With 660 million bottles produced, Prosecco is the driving force of the wine industry both in Italy and abroad. Hence, the decision of Prosecco producers to move toward low-alcohol versions is big news. The effort focuses on Prosecco DOC, the main Prosecco label. The studies that are currently underway will help to define the optimal viticultural and winemaking procedures for producing experimental sparkling wines. However, the voyage will be lengthy, particularly if the goal is to market a low-alcohol variant with qualitative properties identical to the primary product. The goal is to produce a Prosecco DOC with 8.5% alcohol and lower sugar content. The purpose of low-alcohol Prosecco is the same as it was with rosé: to reach new customers and markets while augmenting, rather than replacing, traditional ones. Producers believe that Prosecco DOC can continue to grow in the United States precisely thanks to its unique identity, which has never been that of a “cheaper Champagne”—a route taken by others with disastrous results.
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