While I enjoy it now, I’ll admit that I haven’t always loved Prosecco. I attribute it to the flood of uninspiring versions that flooded the market. But there is no doubt that Prosecco is a hot category and when something is hot, plenty of people want to get in on the action. So instead of trying to separate the crap from the good stuff, I just avoided it altogether. But I still remember my journey back from the anti-Prosecco dark side. I still remember the bottle that gave me pause and made me start believing in it again. It was the Nino Franco Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore. I was like “who knew?!” That bottle was literally a game changer and really made me hone in on Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco (“CV”) and what it really meant.
What is Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco
Broadly speaking, Prosecco Superiore is a higher quality category of Prosecco. These wines enjoy DOCG status as opposed to the regular DOC status. That little “G” in DOCG, rather than the standard DOC Prosecco, can seriously make a big difference for what’s in the bottle. There are 2 Prosecco DOCGs, with the largest and more famous being Conegliano Valdobbiadene, which is also a UNESCO site. The other Prosecco DOCG is Asolo, which produces about a fifth of what CV does. I haven’t had much occasion to try Asolo, so don’t have much intel to report on these wines.
The CV name is attributed to the fact that the production for these wines is exclusively located between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, which are located at the foothills of the Dolomites in northeast Italy. The region is made up of 15 communes, and is the source of some of Italy’s most prized Prosecco. The vines are grown on sunny hillsides at altitudes up to 500 meters and is known for varied and unique microclimates. The photos of those hills are seriously awe-inspiring and have definitely added this amazing region to my bucket list.
Within CV, there is Cartizze, a “grand cru” vineyard that is practically hallowed ground and reportedly the most expensive vineyard land in all of Italy! This sub-zone is located on the steepest hills in the Valdobbiadene commune and consists of a mere 107 hectares. I still remember my first experiences with Cartizze and having my mind blown! You may also encounter the term “Rive” which just means that the wine is produced from a single vineyard in a specific sub-zone, that gives the wines some unique characteristics.
Prosecco DOCG vs Prosecco DOC
So if both DOC and DOCG wines are made primarily with the Glera grape from the same region, how are they different? What’s the big deal? Well for starters, the grapes for CV wines are grown exclusively on hillsides at higher elevations. In contrast, for DOC wines, the fruit can be sourced from anywhere in the region, including the flat, lower-elevation areas. The hilly terrain means additional influence and exposure from the Dolomites and the Adriatic Sea, with contribute to the wine’s acidity, minerality, and aromatic intensity.
Additionally, the grapes for CV wines are subject to more rigorous farming standards, including lower yields and hand-harvesting. Those steep hills make it necessary to do everything by hand. Big picture, all of this means greater quality and wines with purer and more refined flavors, more intense fruit flavors, and greater complexity. And yeah, I know that the Prosecco boom was created on the back of some of those uninspiring DOC wines and I know many folks just want to drink and don’t care to tell the difference. But if you taste the wines side by side, I’ll bet there’s a good chance that you can pick up some quality differences.
The good news is that this increased quality only adds a few bucks to the bottle. While you may be able to get that DOC Prosecco for around $10-12 a bottle, $16-20 could net you some petty tasty Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG. And like DOC wines, Prosecco DOCG wines can range from drier Extra Bur and Brut to sweeter Extra Dry and Dry styles. It’s all there.
The Versatility of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco
One of the things I’ve recently come to realize is the versatility that Prosecco offers up. Prosecco DOCG is primarily made using the Charmat (or tank) method, which emphasizes the fresh and fruity character of the Glera grape. But there are producers out there experimenting with other production methods including the Traditional Method (aka Champagne method) and Col Fondo, a technique where the second fermentation occurs in the bottle, resulting in a cloudy, rustic sparkling wine. Add to that producers that are farming organically and biodynamically as well as doing things like lees aging, and it’s clear that Prosecco is no one trick pony.
I recently had the privilege of spending an entire day with the folks from the CV consortium. The morning consisted of a Prosecco DOCG master class followed by lunch and a walk-around tasting with producers.
I circled back for an amazing dinner at Ostia restaurant that featured even more delicious CV wines. We enjoyed organic, biodynamic, lees-aged, Cartizze, Rive, Brut Nature, and even traditional method Prosecco! It was great to really see the heights to which Prosecco DOCG could reach.
In addition to the different styles, another thing that really struck me during lunch as well as during our multi-course dinner was the pairing versatility of these wines. Olives, chips, gnocchi, pasta, pizza, vegetables, chicken, fish, and even beef – there were no misses. I honestly would never have paired CV with many of these dishes.
If you haven’t already, I do hope you give Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco a whirl.
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