The Consorzio di Tutela del Prosecco DOC and Veneto Agricoltura have launched an experimental project, called AMPELOPROS, aimed at testing several grape varieties, both already grown in the Italian territory and new varieties resistant to the main vine diseases, in two areas in the territory of the denomination.

After the experimentation – in the presence of results that manage to ensure, on the one hand, the identity and peculiarities of the Denomination and, on the other hand, an advantage in terms of sustainability for the territory – the Production Chain, considering the principles underlying the recognition of a denomination of origin, will be able to assess whether or not to expand the ampelographic base of the production specification.

 

Nicola dell’Acqua, Director of Veneto Agricoltura

“Our agency is part of the Ampelopros project by providing many years of experience in viticultural and oenological experimentation conducted on fungal disease resistant varieties (PIWI) and native grape varieties. In particular, experimental vineyards will be planted in the pilot holdings of Veneto Agricoltura. Subsequently, with micro vinification and micro sparkling wine blending, the intention is to identify vine varieties potentially capable of integrating with the ampelographic base envisaged by the Prosecco DOC specification. Veneto Agricoltura will also have the role of training a specialised sensory analysis group to verify the typicality of Prosecco.”

 

Giancarlo Guidolin, president of the Prosecco DOC Consortium

“This agreement with Veneto Agricoltura represents a fundamental step for the enhancement and protection of the Prosecco DOC denomination in a context of climate change. Our mission is to support the Prosecco wine and wine sector with projects that can ensure competitiveness and sustainability. An international context such as Wine Paris,” the President concludes, ”represents the right opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the Consortium and its entire Chain in creating synergies between science and business for the benefit of the territory and communities.
With the Paris fair, thanks to the discussion with the operators, it was possible to detect the first impressions for this new commercial campaign, both for the international and the French market, which, since 2018, has been growing every year in double digits. In fact, concludes the President, “the January bottlings started with a positive sign and from what we were able to observe, France greatly appreciates our product, particularly for its organoleptic-sensory profile marked by freshness and versatility.”

 

The project will be realised thanks to the public contribution obtained through the Veneto ERDF 2021-2027 PR funding issued by the Region through DGR 729/2024 concerning Action 1.1.1 – Sub A ‘Strengthening research and innovation between enterprises and research organisations’ and envisaged for the Regional Innovative Networks (RIAV) within the IN.TE.G.R.A. project.

The effects of climate change are becoming more and more evident year by year, from the drought of 2022 to the hailstorms of 2023, to the alternating rainfall and high temperatures in 2024. How might the climate evolve in the coming years? What countermeasures can be taken?

SISOVI, which stands for Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Strategies and Business Models in the Wine Sector, wants to answer these questions. As a matter of fact, thanks to the development of a predictive model of the evolution of the climate (rainfall and temperature), it aims to identify in advance the areas that could present a greater degree of risk and, at the same time, the agronomic practices to cope with these negative effects, with the objective of safeguarding the production of Prosecco from a qualitative point of view.

The project, conceived and coordinated by CREA (Viticulture and Oenology Research Centre) and the Prosecco DOC Consortium, financed through the Cascata iNest (Interconnected Northeast Innovation Ecosystem, funded by NextGeneration EU) with a contribution of EUR 80,951, will run until 2025.

Planned actions:

Expected results:

For further information write to ricerca@consorzioprosecco.it

 

Project funded by NextGeneration EU

Promoting good practices that allow the protection of ecosystems through the reduction of CO2 emissions is one of the objectives of the Prosecco DOC Consortium. Indeed, in the presence of extreme calamitous events due to climate change, our production system intends to identify measures that could contribute to the mitigation of these unfavourable effects.

MORE, an acronym for Micro Organisms for Energy Saving in Oenology, aims to monitor energy consumption from the sparkling phase to the storage phase and, at the same time, understand what actions could be taken to safeguard the quality of the product by reducing energy consumption, first and foremost in temperature management.

The project, devised and coordinated by CREA (Viticulture and Oenology Research Centre) and the Prosecco DOC Consortium, financed through the Cascata iNest (Interconnected North-East Innovation Ecosystem, funded by NextGeneration EU)

with a contribution of € 355,000, which will be developed in 2025, involving scientific partners such as the University of Milan (UniMi) and seven wineries in the area, in particular Vinicola CIDE, Masottina, Cantina di Conegliano, Vittorio Veneto and Casarsa, Bosco Malera winery, Azienda Vitivinicola Ornella Bellia, Perlage winery, Pitars winery.

Planned actions:

Expected results:

Energy saving during frothing by obtaining products with the same characteristics, through an innovative and sustainable protocol tested and validated during the project. The good practices identified will then be collected in a manual and disseminated to producers.

Yesterday, Thursday 7 November, at 8.30 p.m., a conference was held at the ‘Toniolo’ auditorium in Conegliano entitled: ‘Viticulture and sustainability: where are we? The event, promoted by the Office for Social Pastoral Care of the Diocese of Vittorio Veneto, represented the point of arrival and relaunch of the path started in 2019, which has been developed over two three-year periods and which has seen the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG and Prosecco DOC consortia as protagonists, together with representatives of various environmental movements and groups, including Fare Rete and Salute&Ambiente.

 

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this path, as underlined in the opening speech by Don Andrea Forest – the bishop’s delegate for Social Pastoral Care and coordinator of the Table – was that of a joint work between the different parties, inspired by Pope Francis‘ encyclical Laudato Si’, in an attempt to make the complexity of the ‘sustainability’ issue perceived through the tool of dialogue, from the perspective of a global interconnection between creation and human actions.

