Renowned Denomination Welcomes Retailer Partners; National Prosecco Week goes Digital with Promotions to Press and Consumers
New York, June 11, 2020 – The Prosecco DOC Consortium, the entity that oversees the production of the world’s most popular sparkling wine, is pleased to announce that ‘National Prosecco Week’ (NPW) will return for its third year from July 20-26, 2020.
To adapt to the impact of COVID-19, The Prosecco DOC Consortium has pivoted to support its multiple partners through a strategic combination of online activities to ensure the health and safety of Prosecco DOC consumers in the U.S. This celebration of Prosecco DOC will include nationwide digital retail promotions with a full digital media and marketing program, strategic media partnerships and influencer activations, such as Instagram Live tastings, virtual seminars, and e-commerce retail promotions. All activities will seek to educate media and consumers about Prosecco and showcase its ability to be enjoyed in a variety of occasions and with a wide range of cuisines.
While all wine sales have been impacted by on-premise closures, Prosecco is experiencing a boost; off-premise sales are up 39% YOY for the nine-week period ending May 2 and Wine.com reported a 503 percent increase in sales for Prosecco DOC wines. The U.S. is the world’s third-largest market for Prosecco, behind only Italy and the U.K. By the end of this year, Prosecco is expected to account for over half of all imported sparkling wine volume in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
“Prosecco sales in the U.S. have been steadily growing since 2009 and looking at the data we can confidently say that if these figures keep on this trend, America will become our first export market” commented Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco DOC Consortium. “During these challenging times, the Consortium’s support in this year’s third annual National Prosecco Week is crucial and has prompted us more than ever to promote the Denomination in this key market with a creative approach.”
National Prosecco Week will be partnering with top wine trade media publications, SevenFifty and Wine Enthusiast to drive awareness to each of the participating Prosecco producers, as well as a robust promotional campaign with trade marketing agency 3×3.
“The Prosecco DOC Consortium plays an integral role in protecting the integrity of the appellation and deepening the understanding of Prosecco as a quality wine from a specific terroir,” said Enore Ceola, CEO of Freixenet Mionetto USA. “Now in its third year, it’s exciting to see how National Prosecco Week has grown in popularity among both the trade and consumers through its fun and approachable take on education, and Mionetto is proud to be a participant in this year’s activation.”
Prosecco DOC is now welcoming retailers to participate in this nationwide celebration by hosting promotions that encourage understanding and trial of Prosecco DOC. The following renowned Prosecco producers are participating in this year’s campaign, including Biancavigna, Genagricola, La Marca, Mionetto, Piera Martellozzo, Valdo, Santa Margherita, Val D’Oca, Villa Sandi, Zardetto and Zonin.
Participating retailer promotions can include educational seminars, virtual tastings, package inserts, discounts, and other initiatives. Participating retailers will receive engaging and educational POS materials to ignite consumer interest in the promotion. Additional benefits for retail participants include advertising support with National Prosecco Week’s top media partners, social media marketing, press support, and digital marketing. All partners will be featured on the National Prosecco Week website (www.casaprosecco.com).
National Prosecco Week aims not only to celebrate Prosecco but to serve an important educational purpose, teaching consumers and press how to identify authentic Prosecco and the many different ways to enjoy it.
For more information on National Prosecco Week and how to participate, please contact Julie Canevari (jcanevari@colangelopr.com) or Stefán Sigurðsson (ssigurdsson@colangelopr.com) of Colangelo & Partners (www.colangelopr.com), the agency of record in the U.S. for the Prosecco DOC Consortium. To stay updated for upcoming events and promotions, follow Prosecco DOC on Facebook (@proseccodocusa), Instagram (@proseccodoc_usa), and the Consortium’s official US website, www.casaprosecco.com.
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.
