THE INS & OUTS OF PROSECCO
The Ins & Outs of Prosecco
FOR MANY, SOPHISTICATED CELEBRATIONS ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH A GLASS OF BUBBLY: THE POP OF THE CORK, THE CRACKLING FIZZ AS IT’S POURED INTO THE GLASS, THE LOW HISSING OF MILLIONS OF BURSTING BUBBLES AND THE ELEGANT CLINK OF THE FLUTES . . . SPARKLING WINE OFFERS A SENSORY EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER, AND ITS EFFERVESCENT QUALITIES HAVE LONG MADE IT THE DRINK OF CHOICE FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
These days, though, sparkling wine is increasingly enjoyed as an everyday luxury. A recent report from International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR) revealed that globally, sparkling wine sales are forecast to grow by 8.6 % during the next three years. This translates to 240.4 million nine litre cases by 2020. While champagne sales are only set to grow by 1 %, Prosecco sales are leading this growth and are forecast to increase by over 36 % over the next five years. By 2020, Prosecco will own 9.2 % share of the global sparkling wine market. Markets that are driving this growth are Italy and the UK, with sales in the US also expected to double.
South Africans are quickly picking up on Prosecco, considered a sophisticated and feminine drink, and sales are up by 24 %.With so many excellent local MCCs being produced, why is Prosecco becoming the most popular choice when it comes to sparkling wine?
CHOICE
South Africans are now able to select from a range of not only local, but also imported sparkling wines. Says Rowan Leibbrandt, founder of Truman & Orange, the drinks company that has recently launched Mionetto Prosecco in South Africa: “South African drinkers are becoming increasingly discerning – they want to know that they are enjoying a premium, authentic, exceptionally-made product. Mionetto is the world’s best-selling Prosecco brand. It’s been produced since 1887 by a family-owned business in North Italy. Its quality and authenticity are unquestionable.”
ACCESSIBILITY
Like Italians, the rest of the world – including South Africans – are buying into the idea that bubbly should be an everyday luxury, and Mionetto’s R200 a bottle price tag answers the call for a premium, exceptionally made sparkling wine fit for any occasion – as an after work aperitif, for weekend celebrations, summer brunches, sundowners on the beach, or sipping while browsing at First Thursdays.
ORIGINS GIVE CHARACTER
Globally, drinkers are becoming increasingly educated about provenance. In other words, understanding the influence of the character of a region on the product produced. While Champagne is produced in France, Prosecco’s provenance is equally interesting. It is made in Northern Italy in an area called
the Prosecco DOC, which is protected by the Italian Alps, creating the perfect environment to grow the fruity, floral, lively grapes used for Prosecco.
PRODUCTION METHOD
Both Champagne and Prosecco are sparkling wines made from specific grape varietals, however the French “méthode champenoise” requires that it’s fermented in the bottle for a minimum of 15 months while the “Italian charmant” method used to produce Prosecco involves fermenting in steel tanks.They are equally authentic methods with equally interesting results.
FLAVOURS
Prosecco is crisper, slightly sweeter and more delicate than Champagne, in part as a result of the production process. Prosecco’s lighter and subtler flavours also make it more accessible than Champagne. Available in three variants, Mionetto Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut is an aromatic wine with notes of honey, black liquorice and acacia blossom, while the Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry is a smooth, crisp wine that replaces the liquorice notes of the Brut with an apricot fragrance. Both retail at R199 per bottle, while the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry boasts aromas and flavours of green apple, acacia blossom and full-flowering wisteria, and retails for R250 per bottle.
Mionetto Prosecco is available in select outlets such as Norman Goodfellows in Illovo, Johannesburg, The Grand in Cape Town, Old Town Italy in Menlyn, Pretoria, and Umhlanga Rocks, KZN. For more information, visit www.trumanandorange.com.
While Champagne is produced in France, Prosecco’s provenance is equally interesting. It is made in Northern Italy in an area called the Prosecco DOC, which is protected by the Italian Alps, creating the perfect environment to grow the fruity, floral, lively grapes used for Prosecco.