By Roberto Pavesi, Fermentis Sales Manager for South Europe

Just 15 years ago, Prosecco was almost entirely sold in Italy. Now, it is the world’s best-selling sparkling wine, with 600 million bottles produced in 2020. This phenomenon has evidently to do with a strong wine identity and a rich history, but also to the producers determination that built Prosecco into a billion-dollar brand. Let's see how they worked and what significant challenges they will face in the decade ahead.

Roberto Pavesi

A SIMPLE STYLE BUT A SHARP STRATEGY

The success of Prosecco is global and it has lifted dozens of families from an economic crisis and a lack of outlets for the wine produced. But tensions exist on the exhaustion of the land linked to monoculture, and on the position to be adopted: should Prosecco remain a simple wine or become “the new champagne,” as the English already say?

The history of Prosecco resembles a fairy tale. In the Treviso countryside, we always used to drink Prosecco at the table; it was the wine of workers, and the wine to drink with friends, too. Even today, this wine remains attached to the idea of a simple lifestyle with simple drinking, no hassle. And that's what I like about it; Prosecco has this fine effervescence with flavorful and fruity aromas. You don't need to celebrate an event to open a bottle. With a few euros, you can enjoy a bit of dolce vita.

Producers have completely caught on to the benefits of preserving this spontaneous nature, and of course, of keeping the prices steady. This has not prevented them from innovating and moving much higher up in the range. Now there are vintages, superiors; some Proseccos are even served at the tables of great Chefs and in very Grand Hotels. Some producers would like to make it a very exclusive wine, while others say that it would lose its soul. 

In any case, the success of Prosecco is exemplary. The soil of Venetia is wonderful, and the skies are bounteous. In addition to this, the producers have shown great commercial intelligence. First, they managed to distribute their wine into bars all across the world by making Spritz into a star! And then, in 2018, they managed to have their vineyard listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That's a great card to play! Some leveraged simplicity and going back to the basics, as opposed to over-consumption and expensive wines and champagnes. It's a way to position oneself, but it's also a trend when faced with the environmental crisis, with some winegrowers who are resolutely embarking on organic production.

Here, as in many places, the coronavirus has reshuffled the deck. But the region continued to innovate: with small bottle packs and trendy glittering labels for Christmas, for example. The most significant progress has been the launch of Prosecco Rosé (from Glera and 10 to 15% Pinot noir) last year. This continuous innovation has allowed Prosecco to hold its own during the festive season and the year's results have been quite respectable.

SUCCESS COMES WITH CHALLENGES

With Diego de Filippi, Œnologist – HTS Technical and Quality Manager

Diego de Filippi

There are two very distinct Prosecco markets to consider. The everyday styles, and the more premium, refined styles. Regardless of category, all Prosecco producers need to continually protect their brand, improve their quality and establish their proper style. And on those points, fermentation becomes a very important and valuable asset.

Prosecco requires a very specific production method. What are its major stages or singularities?

Prosecco's grapes come from a special area, where it is still difficult to fully implement the

use of machinery. To produce this sparkling wine, we start with a dry base wine, which is then refermented in an autoclave (the Martinotti method), where a second alcoholic fermentation or prise de mousse takes place. Prosecco is produced in different classifications (Brut, Dry, Extra-Dry) depending on the final residual sugars and on the pressure (frizzante or spumante). This is why a lot of experience and production capacity is needed to stop the refermentation at the perfect moment in the process.

In the battle for the quality, what is decisive?

In recent years, market demand has been pushing producers towards more sustainable wine growing, reducing the use of chemical products such as glyphosate (the use of which is not permitted in the DOCG classification), as well as choosing technologies and products that guarantee greater sustainability for the environment and health. Many more producers are also looking Organic and Vegan wines.

And what has been undertaken by the winegrowers / winemakers on the fermentation side?

In terms of fermentation, safety, consistency, preservation or accentuation of the typical notes of the vine variety are required. Since this wine is now well-known throughout the world, it is important for producers to stand out while still preserving the identity and character that have made this wine unique and exceptional.

Fermentis has conducted trials with HTS to develop a new yeast dedicated to premium sparkling wines, SafŒno™ PR 106. What stands out?

First, SafŒno™ PR 106 shows very good fermentation kinetics. The aromatic profile of this yeast strain, which is very much appreciated by the most expert technicians, is the result of an aromatic production that intensifies the typical characteristics of the variety without modifying it and without introducing discordant notes. Second, SafŒno™ PR 106 shows that it is able to bring to the wine (for both base and second fermentation) a good taste and olfactory elegance, an excellent finish and balanced flavor. It also guarantees high quality on an analytical level, limiting the production of some secondary compounds that can be very problematic in the production of quality Prosecco, such as acetaldehyde, sulphites and hydrogen sulphide.

So this is good news for winegrowers?

Yes! SafŒno™ PR 106 has proved to be an excellent yeast for their Prosecco. Many technicians have recognized its qualities and have given the strain its place among the historical strains used in the winery.

SafŒno™ PR106 is particularly suitable for Premium Prosecco bases. It offers excellent fermentation abilities and exhibits a clean, intensely fruity and floral aromatic profile by producing a high amount of esters and limiting fermentation defects. Its orientation towards fruity ethyl esters brings complexity to wine, while its non-negligible generation of isoamyl acetate can help reduce some vegetal notes sometimes inherent to non-fully ripe grapes. To finish, SafŒno™ PR 106 shows a nice, fresh mouthfeel supported by a pleasant acidity and persistence in the mouth.