Prosecco is one of the Veneto’s greatest exports
The name Prosecco was first used by British traveller Fynes Moryson when describing some of Italy’s most famous wines. In addition, we know that this wine has long been produced in the Veneto region, especially in Treviso, Venice, Vicenza, Padua and Belluno—it was in these places, in fact, that the winemaking technique (the process of transformation of the Prosecco wine grape) was employed for the first time.
Until 2009, the name Prosecco was also tied to the type of white grape used to produce wine, before this grape was given a new name, Glera. This act of renaming was a direct result of action taken by local producers who wanted to preserve the historic importance of the drink and its place in local culture. As a result, two production sites now have a Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin (DOCG), both in the Veneto region.
These accreditations are common when dealing with food in general, but they are particularly important when it comes to wine. Through them, the consumer discovers the origin of the drink and can attest to its quality. Each country has local legislation that addresses this issue, but it is important to highlight the provenance and other aspects of geography and local production. For example, some of the details cited are the minimum alcohol content and the yield of the grape harvest.
In the case of Prosecco, the sparkling wine must show an 85% Glera grape content and the drink should be primarily white in appearance. Suffice to say, any red wine claiming to be Prosecco is not a genuine Prosecco. Not only that, Prosecco can come in three variants of fizz: spumante, frizzante and tranquilo. This does not tend to alter the taste, which is dry.
The Veneto region is also where you can find the “Prosecco Road”, one of the finest wine routes in the country.
