The Prosecco wines of Italy’s Veneto region, home to the country’s greatest concentration of winegrowing areas designated as DOC and DOCG, are charming the socks off consumers in mature markets like the United Kingdom and besting other sparkling imports in growing markets like the US.
Bubbles from the Veneto may be trendy but they’re no “it girl.” Their quality and appeal are definable and they’re not the only wine style that stands to benefit from the collective efforts of the newly-formed (IDVES) or Consortium of Italian Wine and Food of no less than 21 premium producers who have allied to promote the region’s gamut of wine styles.
In a country that produces one quarter of the world’s commercial grape varieties and where the global demand for Brunellos and Barolos often outweighs their supply, the traditional wines of the Veneto have stood the test of time. The ancient method of appassimento which produces both dry Amarone and sweet Recioto wines serves as proof that although popularity may wane, quality never really goes out of style.
As a collective, IDVES represents producers and wines from the Veneto’s 14 main DOC and DOCG regions: Bardolino DOC, Bianco di Custoza DOC, Colli di Conegliano DOC, Colli Euganei DOC, Garda DOC, Prosecco DOC/ Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene DOCG, Lison Pramaggiore DOC, Lugana DOC, Montello e Colli Asolano DOC, Piave DOC, Soave DOC, Valpolicella DOC/Valpolicella DOCG with the added bonus of two IGTs, Colli Trevigiani IGT and IGT Veneto.
IDVES makes its official US debut in San Francisco as a participant in The Best Tasting Wines of Italy, a walk-around tasting and wine-paired lunch for members of the trade, on August 10 at One Market’s Wine & Wall and as a Grand sponsor of the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference (#WBC16). Now in its 9th year, the annual conference is being held in Lodi, Calif., August 11th through 14th and anticipates 250 attendees who will convene to taste, study and network while immersed in Lodi’s rich winegrowing history and wine culture celebrated by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as “Region of the Year” in 2015.
The IDVES-sponsored Wine Discovery Session “From Prosecco to Amarone The varied and delicious wines of Italy’s Veneto” is being presented by local wine industry trade writer and educator Deborah Parker Wong, DWSET (hey, that’s me!) on Friday, August 12, at 1:45 PM. The session includes an introduction to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT) and a guided tasting of six wines with an emphasis on the quality hierarchy of Prosecco:
- Paladin Prosecco Millesimato Bosco del Merlo
- Progetti Divini Prosecco DOC Brut
- Masottina Rive di Ogliano Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
- Cavalchina Custoza DOC
- Barollo Chardonnay barrique DOC Piave
- Villa Mattielli Valpolicella Ripasso
During the session, attendees will have the opportunity to win a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 certification valued at $650 from Discover Wine and Spirits Academy through a social media competition. IDVES wines will also be poured during lunch on Friday and at “Wines of the World” from 5:45 to 7:00 PM on Saturday, August 13th.
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