Prosecco rosé has made its debut in the UK, with supermarket Aldi selling bottles of the new DOC sparkling online for for £6.49 as of yesterday (2 November).
Fans around the world, from the US to Asia, are set to get the chance to try Prosecco DOC rosé wines in the coming months.
The new category was officially approved by European Union officials last week, meaning wines can now be exported.
Italy’s government had already given its blessing to the new sparkling wines back in May. DOC rules say Prosecco rosé may include between 10 and 15% Pinot Noir alongside Prosecco’s signature Glera grape.
Around 20m bottles of Prosecco DOC rosé wines were made from the 2019 vintage, but between 40m and 50m bottles were being produced in the 2020 vintage, said regional wine council, the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC.
Rules state that wines must undergo secondary fermentation for at least 60 days before they can be released. The 2020 vintage wines were set to be released from January 2021, the Consorzio said.
‘I congratulate those producers who were ready to seize this opportunity, planning early so as not to be caught unprepared,’ said Consorzio president Stefano Zanette.
Luca Giavi, director of the Consorzio, thanked regional, national and EU political bodies for approving Prosecco DOC rosé and said the new wine category was a ‘great opportunity’.
Prosecco wineries in northern Italy rely strongly on exports. ‘Of the 486 million bottles of Prosecco DOC that are produced annually, approximately 80% are exported,’ said Zanette.
Italian sparkling wine firm Gancia announced the launch of its Prosecco rosé last week, which it described as ‘a huge moment’. The firm said, ‘Gancia is proud and excited to be one of the first producers to bring Prosecco Rosé to consumers across the world.’
