Prosecco takes centre stage as the star of a new Italian thriller

A once underrated form of cheap fizz, Prosecco has risen through the ranks over the past decade to take pride of place not only as a piece of national Italian heritage.

And now, the sparkler has even graced the silver screen this year as the focus of a new independent thriller set deep in the hills of Northern Italy.

The film, profoundly titled As Long as There is Prosecco, There is Hope (Finché c’è Prosecco c’è speranza) follows Inspector Stucky (played by Giuseppe Battiston), who is called upon to investigate an unusual suicide case: that of prominent winemaker Count Desiderio Ancillotto.

Inexperienced and in new territory, Stucky trudges through the villages’ unresolved issues, before realising the key to solving the mystery lies in understanding the culture of the Prosecco Hills themselves.

The film, which was released at the end of October 2017, was presented recently at the Rome Film Festival, where it captivated audiences through the expression of the magic and charm of this unique region of Italy.

As Long as There is Prosecco offers a comprehensive view of Northern Italy’s winemaking regions, being shot in a number of key wine-producing towns and villages including Treviso, Venice, Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.

On its launch, director Antonio Padovan spoke of his determination to reveal the “small archipelago of gentle quilted reliefs of vineyards.” His aim was to “point the magnifying glass on a geographic area rarely explored by Italian cinema.”

“It is an investigation filled with reflections on the future we want. An ode to going slowly, savouring life. The portrait of a tangled space between progress and tradition.”

To get a glimpse into this quintessentially Italian piece of cinema, you can watch the trailer below:

Europe has seen a Prosecco renaissance in the last 10 years, with Italy’s government working tirelessly to protect the national drink’s reputation internationally through the acquisition of Geographic Indicators.

Brits consumed more than one third of the world’s Processo last year, and now supermarkets like Sainsbury’s expect hundreds of thousands of bottles to fly off shelves in a matter of days as Christmas looms.

But in Italy, the sparkler has always taken pride of place at Christmas, according to fizz importer Follador. Rather than the Champagne favoured at many tables in Europe on Christmas day, many Italian regions opt to hold their principal meal on Christmas eve, where a bottle of Prosecco is the centrepiece.

To celebrate the holiday season, Follador is donating 30 eurocents for every bottle of Superiore D.O.C.G. Brut and Extra Dry Millesimato sold in its stores to the Vialli and Mauro Foundation.