We’ve been bouncing back and forth between Pinot and Prosecco for the last few days, thanks to a couple of quite wonderful tastings I attended in San Francisco last week. When we left off yesterday, I promised you more about the specialized methods of Prosecco production in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy.
First, I’d like to say thanks for all *your* inquiries about Prosecco, and since this is our first “First Wednesday,” when I answer *your* questions, I’ll field them here, as part of my wrapup. (Thanks, Jim in OR; Ben in SoCal; M.A. in NY! And “mille grazie” to the many members of the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene, the Prosecco governing body, who personally provided me with detailed descriptions at the Vino in Villa tasting. Their excellent website,
www.prosecco.it filled in lots of extra details, as well as the quotes.)
Back to the Prosecco how-to. At harvest time, the members of the Consorzio carefully monitor grape maturity in the vineyards throughout the zone. When the time is right, the Consorzio holds a public meeting to give the many growers the go-ahead to start picking.
The grapes then move to the various wineries, where special crushers gently press them to extract only the “free-run juice from the heart of the berry.” (The remainder eventually gets distilled into Prosecco grappa.) Generally, a winery keeps different “lots” of grapes from different vineyards or areas separate, to preserve the unique character of each one.
This free-run juice rests for 12-14 hours in stainless-steel tanks to let the sediment settle out, and then is allowed to ferment, becoming Prosecco “base wine.” The winemaker tastes the various lots, then blends them “in precise proportions, so as to achieve a perfect balance of all the components.”
Now comes the “Metodo Italiano”: Italy’s version of the Charmat process, in which a sparkling wine’s secondary fermentation takes place in large, pressure-sealed vats. Also used in the Piemonte region to make the famed Asti Spumante, this method works better for Prosecco than the more time-consuming (and more expensive) Methode Champenoise, in which a wine ferments in individual bottles with lengthy yeast contact.
Why? Because Prosecco, and the Muscat-based Asti Spumante, are fruit-driven. Their charm is all about freshness and bright flavors, and the yeast-based characteristics of Champenoise sparklers just aren’t necessary. (Some producers, in fact, actually argue that these flavors would detract from their Prosecco.)
What’s more, since the Metodo Italiano is faster and less costly, the Prosecco can come to market sooner, with a price tag that suits it to celebrating every single day. And that’s a win-win in my book!
BTW: I also promised you more info about the term “DOC” (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). This refers to a set of quality-assurance rules for Italian wine production, in force throughout the country. Established by presidential decree in 1963, DOC is comparable to the French AOC, which was instituted in the 1950s for the same purpose.
The DOC concept is so important that I’ll bring it back soon for a Wine 101 Wednesday of its own. Meanwhile, we’ll taste some Pinots tomorrow. Until then,
Cheers,
Rosina
PS—Apologies for this late posting. As you can see, it’s now Thursday the 5th. I took a looong walk on the beach yesterday morning, and between that and the 100-degree afternoon, I was so wiped in the evening that I actually fell asleep at my laptop…
gilded fork,
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wine writing,
Welcome to Wine Country,
Rosina Tinari WilsonLabels: prosecco, wine country
Food Philosophy #57: Fancy Food Show
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Part II of our adventure is coming up on ReMARKable Palate Podcast #98, so don't miss it. And yes, we loved getting our hands and feet dirty!