IT’S TIME FOR FRANCE TOAST

Toasting to the new year and take stock of the world of bubbles in Italy - where the winemaking heritage for the different sparkling wines is ever wider with Prosecco which continues to be the best-selling and loved sparkling wine in the world - and in France, in Champagne in particular, with wines particularly appreciated by our wine lovers especially in vintage versions, in special cuvées, in

Their success is unstoppable, neither wars, fashions, pandemics, nor crises seem to create a dent. The consumption of sparkling wines is growing at full throttle, both in Italy and internationally. The great phenomenon of the last decade is certainly the worldwide exploit of Prosecco. Its success began twenty years ago with the progressive appreciation of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, which led to the creation of a Prosecco System. The historic one has become Superiore and Docg. But there are two regions that contribute to the territory of the Prosecco Doc: Veneto - obviously - and nearby Friuli. In the province of Trieste, as a matter of fact, the town of Prosecco has put the flag on both denominations - effectively blocking the possibility of imitation in other areas of Italy and the globe, and dusting off the ancient name glera for its protagonist grape.

PROSECCO: DOCG, RIVE AND DOC

From Anchorage to Cape Town, from London to Moscow, Prosecco is now synonymous with sparkling wine, with all due respect to purists, experts and gourmands who quibble about sparkling winemaking methods, grapes, rests on the lees and emblazoned cuvées. With over 700 million bottles sold between Superiore Docg (100 million) and Doc, and with the projected target of 1 billion bottles in the short span of a few harvests, there is little to argue beyond sterile sophisms. Prosecco is loved and has conquered the world because it is simply delicious to drink, at any time, with and without food pairings, alone or mixed in cocktails, it has a low alcohol content, it is fruity and floral, it comes in a range of styles and sugar dosages ranging from the driest "Extra Brut" to the sweetest "Dry." Educated and demanding palates, willing to spend a few more euros (there are a few) turn to Prosecco Superiore, to the Rive (a sort of premier cru) and the grand cru par excellence, the precious Cartizze which is born in just 108 hectares on a hill kissed by the sun and by luck. Prosecco Doc also has - in addition to an excellent quality level when compared with other tank-aged productions from other areas of the world - great accessibility in terms of cost. In short, since the creation of the Docg-Doc system in 2009, the way of seeing and consuming sparkling wine around the world has definitely changed. And fortunately, this global success has not been to the detriment of the Classic Method sparkling wine, whether Italian or French… On the contrary, it has acted as an actual driving force.

Metodo Classico Grows Too

In Italy and in the world, the production and consumption of the Classic Method has also grown and the world of Champagne is experiencing a golden era. Simply, Prosecco has seasonally adjusted and made the consumption of sparkling wines everyday – at the table and not – widening the audience of consumers who, once "initiated" to the joy of bubbles, have also turned to other territories and other styles. So also in Italy the historical denominations of the classic method, namely Oltrepò, Trento and Franciacorta, to which the Piemonte Alta Langa has recently been added, enjoy excellent health and set production records every year; fortunately also in terms of quality..

The Native Spumanti

Furthermore, the success of these areas has prompted many other realities, where there was a sparkling wine tradi- tion or where it is now being born, to try their hand at the thousand possibilities offered by our native grapes, from Erbaluce to Ribolla, from Gaglioppo to Carricante and Nerello, in order to experiment with refermentation, whether it is with the Italian method invented by Martinotti (in the tank) or rather of the second fermentation in the bottle i.e. Classic Method. As for the French, nothing can scratch the reputation of Champagne, whether of the classic maisons, or of the more "natural" and fashionista récoltant.

Climate Issues And Styles

These are exceptional products that arise from centuries-old tradition and from a savoir-faire fueled by in-depth and constant research that has had to face the crucial issue of global warming, something which has radically changed the cards on the table compared to the scene thirty years ago. And in this we Italians, who found ourselves facing the problem – for reasons of latitude – well before others, are perhaps further ahead in managing these problems. Extra Brut is now the norm for us, or almost. Vineyards at high altitudes, zero or "minimal" malolactic fermentation of the base wines, increased yields in the vineyard and targeted soil management, upkeep of foliage and shading of the bunches are crucial issues together with deep attention to the pressing phase, which is increasingly soft. Thus, with a growing hotter and drier climate, we have managed not to lose along the way the fundamental quality of the basis of every sparkling wine, whether classic or Italian: freshness given by acidity. And we are able to offer fresh, savoury and naturally soft-tasting products without resorting to excessive dosage and reserve wines, as was the tradition, especially beyond the Alps. Now the French, for once, are watching us carefully and taking notes.

THE GREAT (SUCCESSFUL) BET OF THE LAST FEW YEARS OF MADE IN ITALY WINE

Italian bubbles have been the great bet won in recent years, as well as the type that has continued to drive the market, bringing Italian wine above 7 billion euros in exports in 2021 (of which, almost 2.1 billion euros due to bubbles) and – pending confirmation – over 8 billion in 2022.

This corresponds to a growth in production: in 2020 there were 750 million bottles, in 2022 it exceeded one billion. And for 2023 the forecasts speak of 1.25 billion (UIV Observatory on Qualivita-Ismea data). On the consumption front, if 2021 was an extraordinary year for sparkling wines, despite the restrictions still in place, 2022 counted on the return to full capacity of the "away from home" and, therefore, of the HoReCa channel. The last holiday season has demonstrated this, to the point that there has also been some difficulty in satisfying the demand, in regards to the most sought-after types (especially Champagne and Italian classic methods). Golden moment, therefore, for Italian dry Charmats, beyond Prosecco. Rosé bubbles are well positioned, accounting for 10% of the Italian bottled wine of the type, with Prosecco taking the lion's share.

To be honest, during the year, some setbacks were recorded on foreign markets, but fortunately the value still holds, even if it will still be necessary to push on the average price. Last positive note; 61% of Italian sparkling wines are branded Doc and 22% Docg, as noted by the Uiv Wine Observatory, demonstrating the long work carried out on the quality pyramid.

Prosecco Doc

28,000 hectares

360 sparkling wine wineries

80% export

627,5 million bottles

- 472 million spumante

- 71,5 million rosé

- 84 million frizzante

Prosecco Docg

8.700 hectares

192 sparkling wine wineries

442 vinificatori

3400 wine producing families

100 million bottles export 40%

Asolo Docg

2,000 hectares

460 partners (40 bottlers)

21 million bottles nel 2021

70% export

Asti Docg

4,000 wineries

9.900 hectares

60 million bottles Asti

Spumante

42 mln bottles Moscato d'Asti

90% export

Franciacorta

121 partners

3,000 hectares

20 million bottles

11% export

Trentodoc

64 sparkling wine wineries

1150 hectares

12 million bottles

15% export

Oltrepò Pavese

158 partners

13,000 hectares

75 million bottles

- 500,000 metodo classico