The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies’ National Wine Committee unanimously approved the new DOC category for Prosecco
Treviso, May 21, 2020. The Prosecco DOC Consortium announces that the proposal to amend the disciplinary rules for the production of Prosecco DOC, which includes the introduction of Prosecco DOC Rosé, was unanimously approved by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies’ National Wine Committee.
The measure and the following Ministerial Decree are now awaiting to be published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic.The decree will formalize the modification at national level by launching the community procedure which will end with the definitive publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco DOC Consortium thanked “all those who have contributed to obtaining this important result, in a moment particularly tough for the wine industry.”
In order to label Prosecco DOC as Rosé, producers will have to follow specific rules:
- Grape varieties: Glera and 10%-15% Pinot Nero
- Yields: 18 tons/hectare for Glera and 13.5 tons/hectare for Pinot Nero
- Second fermentation – Martinotti/Charmat Method: minimum of 60 days
- Sales will be allowed from the 1st of January after the harvest
- Colour: pink more or less intense, shining, and with a persistent foam
- Residual sugar: from Brut Nature to Extra Dry
- The label will have to state the word “Millesimato” and the vintage (minimum of 85% of the grapes from that year)
According to the Consortium’s estimates, the total production of Rosé could count up to 30 million bottles per year.
About The Prosecco DOC Consortium
Prosecco was granted the Controlled Designation of Origin status on July 17th, 2009, and the Prosecco DOC Consortium (Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine Controllata Prosecco) 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 more information regarding Prosecco DOC, visit www.casaprosecco.com.
