This month, the first month of summer, I am hosting the Italian Food Wine Travel bloggers as they explore Prosecco DOCG. The Prosecco DOC was recognized in 1969, making this year the 50th anniversary; and the Prosecco DOCG region was recognized in 2009, making this year its 10th anniversary. So, tanti auguri to both! It's summer and I love lifting my glass with Italian bubbles.
Prosecco Superiore
Several bloggers in the group are receiving samples from the Consorzio of Prosecco Superiore DOCG* with a mix of wines from different producers. 'Prosecco Superiore' which is the official name of all Prosecco wines that are produced in the DOCG region; it is the highest quality Proseccos made, showcasing the Glera grape at its finest. You can read more about the Consorzio's campaign to bring awareness to the United States here. And visit the Consorzio's website for more information about Prosecco DOCG.
Grazie mille to Liz of What's in That Bottle? for sourcing the samples from the Consorzio. She wanted to share these two important points...
- Prosecco DOCG is the highest level of quality of all Proseccos. In order to be classified as DOCG, a Prosecco must be produced with Glera grapes from vineyards in a very specific area, covering 15 communes, smack in the center of the entire, larger Prosecco region.
- The Prosecco region is currently under consideration by UNESCO to be named a World Heritage Site. A decision is expected in early July, so stay tuned!
I needed to do quite a bit of reading before this event as I - blush, blush - conflated the two and didn't understand the difference myself. Yikes!
There are two classification labels, DOC and DOCG, And, if you understand the difference, you'll know what to look for this month...and moving forward.
There are two classification labels, DOC and DOCG, And, if you understand the difference, you'll know what to look for this month...and moving forward.
DOC is the acronym for Denominazione di Origine Controllata while DOCG means Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. The latter is more stringent and on what we are focused this month with #ItalianFWT. Where DOC production covers nine areas including four provinces of Friuli Venezia Giulia and five in the Veneto, the production area of DOCG is restricted to the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area, a hilly area in northeastern Italy approximately 30 miles from Venice. DOCG guidelines also require that government licensed representatives must taste the prosecco before it is bottled.
The Grape: Glera
In the past, the grape used to make Prosecco was called both 'Prosecco' and 'Glera'. It's a thin-skinned green grape has been grown in the Veneto
and Friuli regions of northern Italy for hundreds of years. Some say it's native of Slovenia.
In any case, its bent toward higher acidity makes Glera well-suited for sparkling wine. It boasts a lovely perfume of melon, summer stone fruits, and light florals.
I'm excited to see what this group discovers with this month's exploration of the Prosecco DOCG. Join me and jump into the Prosecco Superiore pool!
In any case, its bent toward higher acidity makes Glera well-suited for sparkling wine. It boasts a lovely perfume of melon, summer stone fruits, and light florals.
I'm excited to see what this group discovers with this month's exploration of the Prosecco DOCG. Join me and jump into the Prosecco Superiore pool!
How to Participate
Not Only Wines
Though Italian wines - specifically Prosecco DOCG - will be a focus, if you would like to write about travel or food in and around where Prosecco is made, have at it. I always welcome a virtual trip to my favorite country!
Details for Participation
Are you ready to jump in and participate in the Auguri, Prosecco DOCG #ItalianFWT event? Here are the details…
Send an email to tell me you're in: Include your blog url, Twitter handle, link to your Pinterest profile, and any other social media detail. If you know your blog post title now, include that...but you can send me that a bit closer to the event, I'd like to get a sense of who's participating and give some shoutouts and links as we go. The email is constantmotioncamilla[at]gmail[dot]com.
Send your post title to me by Monday, July 1st, to be included in the preview post. I will do a preview post shortly after getting the titles, linking to your blogs. When your post goes live, the published title should include "#ItalianFWT" but it doesn't need to be included for the title list.
Publish your post anytime Friday, July 5th and 6:00am (Pacific time) on Saturday, July 6th. You can always schedule your post in advance if you will be tied up around then.
Include a link to the other #ItalianFWT participants in your post, and a description of what the event is about. I'll provide the html code you can easily put in your initial post--which will link to people's general blog url--then updated code for the permanent links to everyone's #ItalianFWT posts.
Get social! After the posts go live, please visit your fellow bloggers posts' to comment and share.
Sponsored posts OK if clearly disclosed. Please be sure to disclose if your post is sponsored or if you are describing wine or other products for which you have received a free sample.
Live #ItalianFWT Twitter Chat July 6, 8:00 am (Pacific time): Participating bloggers and others interested in the subject will connect via a live Twitter chat. It's a nice bring way to bring in others interested in the subject who didn't get a chance to share a blog post. You can definitely still join the blog event if you're not available for the live chat.
Find the Consorzio
Thanks for hosting Cam, I can already feel the bubbles tickling my nose.
ReplyDeleteA nice overview, and discussion of DOC versus DOCG. Gearing up for a fun way to kick off #ItalianFWT summer!
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