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The numbers are crazy! 970 million bottles of Italian sparkling wine were produced in 2022. Logically, the lion’s share of 630 million goes to Prosecco. Namely to three DOC regions: Prosecco, Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Asolo. That is why the Veneto region is by far the largest producer of DOP, or bottle-certified, wine. Manufacturers reached a sales price of 3 billion euros in 2022.
Prosecco is also a sparkling number unrivaled in Switzerland. 19 million bottles were introduced to the market in 2022. This is 61 percent of all show wine imports. This is the first time that more bottled sparkling wine than white wine has been imported into the Swiss Confederation. Ten years ago, only 11 million bottles were imported.
Prosecco is produced in pressurized tanks
Still have questions? Of course, the most important question is: Is it possible to produce the best wines considering these terrible figures? The answer is clear: yes! Because Prosecco is different from Champagne etc. Prosecco Champagne etc. Does not want to compete with. Prosecco is made differently. Without bottle fermentation with yeast deposits. But in Italy with the Charmat method, called Methodo Martinotti. The second fermentation of the base wine (plus sugar and yeast) takes place not in the bottle, but in large pressurized tanks. Italian Martinotti first put forward this idea at the end of the 19th century. The Frenchman Charmat is considered the father of pressure vessels (1907), therefore he went down in wine history as the true inventor of sparkling wine production. The advantages are obvious: the Charmat method is much more cost-effective and takes up less space than the traditional method.
The results are wines with much less yeast and brioche notes than Champagne and all sparkling wines made in the traditional way, such as Champagne, Crémant, Franciacorta, Trentodoc, Cava or South African Cap Classiques.
The Prosecco region is on the UNESCO World Heritage List
Okay, enough theory. Let’s start practicing and travel to the Prosecco region: a charming, wild region whose gentle hills are partly reminiscent of Piedmont. But Glera grapes (formerly called Prosecco) are grown completely differently than Nebbiolo and Co. There are no vineyards that have been precisely pruned and trained by Guyot. This is all free flow. He’s almost grown up. Fascinating! That’s why it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
At the top of the quality pyramid is the DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore region. 15 municipalities located in the hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene are allowed to bear this mark of origin. And at the top: sparkling wines from 43 subregions The Rive and Cartizze, the true Grand Cru of Conegliano Valdobbiadene. Real single vineyard wines from the Prosecco region! The hills may be gently rolling, but Cartizze in particular has steep inclines that would leave even the winemakers of Lake Geneva, Valais or the Moselle winded.
Villa Sandi: The world’s largest Prosecco producer
Cartizze is the Grand Cru location of Prosecco Superiore. One of the largest shares in the Cartizze region belongs to Villa Sandi, the business of the Moretti Polegato family. Does your name mean anything to you? The reason for this may be Geox, because Mario, the older of the two Moretti Polegato brothers, founded the world-famous shoe company in 2000. However, he is also a trained oenologist but has been dragged into the world of fashion. Giancarlo keeps the winemaking spirit alive with Villa Sandi. The villa is a magnificent, almost kitsch building dating from 1622. A total of 33 million bottles are produced here every year. Madness! However, the majority comes from the major distributor brand La Gioiosa. But they have it all with incredible quality. See below. 5-6 million bottles are released under the Villa Sandi label.
During wars, the cellars were used as military facilities.
The family’s winemaking history begins not with Prosecco, but with Opere, a sparkling wine made using the classical method. Only then did the father of the three Moretti brothers buy the Gioiosa company and began producing Prosecco. The brothers later purchased Villa Sandi, along with its underground cellars dating from 1700, which were used as a military facility during the world wars. “Today we need it primarily as a storage cellar,” adds Diva Moretti Polegato, Giancarlo’s daughter and the company’s brand ambassador. Especially for opera, of course, but not only. The best Prosecco wines are also found here. And that’s not the end of the story. The family purchased the Borgo Conventi estate in the Collio Friulano region and with this they completed their portfolio by adding still wines.
