Pink Prosecco is the new Rosé you need in your life
Hold the phone…….how did rosé Prosecco not exist until 2021!?! I know. It sounds crazy, right? But it’s true! For years, Italian wine law did not allow any grapes other than Glera and other minor white indigenous Italian grapes to be used in making Prosecco. But this all changed in 2020 when a law passed to allow Pinot Noir to also be used in Prosecco Production.
So why is this such a big deal? Well wine industry experts expect that this change will shift about 1/16 of the Prosecco producers to make rosé Prosecco. This doesn’t sound like much until you realize that 1/16 equates to over 30 million bottles of wine each year. That’s a lot of wine that you’re going to start to see on the shelves of your local wine store!
This also gives Prosecco the ability to compete on the world stage with many other sparkling wine regions around the world who make both white and rosé styles.
I discussed rosé Prosecco in The Wine CEO Podcast Episode #61, but I’ve listen some quick facts below as well so you can get a glimpse into this amazing new wine that has just entered the wine world!
The law requires that no more than 15% of the Prosecco blend be pinot noir. Winemakers can blend less than 15% for a lighter rosè color and flavor if they prefer, but they cannot exceed that amount.
Prosecco Rosè have to be labelled as “millesimato”. In Italian, this refers to the vintage or date on the bottle. So typically, you wouldn’t see a harvest year on a bottle of Prosecco because the wine could be from more than one year (in the wine industry this is called a non-vintage wine). Typically wines without vintages are wines that have juice from multiple harvest years blended into the final cuvee (or blend). But Rosè Prosecco is required to have a vintage date. So under law, at least 85% of the grapes used to make the wine must come from a single year’s harvest. This opens the winemakers up to challenges in years with bad weather. But many are predicting that this could also make it easier for Prosecco makers to get more money for good years.
Rosé Prosecco is required by law to be aged two times longer than regular Prosecco. White Prosecco has to be aged for 30 days, but Rosé Prosecco has to be aged for at least 60 days. This could be a requirement to help get more flavor out of the Pinot Noir, or it may just be a new law to try and increase the quality and reputation of Prosecco overall.
Food Pairings:
Because of the unique blend of glera and pinot noir, Rosé Proseccos will commonly have flavors of fresh berries (like raspberry or strawberry) and light flowers. These flavors along with the crisp and refreshing bubbles make a perfect pairing with light desserts. Think anything with berries, white and milk chocolate. It also makes the wine a surprising, but delicious pairing with sushi! It’s light enough to go really nicely with a lot of seafood, salads, and chicken but still has enough flavor to pair with some heavier foods like pizza. In fact one of my favorite pizza and wine pairings is rose with pesto pizza and Rosé Prosecco is an incredible match!
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode for more details on this unique and exciting new wine! Have you tried Pink Prosecco yet? Leave me a comment below to share your thoughts or send me an email Sarah@thewineceo.com