Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene is resulting in something of a sparkling revolution—and top collectors are taking note. Apparently top sommeliers are rethinking this Italian staple, writes Christie’s International Real Estate in its online magazine luxurydefined.
Advanced sommelier Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou, the wine director and co-owner of Michelin-recognized Allora restaurant in Sacramento, California, has some straightforward advice for anyone who loves bubbly: “Let whatever you think you know about Prosecco disappear.”
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2019, the Veneto wine region is often described as one of Italy’s most beautiful areas. Its location between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea makes it an excellent spot for creating high-quality sparkling wine.
Instead, she advises leaning into the offerings from Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene. These sparkling wines from a small, vertiginous slice of the larger Prosecco appellation in Northeast Italy are transforming the perception of the drink with their high-quality, endlessly complex bottlings.
luxurydefined states: “The timing couldn’t be better. According to NielsenIQ, consumers today have a nearly insatiable appetite for sparkling wines. The category has been the fastest-growing wine segment among American drinkers, growing by more than 13 percent in 2021, even as traditional wine consumption has decreased.”
Heroic harvest: The vertiginous landscape of the region means that vines are planted both parallel and vertically to the craggy hills—ruling out the help of machinery and ensuring that the Prosecco vineyards are completely tended to by hand.
“This is a quality wine region—producing some of the most important sparkling wines today,” Mandalou says. “Not only are the views incredible, but the wines are everything you want in a Prosecco: high acid, fresh, floral, and incredibly clean.”
Read more about this fascinating development of a class of its own in the sparkling wine sector.
