Elizabeth & Wine

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    Why should you look for DOCG on Prosecco labels? • Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Prosecco, Italy

    20 March 2023 · 2 min read · by Elizabeth Hawthornthwaite

    Why should you look for DOCG on Prosecco labels? • Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Prosecco, Italy

    Come to Conegliano Valdobbiadene in Prosecco, Italy with me and find out what makes DOCG wine so special.

    Conegliano Valdobbiadene is a tiny area in North East Italy, just 40 minutes from Venice.

    Transcript

    Welcome to Conegliano Val Do Biarrne. I want to tell you everyone about how amazing this region is. What you need to look for on the label is a couple of things. It's Conegliano Val Do Biarrne. Turn around and you've got the d o c g on the back of the label.

    Transcribed automatically from the speech, so a name may be misheard.

    Bottle of Conegliano Prosecco on a marble countertop with flowers behind

    With steep mosaic hills that run west to east and benefit from being south-facing for long days of sunshine. The day-to-night temperatures vary with cooler nights helping the grapes maintain acidity. The heart region of Prosecco is the ideal climate/environment for Glera grapes to grow.

    This is why Conegliano Valdobbiadene is so special and why you should look out for 'DOCG' on the label and either of these names 'Conegliano Valdobbiadene' printed on the label when shopping for Prosecco in the supermarket.

    So, should you buy DOC or DOCG?

    What makes DOCG the go-to choice of the two?

    Here are some of my favourite facts about this beautiful region in Prosecco called Conegliano Valdobbiadene, where DOCG wine is from:

    Transcript

    I keep talking about Commegleanu Val Di Biederme. Let me bring you to the location. It is the heart area of Prosecco. It's tiny. It's literally twenty minute drive from side to side. And we are located in the North East part of Italy. We are half an hour on the train away from Venice. And there you are in Carnegie Arnaval Di Biederme. Beautiful steep steep steep hills going up and down. We're at the foothills of the Dolomites. Here we have this wonderful diurnal range, so your day to night temperatures are different. Eating at night, it's really cold. It means it keeps that freshness in the grapes. We also have this wonderful south facing exposure, so we have gorgeous sunshine all day on the grapes. This is so steep that means that everyone by hand has to go and cut the grass. They can't send a lawnmower through. Therefore, there's an extra six hundred hours of manpower per hectare that goes into making a conigliano prosecco. Everything here is done by hand, pruning, harvesting, making. Then everything is steeped in old traditions dating back to the nineteen thirties. Fantastic wine to buy.

    Transcribed automatically from the speech, so a name may be misheard.

    1. DOCG Prosecco superior is all about tradition and quality winemaking dating back to the 1930s.

    2. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of stunning hills just 40 minutes from Venice.

    3. Conegliano Valdobbiadene is home to the oldest wine school in Europe.

    4. The wine made in this area is managed/monitored by hand. Including the pruning of the vines, harvesting of the grapes, cutting the grass and making the wine. As a result, there is an extra 600 hours of manpower that goes into each hectare.

    5. The grape used to make Prosecco is called Glera but was called 'Prosecco' until 2009.

    6. Rosé Prosecco cannot come from this region.

    7. The south-facing environment and the diurnal range of the area (difference between day and night temperatures) are the perfect conditions to keep the Glera grapes fresh.

    Will you be picking up a bottle of DOCG Prosecco when you’re next in the supermarket?

    Elizabeth x