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Retail EDUCATION 8 Beverage Dynamics • September/October 2015 www.beveragedynamics.com (law of nature) which is certifi ed organic and was balanced and lively. It's available from DVM Importing Company. All of these DOCG Proseccos were closed with corks (crown caps and twist- offs may appear in the DOC appella- tion) and open with the requisite pop. The pressure categories are similar to those in Champagne. High- est pressure is 'spumante,' followed by a slightly lower pressure 'frizzante.' There is an even softer category called 'tranquillo,' which has no pressure and no bubbles. Nino Franco produces a single vineyard example, from Terlato Wines Interna- tional - a Brut made from 100% Glera grapes. It is so unique that the IGT ex- aminers couldn't say it was 'typical,' and refused the designation! Speaking of the Glera grape, the minimum amount is 85%. Other variet- ies may be Verdiso, Bianchetta, Perera, Glera Lunga, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. Glera is actually the ancient name of the Prosecco grape. As was ex- plained to me by Pierluigi Bolla, President of Valdo, from Pasternak Wine Import- ers, the name 'Prosecco' was starting to appear in places like Romania, Croatia, Brazil and China. In order to protect the name, the region was named 'Prosecco,' thus forbidding its use by others. Once that happened, the informing grape needed a new name, and that new name was its old name – Glera. BD HAR RIET LEMBECK, CWE*, CSS** is a prominent wine and spirits educator. She is president of the Wine & Spirits Program, and revised and updated the textbook Grossman's Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits. She was the Director of the Wine Department for The New School Uni- versity for 18 years. (*Certifi ed Wine Educator, **Certifi ed Specialist of Spirits). She can be reached at hlembeck@ mindspring.com. A PRIMER ON PROSECCO AT A RECENT GALLERY OPENING, I was offered a glass of Prosecco. A stroll to the bar showed that they were pouring Cava! Is Prosecco (the lovely, frothy bubbly wine) turning into a generic? The reality is that since 2009, there has been a progression of steady changes and classifi cations in this wine from NE Italy, starting with the creation of a classic area, where the existing DOC wines became DOCGs, and the balance of the areas remained DOCs. These newly-classifi ed wines didn't arrive at the US market until 2011, so you are not too far behind. There are now 3 Prosecco appellations: 2 DOCGs in the better areas, the center of the northern hills ('Colli Asolani,' very small, and mostly red wines, and 'Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore,' another small zone) 1 DOC 'Prosecco DOC,' in the province of Treviso At least 90% of Prosecco comes from the larger DOC area, which contains 556 mu- nicipalities. While most of Prosecco is produced in the plains, there is a lot of overlap. Many wineries produce both designations, crossing regional boundaries. You already know about the 107 ha (hectare) DOCG vineyard 'Cartizze', considered a 'Grand Cru,' in the western part of Valdobiaddene. Its ancient soils are a combination of moraines, sandstone and clay, said to give fl oral notes to the wines. Villa Sandi 'la Rivetta' Brut, imported by Folio Fine Wine Partners, is an elegant example. The next category you should know about is 'Rive,' which in local dialect means 'steep sites.' These sites are in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone, and are just under Cartizze in the scheme of special sites. The grapes must be hand-harvested (impossible to do otherwise in those hilly villages), production is limited and the wines are vin- tage-dated. All Rives are 'Superiore.' At a recent tasting conducted by Alan Tardi, The US Ambassador of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG (a new position created by the Consorzio), I tasted three different Rives of increasing sweetness, showcasing different styles. Adami's 'Col Credas' Brut, from Dalla Terra Imports, was the driestand had a very fi ne bead. Masotti- na's Extra Dry, from Vin Divino, coming from an area where the temperatures are above average, was off-dry and had jasmine notes. The Rive with the most sweetness, labeled 'Dry' (these designations follow the terminology used in Champagne) was Védova (the widow) from Orvino Imports. The terroir gives it a touch of salinity. Some exceptions worth noting are Sorelle Bronca's single vineyard, Particella (parcel) 68, from Polaner Selections, which is technically not a Rive, since it is not vintage-dated. Emphasis, instead, is on the site. This had a good mousse, and was very fruity. Another exception, not technically a Rive, produced by Bortolomiol is 'Ius Naturae' Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG 107 hectares Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Rive 43 "Rive" Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore 15 municipalities Colli Aschlani DOCG Prosecco Superiore 17 municipalities Prosecco DOC Treviso 95 municipalities Prosecco DOC 556 municipalities GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE DOCG. BY HARRIET LEMBECK MORE COMING SOON Beverage Dynamics will provide in-depth sparkling wine coverage in the Nov/Dec issue.