Prosecco DOC at ICCI Melbourne launch event
Prosecco DOC is a much loved Italian pleasure, with a dedicated corner at the recent ICCI launch event for 2022 held at the Port Melbourne Yacht Club. This was a fabulous evening celebrating the True Italian Taste, of which Prosecco DOC was a key component.
I was able to enjoy some magnificent Italian food at this epic event, which of course was paired perfectly with Prosecco DOC. As we know there are more than 20 different Italian cantinas all certified DOC. Prosecco DOC is one of the Principal Corporate Partners of ICCI Melbourne, and apart from Prosecco DOC available on the night, we were thrilled to be given some Prosecco DOC to take home in our "goodies bag".
Not everyone knows the story of Prosecco DOC or about the diversity of the wineries. Not all Prosecco DOC is the same! The vines that produce Prosecco DOC are found exclusively in one of the most spectacular parts of Italy in the north-east, in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, between the Dolomites and the Adriatic Sea. The particular interaction between the climate, the soil and the winemaking tradition gives rise to Prosecco DOC, a unique wine. And that same interaction between climate, soil and winemaking also produced differences between the wineries. To be honest I've been consuming more Prosecco DOC myself in recent years, and appreciating the nuances of this fine Italian drink, including the cloudy col fondo.
Since the mid-thirteenth century the place name 'Prosech' or 'Prosecum', but also the more modern 'Proseco', referred to a small town, bordering to the south-east with the Bishopric of Trieste and to the north with the territory of Duino. Still today Prosecco is a small town in the Province of Trieste, in the extreme north-east of the Italian peninsula. As for the production of wine in that place, the first mentions of the place date back to this period and they come from a deed for the rental of four vineyards.
It is therefore certain that certain vineyards were located on the sunny slopes running down from Prosecco towards the sea, sheltered from the cold winds of the Bora, where there was a marl-sandstone terrain, in ancient times covered by the sea, conducive to the production of very particular grapes. Such a great heritage, story and tradition.
The first half of September is the best period for maintaining the organoleptic characteristic (e.g. sugars, acids and aromatic markers) of the grapes, which have reached maturity and are perfect for producing quality Prosecco.
Melbourne and indeed Australia has been getting on board with the rise of Prosecco DOC, a refreshing and appealing sparkling beverage often with floral attributes and dry characteristics that are popular with the Australian palate.