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Prosecco is a hugely popular Italian sparkling wine. The very best Prosecco wines benefit from the protected geographic designation label of DOC.
Up to now, there’s been no official Prosecco DOC Rosé. The good food news is that these long awaited wines are now available in the UK and USA. Here’s what you need to know about this delicious rosé wine.
Pink Prosecco DOC Rosé
The full name for this vintage is Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2019. Available in grocery stores, supermarkets and bars and restaurants, this brand new pink fizz is the perfect way to toast Summer.
Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2019
Following several years of development, The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies’ National Wine Committee gave the green light to production of Prosecco DOC Rosé wines in August 2020. These new Italian sparkling wines were then approved by the European Union in October 2020.
The process of consultation with 11,460 winegrowers, 347 sparkling wine houses and 1,192 wineries was led by the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC and the Italian government. The Prosecco DOC Consortium, as it’s known in English, established strict regulations for these rosé wines under Italian law.
Production of Rosé Prosecco
Traditionally, Prosecco has been DOC or DOCG white wine produced in nine provinces in the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions of Italy. In this region of North Italy, the climate, soil and wine traditions are particularly favorable to sparkling wine production.
Since 2009, Prosecco wine benefits from a DOC status within the EU. All bottles bearing the Prosecco DOC label must be produced in one of the 9 authorized provinces of Veneto near Verona and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Prosecco production must respect certain winemaking and labelling rules.
Although rosé has been produced for several years in the region, up to now it could not officially be called Prosecco. For the first time, winemakers will be allowed to bottle DOC Rosé Prosecco, if they respect the following new regulations:
- The wine must contain a majority of white Glera grapes (minimum of 85 percent) and 10 to 15 percent red Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) grapes.
- “Millesimato” should be printed on the bottle label, together with the vintage. The wine must include a minimum of 85% of the grapes from the vintage year.
- These DOC Prosecco Rosé wines will be classed as brut nature, brut, extra brut or extra dry. Sweet versions of the Rosé are not authorized. Still and Frizzante versions are also not permitted.
- The color should be a brilliant rose hue and the wine should have a lingering, effervescent taste.
- The second fermentation must follow the Charmat-Martinotti Method, where fermentation takes place in closed, pressurized tanks for a minimum of 60 days. This differs from Champagne production where fermentation happens in the bottle itself.
- Wineries may sell their wines on January 1 of the year that follows the harvest.
- The maximum yields are 18 tons per hectare for Glera grapes and 13.5 tons per hectare for Pinot Nero.
Prosecco DOC Rosé Characteristics
The first characteristic that you notice about Prosecco DOC Rosé is the intense rose hue and persistent foam. While some pink wines can look slightly inspid, there’s nothing bland about this new category of Prosecco.
On the nose, Prosecco DOC Rosé wines have notes of red berries, roses and cherry blossom. There’s a good balance between acidity and sweetness, making this wine easy to drink.
The pink version of Prosecco works well as an aperitif, with charcuterie, cheeses or with dinner recipes such as chicken schnitzel and fish dishes. This sparkling rosé wine will be an ideal accompaniment for Summer barbecues and later in the year, to celebrate the festive season.
DOC Rosé Prosecco Producers
According to Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco Consortium, 486 million bottles of traditional Prosecco DOC made from white wine are produced annually. Of these, around 80% are exported.
Some local winemakers are specialized in Prosecco Superiore DOCG and won’t be switching to making Prosecco DOC Rosé. This distinct appellation is made on the hills between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in Treviso, Northern Italy.
The first producers of bottles of Prosecco DOC Rosé will be hoping to replicate this success. Last year, 84 wineries and cooperatives bottled 12.2 million bottles of Prosecco Doc Rosé.
Next year, between 40 to 50 million bottles will be produced. We tried three different winemakers of the first bottles, all of which retail at under $20.
- The main export markets for Prosecco DOC Rosé are the USA (Prosecco’s largest market overseas), UK, Canada, Scandinavia, France and East Asia.
Cabert Prosecco Rose Extra Dry ($12.99/£9.50)
The winery of CABERT-Cantina di Bertiolo was founded in 1960 and is spread over 300 hectares. It belongs to 60 growers who are also the company shareholders.
They’ve successfully combined traditional winemaking methods with the latest technology. The vineyards are cultivated in a sustainable way, to minimize any environmental impact.
This rosé has a delicate rose color and a fresh taste of ripe fruit, with floral notes. At 11% volume, it’s light and very drinkable.
Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC Rose Brut Millesimato 2019
This Prosecco Rosé comes in a stylish bottle, emblazoned with the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC logo. The pale pink color, fine bubbles and balanced taste make this a very popular choice.
Antonio Facchin Prosecco Rose Millesimato Brut ($26/£19)
The Facchin family have a real passion for winemaking. Each grape is harvested by hand.
Grown in the province of San Polo di Piave in Treviso, this fragrant wine has very fine perlage and a delicate pink colour. The intense bouquet has accents of green apple, raspberry, currant and white flowers. The taste is full-bodied, harmonious and has a good acidic balance.
It’s worth checking with your local wine shops or grocers whether they have any Prosecco DOC Rosé wine in stock. Liquorama have a 12 bottle case of Pasqua Romeo & Juliet Prosecco Rose DOC 2019 with free shipping. Italian rosé Prosecco is an affordable, easy drinking wine that makes every occasion feel like a celebration.
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