Ideal weather in 2015 has led to an excellent quality of grapes and the approval of a harvest surplus for producers of Prosecco DOC
Treviso, October 07, 2015 — The governing bodies of the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions, the official zones of Prosecco DOC production, have just approved the adoption of a 2015 “harvest reserve,” or surplus, thanks to this year’s optimal harvest conditions.
The Prosecco DOC Consortium cited numerous reasons for which this year’s weather was so ideal. Although rainfall was down by nearly 35% as compared to average participation in recent years, it was evenly spread out, and the vines therefore received the correct amount of hydration. The spring also saw a number of sunny days that allowed for ideal photosynthetic activity in the plants. The average temperatures recorded from the time of budding through mid-August were slightly higher than those recorded over the past 34 years, with two peaks during the first ten days of June and through all of July, when average high temperatures reached 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature fluctuations between day and night, essential to the correct maturation of the grapes, were also ideal this year. All of this meant that attacks of blight and rot were down in the entire Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions this year, and the vines and the grapes themselves were particularly healthy.
Regarding the adoption of the harvest surplus, Prosecco DOC Consortium President Stefano Zanette explains, “This is a measure that the Consortium requested in light of the particularly favorable growing conditions this year, which have already been confirmed by the season’s first harvests. The measure has been adopted very quickly given the market fluctuations that have been registered over the past few weeks.”
Echoing Zanette’s declaration, the Minister of Agriculture in the Veneto region, Giuseppe Pan, said, “The 2015 harvest promises to be exceptional in terms of both quality and quantity for producers in the Veneto, including Prosecco producers. With the green light given today by the regional governing council, Prosecco producers are able to put aside an adequate amount of grapes per hectare to meet any eventual supply needs that may arise in 2016. This is a precautionary measure that will be able to help producers deal with the movement of national and international markets in the coming months. Given the production trend and the increasing consumption of Prosecco DOC, the region has been paying careful attention to the product. We believe that the success of Prosecco, which is now known and appreciated all over the world, is the result of continuing to establish its value and protect its quality in the long term.”
The harvest reserve could mean an additional 500,000 hectoliters in addition to the expected 3,000,000 hectoliters of the regular harvest, though the Consortium predicts that the extra amount will be closer to 300,000. “With these volumes,” says Zanette, “2015 production will absolutely be able to satisfy market demand.”
About The Prosecco DOC Consortium:
Prosecco was granted the Controlled Designation of Origin status on July 17th, 2009, and the Consortium was created on November 19th of the same year to coordinate and manage the Prosecco DOC. The organization unites the different groups of manufacturers—wineries, individual and associated vine-growers, still wine and sparkling wine producers—to ensure the designation continues to grow and that the production regulations are complied with.
About Prosecco DOC:
Prosecco DOC wines come in Spumante (sparkling), Frizzante (semi-sparkling) and Tranquillo (still) varieties. The wines are made from mainly the Glera grape, native to North East Italy for thousands of years, and can be combined with a maximum of 15% of the following grapes: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero. Prosecco Frizzante and Spumante varieties get their famous bubbles using the Secondary Fermentation production method, bottled under high pressure after fermentation in bulk tanks called autoclaves, as opposed to the traditional method, which bypasses the autoclaves and is used for other sparkling wine varieties. The end result is a brilliant straw yellow wine with fine, persistent perlage and aromas of white flowers, apple and pear. It is fresh and elegant on the palate with moderate alcoholic strength. For a full list of Prosecco DOC producers, visit http://www.discoverproseccowine.it.
