

Question 19

For PDOCG, the 32 largest companies each produce how much a year?

Answer 19

One million bottles

Question 20

What % of all PDOCG produced is accounted for by the 32 largest companies?

Answer 20

90% of all PDOCG made

Question 21

What percentage of PDOCG is sold in the domestic market?

Answer 21

60% of PDOCG is sold in the domestic market

Question 22

What % of PDOCG is Extra Dry?

Answer 22

60% is Extra Dry

Question 23

The PDOCG region is fully planted, where does their growth lie?

Answer 23

Higher bottle prices

Question 24

How can PDOCG achieve higher bottle prices?

Answer 24

By educating consumers that high quality Prosecco is achievable