Prosecco is one of the most famous Italian semi-sparkling and sparkling wines. The name refers to an area in the Provinces of Padua, Treviso, Vicenza and Venice in the Veneto and in the Region of Friuli, in which the grapes are grown for Prosecco D.O.C. The highest-quality zone is that of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, where Maschio Dei Cavalieri's Prosecco Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G. is produced. This wine is made entirely from the Glera grape variety and in the sparkling version it always boasts the distinction “Superiore”. The beauty of an area that is rich in forests and vineyards, its cultural and historical heritage and the heroic farming required to cultivate some terraced vineyards on the steepest slopes have justified the local producers’ request for the Prosecco D.O.C.G. region to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The roots of Maschio dei Cavalieri’s passion for wine are as old as the vines on this regions hills. As one of the top 10 wine producers in the world, the Maschio dei Cavalieri offering is born through careful grape selection and unique vilification process. When the wines are opened, they show a fresh, light and lively style, typical of Prosecco. These features are strongly aligned to the type of drinking that is associated with Prosecco: conviviality, the aperitif and the cocktail known as the “spritz”.
The harvest period lasts from August to October and its timing depends on many factors; generally speaking, it is identified with the period in which the grapes have reached the desired degree of ripening, i.e. when the relationship between the percentage of sugar and the acids in the berry have reached the optimum value for the type of wine to be produced. The grapes from which the wines are made are picked in a natural way and pressed in the briefest time possible.
The Cantine Maschio winery is a cathedral of stainless steel technology capable of storing and processing 143,000 hectoliters of must, ensuring the quality of the innovative processes used for making their Prosecco and other sparkling wines. It is with great anticipation that Cantine Maschio awaits the musts from selected vineyards, as it is at that moment that the production process for Prosecco and the other sparkling wines begins, entirely focused on respect for the original fruit.
An iron-clad rule applies in the winery to work with musts and not with wines, ensuring the freshness and fragrance of the grape juice is maintained. The modern pneumatic presses ensure gentle extraction of the must from the grapes: only the must from the very first pressing is collected, the so-called “free-run juice”. This is immediately refrigerated to avoid spontaneous fermentation and left to settle to obtain and use a product that is already naturally clear.
Maschio’s semi-sparkling and sparkling wines are not produced with classic double fermentation, the alcohol and carbon dioxide are in fact “imprisoned” in the wine in the course of a single fermentation in order to keep the wines’ fruity characteristics intact.
The bottling of Prosecco and sparkling wine is a particularly delicate process. Special so-called “isobaric” filling machines allow the bottles to be filled without the wine coming into contact with the air, and in a perfectly sterile environment. In this way the wine preserves in bottle all the characteristics of freshness and fragrance that have been carefully preserved up to this point and during bottling.
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Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco SuperioreStyle: Extra Dry Production area: This sparkling wine comes from the slopes of the D.O.C.G. area in the Province of Treviso – the prestigious, historic area for Prosecco wine. Grape variety: 100% Glera Tasting Notes Appearance: straw yellow, with greenish reflections Food Pairing: Excellent as an aperitif, it is ideal with fish and seafood dishes, as well as fresh fruit Alc% 11 Serving Temperature: 6-8°C
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Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Rive di ColbertaldoStyle: Brut Production area: The “Rive” are the best areas in the Valdobbiadene Prosecco D.O.C.G. zone. In particular, Rive di Colbertaldo, a hamlet in the commune of Vidor, has the vineyards with the oldest vines, lying on the slopes on the left bank of the Piave, protected by the Alps and well exposed to sunlight. Grape variety: 100% Glera Tasting Notes Appearance: bright straw yellow, with a creamy mousse Food Pairing: Excellent as an aperitif, also ideal to drink throughout a meal Alc% 11.5 Serving Temperature: 6-8°C
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