Prosecco DOC rosé was officially launched at an event last night as the region plans to fill 20 million bottles in its first year of production.

20 million bottles of pink Prosecco will be produced this year

Already, 12.2 million bottles of Prosecco DOC Rosé have been bottled by 84 wineries, according to the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC, with that figure expected to rise to 20m by the end of the year – with 16m of these destined for export.

While 20m bottles is far from insignificant, it represents just 4% of current total Prosecco production in the region.

The official launch of the wines was held in Treviso last night at the Mario Del Monaco Theatre at a virtual event for media from across the world.

Chairman of the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC Stefano Zanette said: “Of the 486 million bottles produced, about 80% of them are exported, and, thanks to European recognition, it is estimated that sales will find greater stimulus and vigour in the last quarter of 2020.”

Continuing, he said, “I congratulate those producers who have shown themselves to be very ready to seize this opportunity, committing themselves right away so as not to be caught unprepared.”

The UK is the largest market in the world for Prosecco DOC, importing nearly a third of all the Prosecco DOC shipped worldwide, representing 122 million bottles in 2019.

After several years of development and consultation led by the Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC among the 11,460 winegrowers, 1,192 wineries, and 347 sparkling wine houses that run the system behind this Italian denomination of origin, the Italian government approved production of the Prosecco DOC Rosé wines in August this year, and the new sparkling wines were approved by the European Union at the end of October.

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CATEGORY ANALYSIS: A ROSÉ FUTURE FOR PROSECCO

About Prosecco DOC Rosé

• The wines must be made with a min. of 85 percent Glera grapes and 10-15 percent Pinot Nero.
• Yields: 18 tons/hectare for Glera and 13.5 tons/hectare for Pinot Nero.
• Second fermentation – Martinotti/Charmat Method: minimum of 60 days; therefore, only
• The sparkling version is permitted. Still and Frizzante versions of the Rosé won’t be allowed.
• The wines will be classified as brut nature, extra brut, brut and extra dry, no sweet version of the Rosé will be allowed.
• The colour must be a “brilliant, more or less intense, rose hue”.
• ‘Millesimato’ must be stated on the label along with the vintage (minimum of 85% of the grapes from the vintage year).
• Wineries will be allowed to sell their wines on January 1 of the year following the harvest.
• It is estimated that rosé will account for around 10% of Prosecco DOC volume production in 2020.