Before I started writing this blog, I had a love/hate relationship with Prosecco. Actually, it was pretty much a hate-only relationship since most of the Prosecco available in the US had only one main attribute for me: it was cheap. There was not much flavor other than an acrid nuttiness that was not really all that appealing at all (at least to me).

I will freely admit that some of my angst directed at Prosecco was my identity as a Champagne snob—Prosecco is made with the Glera grape (at least 85%) and not by the traditional or champagne method, but by the Charmat or Martinotti method, which as a champagne snob, one is required to see as inferior. (The two methods both start with still wine and then a second fermentation is induced [which creates the effervescence]. In Champagne, this happens in the bottle, whereas it occurs in a large tank in Methodo Martinotti.)

A few years into this blog, though, I had a fantastic lunch in New York City with Silvia Franco of Prosecco producer Nino Franco and she introduced me to Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita or Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin). It turned out that the Prosecco for which I had so much disdain was Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata or Denomination of Controlled Origin), which comes from the valley floor where the fruit is machine-picked and the wines are made on a massive scale.

Silvia stressed that there is a huge difference between the DOC and DOCG wines, the latter coming from the intensely hilly areas around the two Veneto towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (there are actually 15 different communes that can use the designation, but that level of minutiae is for another post). The key point to take away? When looking for a higher quality Prosecco, make sure that it is labeled as a DOCG and not simply DOC.

There are two other designations within the Prosecco Superiore DOCG that are of even higher quality: Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG (which comes from 43 specific villages or vineyards) and Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG (which comes from one specific ridiculously steep hill in Valdobbiadene, which is considered the Grand Cru of Prosecco.

Recently, I was invited to a dinner here in Houston to learn more about the wines from the DOCG and sample a dozen of the wines available in the U.S. The first flight as three were meant as an intro to the DOCG and a discussion of what sets it apart from Prosecco DOC.

NV Perlage Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Canah Brut: Retail $19. 100% Glera. 8 g/l dosage. Quite light in color with wonderful tree fruit, mostly pear with a lovely floral component on the nose. Subtle and shy initially with mostly the acidity coming through. Delicate and fine. Very Good. 89 Points.

Lest you think that such event are sloppy drunk-fests, the pours are tiny and we spit it all back out too.

2023 Ancillotto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut: Retail $22. 100% Glera. 30% skin maceration. 8 g/l dosage. Slightly more color than the first, but still barely any color. Tons of briny seashell on the nose along with a nutty component. Again, lacking in fruit but plenty of acidity with a lengthy finish. Very Good. 88 Points.

2023 Conte Collalto Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Ponte Rosso Extra Brut: Retail $20. 100% Glera. Extra brut (1 g/l). One of the older wineries in the region. Single vineyard. A hint of some color here, trying to get to straw. More of a citrus nose, particularly orange zest and mandarin. Fairly austere on the palate, very dry, with hints of lime and hazelnut. Quite salty. Needs food, but fantastic. Excellent. 90 Points.

The next flight of three wines highlighted the different styles produced in the DOCG. While the vast majority (close to 95%) are produced in the classic Methodo Marinotti style, recently there has been an increase in producers using the sui lieviti (think pet-nat) and methodo classico (the same method used in Champagne) methods where the second fermentation occurs in the bottle (the main difference being that the dead yeast cells are removed or disgorged in the latter while they remain in the bottle with the former).

NV Santa Margherita Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut: Retail $25. 100% Glera. Classic DOCG Prosecco. Light straw with oodles of tree fruit. Tons of red apple. The palate is a bit sweet but has plenty of acidity. Fine, but not the best in this lineup. Very Good. 88 Points.

2022 Spumanti Gemin (Bortolomiol Guglielmo) Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Nature sui lieviti Cuvée Cavalier Alvio Stramare: Retail $39. 90% Glera, 10% Verdiso. 0 g/l. Sui Lieviti (ancestrale). A tad cloudy and quite a fervent sparkle. Really yeasty on the nose with quite a bit of acidity. This wine screams for food and is really tart, loaded with citrus. 3.2pH (which is a relatively low pH, meaning it’s pretty high in acidity). Very nice. Excellent. 91 Points.

2021 Valdo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Numero 10: Retail $32. 100% Glera. Methodo Classico. Extra Brut (1 g/l). Richest color thus far well into straw color. Rich and creamy on the nose with plenty of yeastiness. The palate is also quite rich and creamy. Outstanding. 93 Points.

I will publish more about this incredible tasting next week.