Critics of Gambero Rosso are not snobs
La Gioiosa makes the customer, who is more conscious about price, happy. The philosophy of the wines of the Villa Sandi brand is different. Diva: «We believe in the superior quality of Prosecco! For example, we cool our grapes immediately after harvest. This is expensive but necessary for the quality we want. And since we do this for all wines, we think this is the key to our high. Villa Sandi aims to be a quality iconic brand. “We are also the only winery with land in all three Prosecco regions, so we can definitely be considered a reference.”
Gambero Rosso also believes in the quality of Prosecco. In this edition, six wines took the coveted three glasses. This includes Cartizze Brut La Rivetta, which receives this award every year. “We, Gambero Rosso, are nothing but snobs,” says Marco Sabellico, one of the guide’s editors. «We love Prosecco! This could be a great wine. With tremendous freshness and plenty of fruit. Villa Sandi exemplifies these strengths.”
Villa Sandi competes in Champagne Snow Polo
And it’s not just Gambero Rosso that believes in quality. Also Snow Polo St. Moritz. An event that is considered to have a touch of distinction and is more likely to be placed in the champagne niche. OK, Perrier-Jouët is one of the main sponsors and there is a certain logic to this. However, Villa Sandi is also the official supplier and exhibitor. So people probably drink as much Prosecco as they do champagne at Snow Polo. And this is in a beautiful special bottle of Snow Polo from Villa Sandi.
Merotto: The Glera Whisperers
Can Graziano Merotto be described as the perfect Glera whisperer? In any case, there is no one in the Prosecco area who would disagree with the assessment that the man literally felt the country and its forces. For 50 years (!) Graziano has been doing nothing but developing Prosecco to its highest potential. While we are guests at the Merottos’ farm on this extremely hot Tuesday in July, Graziano passionately explains how the Martinotti process works, the difficulties of dealing with the Glera grape, and which pope has visited him. And then his voice breaks more than once while eating. Suddenly a few tears flow.
Boss Graziano wants everything under his control
His wife, Rossella, said later: “Nothing dramatic. You know, Graziano always gets very worried when so many things come together in the production process. He doesn’t think about anything else, he starts thinking and then there’s a tear.” We hadn’t noticed anything about this on our previous visit because Graziano was too engrossed in telling the story. But when he dropped him off at lunch, everything fell apart. The size of the business is chosen so that the owner can keep everything under his personal control Even if it is easy, it definitely does not want to expand, its foamers are in such high demand.
600,000 bottles means small business here
What Graziano achieved on Col San Martino more than fifty years ago deserves the highest recognition! His (small) winery has become an absolute showcase of the huge region. Especially when it comes to quality. However, when it comes to quantity, Merotto cannot play in harmony with the greats. “We only produce 600,000 bottles,” says Graziano. This is a very small figure for a region that produces two-thirds of a billion bottles…” But that’s exactly why we’re with it. Because the quality is amazing.
Riserva del Fondatore takes Tre Bicchieri every year
Merotto presses grapes from 33 hectares of vineyards. Some of it is rented out. And Glera gets her grape under control – and how! “You have to be very careful,” he explains, “because the grapes are growing like crazy! We’re constantly cutting back.” The region works accordingly. Common. Wild. “I notice it again every time we come back from Piedmont or Tuscany.”
Graziano’s belief: Every wine should be different from the other. Everyone should have their own identity. “And not just in terms of sugar content, but also in terms of flavor perception.” One of these wines with its own DNA is the Cuvée del Fondatore Graziano Merotto Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut Millesimato, 33,000 of which are bottled every year. Gambero Rosso is a three-glass wine. He also gets the maximum number of glasses in the 24th edition. Merottos Cartizze also plays in the same league. The small, steep site of just 107 hectares shared by 158 owners is also incredibly fascinating for Graziano. Prices per square meter are the highest in all of Italy. Even the best parts of Bolgheri or Barolo can’t keep up. “You will have to pay 250 to 300 euros per square meter. But there’s nothing to buy…”
Merotto wines do this. And it’s been in a new building for four years. It’s called “Merotto Space” and it’s totally stylish. Store, offices, tasting room. Everything is brand new and still feels like home. Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Blanc are also sold here, as Merottos also produces two still wines. If so, then already.
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
