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ITALY
– NEW APPELLATION –
The Bacio della Luna winery sustainably farms vineyards in the heart of the
Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG area
Restricting Prosecco rosé to women, young people or
special occasions would be counterproductive, as the
wine has already demonstrated consistent consumption
all year round by a varied target market, and is linked to
glamorous, social occasions.
The Pinot noir produces a fruity profile which emphasises
body and elegant aromas. Its 100% Veneto provenance
and fermentation for a minimum of 60 days mean that it
has more structure than its white alter ego.
The public has responded well to the new version of
Prosecco and sales have grown simultaneously with those
of DOC Prosecco. Slow fermentation has produced a
more complex, complete wine, and the company believes
there is still room for it to distinguish itself from white
Prosecco and certainly has greater versatility in terms of
food pairing.
Its key markets are mainly the UK, USA and Italy, but Russia,
Eastern Europe and Scandinavia are also growing well.
Evocative images of harvesting in the vineyards of one of the members of the
Cantina Cooperativa Montelliana
MONTELLIANA WINERY
Cantina Montelliana dei Colli Asolani, founded in 1957,
is a co-operative of winegrowers located in Montebelluna
(Treviso). It has about 400 members and a total vineyard
area of approximately 690 hectares, with low yields per
hectare, which are synonymous with quality. The debut of
Prosecco rosé has been very successful for the winery, and
its launch was met with great excitement from the market.
At Cantina Montelliana too, the feeling is that the rosé
version does not have a specific target market, as the
different styles offer different flavour experiences. The real
difference is in the distribution channels and the off-trade
is the primary source of success. Super/hypermarkets are
focusing a lot more on Prosecco rosé than the on-trade.
The choice of Pinot noir stems mainly from the fact that
the variety was already authorised by Prosecco regulations
in the blend for DOC Prosecco, but few people know
this. This certainly sped up the emergence of Prosecco
rosé. Some would have preferred Raboso or other native
varieties, but for others Pinot noir is a winning choice.
Points of view aside, Pinot noir, in addition to its elegant
colour, lends Prosecco rosé unique aromas and flavours.
Internationally, Prosecco rosé is particularly popular, while
in Italy there is still some scepticism. In the first year of
rosé sales, despite initial fears, ‘white’ Prosecco continued
to grow and Prosecco rosé joined Prosecco sales at around
108 WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE