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Pink Prosecco Is The Brand New Drink Heading To The UK, And It's Earlier Than We Expected

From Delish

Back in May a piece of good Prosecco-related info was released and went almost unnoticed amongst the bigger (and obviously more important) news bulletins at the time.

At long last, Pink Prosecco will finally exist.

But why is this so exciting for Prosecco fans?

After a lengthy battle between the government, and producers in Italy, the green light was eventually given to allow Prosecco producers to create a pink-hued version.

It’s been in the pipeline since at 2018, but with many believing it would never truly be a Prosecco, the Prosecco DOC Consortium announced that it has updated rules for production, and pink Prosecco plans were unanimously approved by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies’ National Wine Committee.

Yes, you may have had sparkling rosé in the past, but it hasn’t technically been Prosecco rosé. So, this is all very exciting.

Photo credit: NightAndDayImages
Photo credit: NightAndDayImages

This move is particularly important as Prosecco sales were dipping due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the restrictions in production, so it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with the tradition and regulations around Prosecco production in Italy, let us fill you in.

Prosecco is an Italian DOC or DOCG sparkling white wine produced in specific regions in Italy (Veneto and Friuli Venzia Giulia), and named after the town of Prosecco near Trieste.

Unlike Champagne, where it’s actually illegal to call your fizz Champagne unless it’s from that specific region, Prosecco is a little less protected. Prosecco mustbe made using a minimum of 85% Glera grapes, however this means that countries where the Glera grape is grown such as Australia, Argentina and Romania, can technically also produce a Prosecco.

However, EU regulations do prevent producers selling Prosecco unless it’s from Italy, and if you’re wanting to find a good-quality Prosecco look for a DOC or DOCG labelled bottle which means the strictest standards have been met in production.

Photo credit: Peter Adams - Getty Images
Photo credit: Peter Adams - Getty Images

So where exactly does pink come in?

Well, Pink Prosecco must be still be produced from a majority of white Glera grapes, but it will also include 10-15% of the red Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir) variety of grapes to achieve its colour, which will hopefully be a “pink more or less intense, shining, and with a persistent foam,” according to the Consortium’s announcement.

When the news was initially announced back in May, it was thought that we wouldn’t be getting the first bottles until 2021, however Sainsbury’s has quietly revealed that they might be getting their first bottles hitting the shelves as early as November!

“Pending final approvals by the Prosecco Consortium, Sainsbury’s customers should be able to sample two brand new kinds of pink Prosecco this November,” says Jack Lucas, their Champagne and Sparkling Wine Buyer in their recent Drinks Despatch report.

“The new pink bubbly is as delicious as it is beautiful, so we expect these to soon account for 20% of all Prosecco sales. The first producers have promised us a surprising, fresh and fruity flavour.”

We’re giving our posh glasses a good polish in preparation.


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