A wine that has become a symbol of the territory, like few others in Italy. Of the production of millions of bottles labelled Prosecco, however, only a small part derives from this territory. The rest comes from even hundreds of kilometres away.

Prosecco Docg: a hallmark of distinction

Italy is a country with a great tradition for wine-making. Our production zone, historically renowned for its suitability, is at the peak of the quality pyramid. It is acknowledged with a hallmark which reflects its prestige: DOCG, abbreviation for “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita”. Since 2009 Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco has been DOCG, therefore of great distinction. Or, to put it another way, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco is a symbol of excellence and DOCG.

According to the technical handbook produced by “Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo”, and dedicated to the Glera, there are 40,000 or so hectares of Glera cultivation, (the grape for producing Prosecco), mostly situated in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Just a little over 8000 hectares are DOCG, which includes Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Around 25,000 hectares are DOC, while the rest are IGT (“Indicazione Geografica Tipica”).

Reading this data, one can already understand a fundamental correlation: the more suitable a production area is, the more restricted it is and the finer are its wines. There is also another consequence, less evident but nonetheless essential: the finer the wine the better it expresses the characteristics of its territory.

The label: how to recognise Prosecco Superiore DOCG

Before tasting the wine you should check its origins: the generic name “Prosecco”, as we have already seen, is not enough. So what are the signs you have to look out for, to be sure of making the right purchase?

The first thing to check is the government seal, which, for DOCG, always has gold edges. It is found on the neck of the bottle providing the identification number of the single product with the logo of the consortium “Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG”. The initials DOCG indicate the denomination of the wine: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore.

The second thing is the label itself, the wine’s “identity card”. Learning how to read it will avoid nasty surprises. Here is an actual example of one of our wines, which has detailed and comprehensive information on the label: “Rive di San Michele”.

The label on the front of the bottle immediately indicates the origins of “Rive di San Michele”. This is not a detail of secondary importance. It tells you immediately that what you are holding in your hand is not a “cuvée”, rather it is a blend of wines from vines from various zones, however always of Glera cultivated within the DOCG area, as is usually the case. “RIVE” indicates a particularly well-suited subzone, (in French, “cru”), from where a wine is produced with grapes only from that specific vineyard. In short, an “excellence in excellence”! This is followed by the denomination “Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG” and the name of the producer SOMMARIVA.

On the label on the back of the bottle you will find the year of the grape harvest (vintage), (obligatory for “cru” wines); the product type, (in this case, Extra Dry), which defines the residual sugar; the alcohol content (11.5% vol.); the capacity of the bottle (e.g. 0.75l) and the trading name of the winery that bottled it.

Understanding what it means to be part of DOCG and finding the confirmation of authenticity on the label are the starting points to getting closer to Conegliano Valdobbiadene.
The more you are able to recognise the territory of Prosecco DOCG, its characteristic aromas, the way it develops in the mouth, the more you will appreciate its value, uniqueness and unmistakable fragrance. And you will see there is no other Prosecco which comes close!

Would you like a taste straight away? Then go to our shop!