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Our History
Story of Prosecco.
Fragrant, light and floral. These are the adjectives that best describe Prosecco. Thanks to its authentic nature, this is a wine that has been able to reinvent itself from a regional table wine to a status symbol for toasting and celebrations, in Italy and beyond. It is consistently the best-selling Italian wine in the world and in 2014, sales of Prosecco surpassed even that of the famed “bubbly”, Champagne. A recent success that conceals a much more complex and fascinating history.
How Prosecco is Made
The vineyards cultivated in Glera are harvested in September when the grapes have reached the right degree of ripeness. This particular grape is very delicate because it has very thin skin, so careful monitoring of the winemaking process from the moment it enters the cellar is crucial.
Once collected, it is pressed to extract the must. The must is then filtered and clarified, and the initial alcoholic fermentation is activated thanks to the introduction of yeast.
The wine sits for several weeks as part of the aging process; after oenologists have tasted the wine to evaluate the vintage and determine the coupage, we move on to the sparkling phase, that is, to the secondary fermentation that will produce the “prise de mousse” and allow for the formation of the perlage.
For Prosecco Superiore DOCG, the sparkling wine is commonly made using the Martinotti-Charmat method, which involves the addition of yeast directly in the stainless-steel tanks.
This is a very delicate process, with the attention and care of Valdobbiadene’s oenologists being at the forefront. The success of this process can only be achieved by checking the temperature, pressure and organoleptic properties of the wine on a daily basis.
With perseverance and experience it is time to bottle an excellent wine that is ready to be distributed all over the world.
In recent years Prosecco has been enjoying the undisputed favour of the international public; this is thanks to a skilled enhancement of the product, and therefore of its qualities, the terroir, and without a doubt, also thanks to the entrepreneurial skills of sparkling wine producers such as Valdo.
Suffice to say that for several years it has been the best-selling Italian wine in the world and its growth and appreciation do not seem to be slowing down.
Types of Prosecco
There are also still and sparkling variants of Prosecco but the DOCG area specialises in the sparkling version, the one with the most persistent perlage, which now represents 97% of all production and makes it the area with the highest concentration of sparkling wines in Italy.
There are four fundamental variants of Prosecco Superiore DOCG and the criterion for differentiating them is the sugar content of the wine. They range from Extra Brut to Demi-Sec through Brut, Dry and Extra Dry. As the sugar content varies, the ideal pairings also vary.
For example, Brut and Extra Dry go very well with savoury dishes, while Dry and especially Demi-Sec are more suitable for desserts and as a digestif.
Prosecco Pairings
Knowing the amount of residual sugar is essential when properly pairing Prosecco. Versions with the lowest residual sugar, namely Brut and Extra Brut, are fresh and floral, therefore perfect for appetizers, especially fish-, shellfish- or seafood-based.
The Extra Dry version, which is slightly sweeter, remains the perfect accompaniment for aperitifs but can be easily paired with white meat dishes, cold cuts and light or vegetable-based first courses.
The sweet notes become more distinct in the Dry version which is perfect for cheeses and can be paired with dry pastries. Demi-Sec, on the other hand, is the sweeter version and therefore tends to be the only one suitable for pairing with desserts and fruit salads.
One factor that has contributed to the success of Prosecco for festive occasions is without a doubt its versatility when paired with other drinks.
