The Italian government has finally approved the production of a rosé Prosecco and it is expected to hit our shelves as early as January 2021.
The Prosecco DOC Rosé has been in the pipeline for some time and has now been approved by Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
The arrival of rosé Prosecco – which can be made from the Glera and Pinot Noir grapes – comes at a good time for the Prosecco DOC Consortium as sales of Prosecco have dipped in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic twinned with a cap on production in 2020 at 15 tonnes/ha for Prosecco DOC and 12 tonnes/ha for Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
‘We’re thankful to all those who’ve contributed to gaining such a key result,’ said Stefano Zanette, president of the Prosecco DOC Consortium, ‘considering the current circumstances, this is particularly important ‘ – as translated by Jacopo Mazzeo, Imbibe.
In order to label Prosecco DOC as rosé, producers will have to follow specific rules. Glera and Pinot Noir are the only permitted grape varieties with 10-15% Pinot Noir allowed, maximum yields are 18 tonnes/ha for Glera and 13.5 tonnes/ha for Pinot Noir, and the fizz can only be produced in two styles, Brut Nature and Extra Dry.
The wine must be made using the Martinotti/Charmat method and spend a minimum of 60 days undergoing secondary fermentation in a pressurised tank. It can be released from the 1st January following the harvest and must be a vintage wine with the ‘Millesimato’ stated on the label. A minimum of 85% of the fruit must come from the stated vintage.
According to the Consortium’s estimates, the total production of rosé could reach 30 million bottles per year.
