The medal-winners from the Prosecco Masters 2022

If one considers that Prosecco has increased in production volumes by tenfold in the past 15 years, from around 60 million bottles to more than 600m today, its remarkable how the fizz has reached such a scale while retaining its appealing combination of clean, aromatic peach and pear flavours, with a touch of sweetness, offset by a zesty edge.As for the issue of diversity, there seems to be a broadening of Prosecco styles, with successful results among the differing profiles. In terms of sugar levels, Prosecco does seem to best suit an ‘extra dry’ sweetness (12g-17g/l), with around 13g-15g/l being optimal to fill out the mid-palate without tasting saccharine. However, there appears to be a rising number of Brut and even Extra Brut Proseccos coming on to the market, offering a slightly sharper drinking experience, but, due to the use of fine, ripe fruit, a taste that isn’t too hard.

Not only do these provide an appealing alternative for those preferring a drink without a hint of sweetness, but also, a lower-calorie apéritif – should that be desirable.

As for the sweeter end of the scale, misleadingly dubbed ‘dry’ (17g-32g/l), it was notable how fine Prosecco can carry high levels of sugar and still taste fresh. This was seen with Cartizze expressions, with both Mionetto and Bisol1542 remaining bright in style, despite having more than 20g/l sugar in these rare and top-end sparkling wines from a prized hill in the heart of the Valdobbiadene DOCG.

Then there was further variation with source area, with, in particular, the Proseccos from all the DOCGs proving especially fine. Among these, it was the samples from the smaller area of Asolo that stood out for their powerful aromatics and ripe yellow fruit flavours, compensating for the fact that these wines tend to be a bit drier than their equivalents from Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.

Finally, we had a raft of rosés, as we assessed the quality of producers now making pink Prosecco, since the authorisation to do so in the DOC came in late 2020. These proved to be a delicious addition to the category, with the cherry fruit from the Pinot Noir red wine used to give these Proseccos their colour – usually a pale salmon pink – adding a complementary characteristic to the base wines made with the Glera grape.

And while these rosatos had plenty of ripe berry flavours, these weren’t too sweet, ensuring they were pretty, fruity, and refreshing. Fiol and Della Vite proved particularly fine examples, making a pleasing end to the UK’s largest professional tasting of Prosecco.

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Prosecco Masters provides a chance for your wines to star.

The 2022 competition was judged on 26 April at 28-50 Chelsea, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding in their field received the ultimate accolade – the title of Prosecco Master. This report features the medal winners only.

Please visit The Global Masters website for more information, or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com