Landscape of Conegliano Valdobbiadene: photo credit Arcangelo Piai
Well I can't prove it, but …
To some extent, Prosecco has become a victim of its own success. Ubiquitous, often lower quality, mass-produced styles fly off both supermarket shelves and pub/bar counters. So, it's no surprise that Prosecco's image as a cheap, light, sweetish, easy-drinking bubbly for celebrations and after-work chilling out has become deeply embedded in many people's consciousness.
Yet reality is often worlds away from the truth and Prosecco is no exception, as anyone who has tried more premium examples will know. Sandro Bottega, founder and MD of Bottega SpA, one of Italy's most renowned wine producers, believes in the need to elevate the perception of Prosecco among wine drinkers. In 2020, he said: "I am concerned with Prosecco sold at prices below the cost of production, as this conveys a bad message to the consumer." He added that Prosecco is "not just a sparkling wine that's fresh and fruity with a short shelf life. If it's well made, it can have huge longevity".
Prosecco's great versatility with food is often overlooked too. Cheese, pasta, pizza, BBQs, cold cuts and preserved/marinated vegetables can be great pairings. Prosecco is also a superb cooking ingredient for adding flavour, particularly in a risotto. Indeed, Bottega also wants Prosecco's food-matching ability to be recognised. "The best way to enjoy Prosecco is during a meal", he says, "as you appreciate its quality, freshness and ability to cleanse the palate. We have to improve the knowledge of consumers, as they probably don't know this and use Prosecco as an aperitif and like a beer after work."
The variety of Prosecco styles has the potential to increase its overall appeal. While Brut and Extra Dry styles remain particularly popular in the UK, there are several different sweetness levels - Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry, Demi Sec and Dolce. The higher quality and nuanced diversity of many Prosecco styles were brought sharply into focus by two tastings held virtually last year.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene's Rive: photo credit Arcangelo Piai
First, a Swirl Group tasting, hosted by Sarah Abbott MW, explored the drier side of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, particularly the newest category, Extra Brut, created in 2019. Comparisons were made with Brut, Dry and Extra Dry expressions, all of which were premium examples from small family estates, dynamic co-operatives or large, globally renowned producers. Highlighting the varied 'patchwork' terroir within this UNESCO World Heritage Site, wines included samples from historic, single vineyard 'Rive' sites, made from hand-harvested grapes planted on steep hillsides.
A vineyard in the hills of Asolo
The second tasting, led by Tom Cannavan, on Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG was organised by the Asolo Prosecco Consortium and communication agency, Studio Cru.
Asolo is a hilly appellation, created in 2009 and was the first to introduce the Extra Brut classification five years after. An area of rich biodiversity with a large mix of soils, including glacial and alluvial deposits, gravel and limestone, the terroir plays a vital role in the Asolo Prosecco identity. A large diurnal range helps preserve the aromatics in the wines, with protective and cooling influences from the Dolomites, the Alps and the Adriatic. Additionally, a higher dry extract (the powdery solids present in a wine, including pectins, minerals and trace elements the vines absorb from the soil) gives greater mouthfeel, flavour and complexity. Sampling a selection of Extra Brut, Brut and Extra Dry expressions, the typical aromatic intensity, green fruit character, savoury and/or herbal notes of high quality Asolo Proseccos were beautifully integrated.
Premium Prosecco, whether DOC or DOCG, is a crisp, sparkling embodiment of freshness and delicacy of fruit, without the autolytic character of traditional method bubbly. This doesn't mean that the category lacks complexity, as the wines at these tastings showed. Highlights included:-
Palate: juicy fruit initially that leads on to a delicate saline palate with bright acidity and a long, dry finish.
Food match: excellent as an aperitif, it would also go well with many fish dishes.
Palate: notes of apple and peach with touches of sweet grapefruit, lemon sherbet and a hint of almond on the finish.
Food match: excellent as an aperitif, it would pair well with a wide range of light dishes.
Palate: although 9g/l of residual sugar, this feels drier with a saline edge balancing the fruity notes of apple and lemon cream plus a hint of green almond on the fresh, vibrant mouthfeel.
Food match: try with seafood pasta, roast fish dishes or light vegetarian starters.
Palate: perfectly balanced 'Extra Dry' sweetness with refreshing apple and citrus notes and a touch of green almond continuing on the long finish.
Food match: although suitable for aperitifs, it would also go very well with cold cuts, fish, pasta and risotto dishes. Why not try with a light apple tart too!
Palate: fresh, mineral and a little savoury with notes of apple, apple skin and lemon, a lean saline finesse and a touch of almond on the finish.
Food match: light starters and raw seafood.
Palate: elegant and dry with ripe, juicy pear and peach notes, hints of citrus and savoury plus a long finish.
Food match: aperitifs, starters and seafood risotto.
Palate: ripe fruit notes of green apple, pear and citrus, while the 12g/L of residual sugar is offset by fresh acidity, bittersweet almond and a savoury, mineral edge on the long finish.
Food match: excellent as an aperitif, but also with seafood salads and various cheeses.
Palate: fruity notes of juicy apple and green pear plus a hint of sweet almond, balanced by a refreshingly bitter tang of grapefruit, a hint of pear skin, good acidity and a mineral finish masking the higher sugar level of 16g/L.
Food match: Ideal as an aperitif, but it would also work well with many fish or white meat dishes.
The Prosecco hills of this part of Italy are a great part of the world to visit for their rugged beauty and fascinating history. However, it's the wine that sings loudest on the international stage with a range of styles to suit many tastes and budgets.
Prosecco Superiore DOCG from Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Asolo express the quality of fruit and the importance of terroir in ways far removed from cheaper mainstream versions. In particular, the Extra Brut category, with only 0-6g of residual sugar per litre, delivers a nuanced and sophisticated fruity profile, highlighting the underlying high quality of the grapes.
Whatever the sugar level, none of these wines feel too dry nor too sweet, the residual sugar - or absence of it - perfectly in balance with the character of the fruit, the acidity and a saline or savoury component that adds elegance and complexity.
🥂 Mass-market Proseccos clearly fulfil a market need with their sweetness levels, easy drinkability and sales figures. Yet commercial considerations aside, any wine category will never be truly appreciated or understood unless higher quality versions are more easily available, regularly visible and promoted on retailers' shelves … and word spreads. 🥂
