Giusti launches Extra Brut Prosecco

Giusti launched an extra brut Prosecco at VinItaly this week, taking advantage of the fact that its source region, Asolo, is the only appellation in Prosecco that permits this drier style of fizz.

Following a change in the laws by the consorzio for the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG in 2014, the smallest region of Prosecco became the first and only area to allow producers to label their wines as Extra Brut.

The new fizz from Giusti comes with just 3g/l of residual sugar, half the quantity allowed for any wine labelled Extra Brut, which covers a range of 0-6g/l, and five times lower than the average Prosecco, which tends to be bottled with around 15g/l, and labelled as Extra Dry.

When asked by db on Monday at Vinitaly why the drier style of Prosecco had been produced, founder of the business, Jo Guisti said that it was both to make use of the change in labelling laws, but also because he saw a market opportunity.

“We have noticed a tendancy for the Prosecco drinker to go away from sweeter styles, and because we are in the Montello area, we produce a much better Brut and Extra Brut than anywhere else in Prosecco,” he said.

Acknowledging that Prosecco’s other DOCG, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, makes a “great Extra Dry” – 12-17g/l – he said that Asolo produced grapes that more naturally lend themselves to drier styles of the fizz, because the region, which encompasses both the Asolo and Montello hills, yields a richer and more mineral style of wine, according to Giusti.

He also recorded that more of his customers were asking for a drier style of Prosecco, particularly in the UK, where he said there was a rising demand for Brut, Extra Brut and zero dosage sparkling wines.

The laws in Prosecco DOC and DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene don’t prevent producers from making a sparkling wine with a lower residual content than Brut (12g/l or lower), but they can’t put it on the label.

This means, for example, a brand such as Ruggeri, who are based in Valdobbiadene, do make an Extra Brut, and label it as such, but the packaging doesn’t feature the word Prosecco or its source DOCG on the label.

Prosecco encompasses three regions, in order of size:

Prosecco DOC
9 provinces in 2 regions of Italy – Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia
Area under vine: 24,450ha
Max yield: 18,000kg/ha
Production (2018): 464m bottles

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
15 communes in the province of Treviso
Area under vine: 7,800ha
Max yield: 13,500kg/ha
Production (2018): 90m bottles

Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG
19 communes in the province of Treviso
Area under vine: 1,800ha
Max yield: 13,500kg/ha
Production (2018): 12m bottles