Don Forest’s speech then dwelt on the two letters that the Bishop of Vittorio Veneto, Monsignor Corrado Pizziolo, addressed to the Diocesw in September 2021 and October 2023, highlighting each time the acquisitions and reflections matured within the Table. In particular, he recalled the title of the second letter – ‘Great Goals and Small Steps’ – which was the synthetic slogan of the planning process implemented. Msgr. Pizziolo himself, in the greeting he brought at the beginning of the evening, emphasised the need to continue the path of dialogue even when this is difficult, focusing on the positive elements that can encourage the journey.

 

INTERVENTION

Prof. Giovanni Cargnello, creator with Don Forest of the pathway of the diocesan Table, then spoke, recalling the basic paradigm that inspired the work of the two three-year periods, in the description and harmonious composition between the various factors that define sustainability.

Don Alessio Magoga, editor of the diocesan weekly L’Azione and moderator of the evening, then gave the floor to Dr. Mauro Pigozzo, journalist for Il Corriere del Veneto, who offered a global look at climate change and other current challenges that place the issue of environmental sustainability in a broader panorama and then to the possible consequences also in our Veneto region.

The discussion was then followed by Prof. Paolo Sambo, pro-rector of the University of Padua, and Dr. Cristina Micheloni, president of the Italian Association for Organic Agriculture of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, who completed the vision offered by Pigozzo, bringing the topic back to the agricultural sphere. In the impassioned debate, the two speakers discussed, from two different and complementary points of view, first of all the concept of ‘sustainability’, which for Sambo must always hold together the three dimensions of attention to the environment, the economy and the social ethical aspect, while for Micheloni it must be a ‘complex, dynamic and broad’ concept. Subsequently, the two speakers highlighted the efforts that conventional cultivation, on the one hand, and organic cultivation, on the other, are trying to implement in order to make sustainability a reality in wine growing and to respond to the challenges posed by climate change.

In the last part of the evening, the floor was given to the two representatives of the Protection Consortia: Dr. Andrea Battistella, deputy director of the Prosecco DOC Consortium, and Dr. Diego Tomasi, director of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Consortium. Their intent was to communicate, data in hand, the commitment of the two Consortia in implementing improvements and good practices regarding the lower environmental impact of viticulture, with an eye also on the dimension of social and economic sustainability.

 

Giancarlo Guidolin, President of the Prosecco DOC Consortium

‘We are delighted to have seen a large participation from the communities in the area at last night’s event. We consider the path taken by the Tavolo di Dialogo to be positive. In fact, the frank confrontation, without prevarication or prejudiced positions, made it possible to define an approach to sustainability made of ‘small steps for big goals’. This is why it is more appropriate than ever, if not indispensable, to follow up on these initiatives so that, by including all the stakeholders concerned, we can ensure sustainable development for our Denominations’.

 

Franco Adami, President of the Consortium of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG

‘Too often we witness an abuse of the term sustainability, used as a slogan and emptied of its real meaning. This conference was an opportunity for us, together with the Prosecco DOC Consortium, to take stock of the situation: of what has been achieved and what the next goals are. We wanted to emphasise how sustainability is a value that guides us and helps us to take a constant snapshot of the state of health of our territory, in order to then proceed with new actions and communicate to the community the constant commitment of all winegrowers aimed at building a healthy environment, in which both the environment of the denomination and the quality of life of citizens are protected. We want to continue to gather ideas and suggestions, to discuss what is needed to face the challenges that lie ahead together’.

 

CONCLUSIONS

At the end of the evening, the floor was given back to Father Andrea Forest, who summarised the requests that had emerged, expressing the hope that the discussion that had taken place over the six years of the diocesan table could now continue in other ways, both with the Consortia and with environmental groups, but also with the institutions (Mayors first and foremost) and with the trade associations. In particular, Fr Forest dwelt on the ‘4 Cs’ of sustainability: connect, know, concretise, contemplate.

Satellite monitoring of the impacts of extreme events on the vineyard

The Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco DOC is particularly pleased with the approval of the SGUARDO project – Satellite monitoring of the impacts of extreme events on the vineyard by the Region.
The project sees the participation of three institutional bodies – Veneto Region, through the Agri-Food Directorate; University of Padua, through the Department of Agronomy, Animals, Food, Natural Resources and Environment (DAFNAE); and Veneto Agency for Payments (AVEPA) – whose synergy aims to provide concrete and innovative support to the wine sector, with the involvement of other actors such as Abaco and the Treviso-Belluno Defense Consortium.

The Prosecco DOC Consortium has been the promoter of this initiative, not only to monitor and analyze the evolution of extreme weather events such as prolonged droughts and extensive hailstorms, but also to be able to intervene in a timely manner on supply management.

In fact, thanks to the implementation of satellite systems capable of detecting different gradients of chlorophyll refraction and weather radar, the tool will be able to identify and demarcate areas affected by calamitous events, as well as their negative impacts on grape quantity and quality. Such technology, therefore, will be able to support control activities by intensifying them in affected areas, avoiding waste of resources, including CO2 emissions, to the benefit of the environment.

So, the integration of satellite data will contribute to a profound transformation of agriculture, pursuing the sustainability goals set by the Consortium, supporting the entire supply chain and ensuring a quality product for the consumer.

The Consorzio di Tutela della DOC Prosecco has recently taken a prominent role within Wine in Moderation, becoming National Coordinator.

Wine in Moderation is an international association that aims to spread the culture of “responsible drinking” by educating the public through a series of initiatives such as informational events and training for companies. Examples include the establishment of Wine in Moderation Day, which will be celebrated every November 8, and the upcoming Congress on “Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health” to be held in Rome from March 26-28, 2025. The activities carried out in 2023 by the various bodies have been compiled in the report prepared by Wine in Moderation.

How to be part of Wine in Moderation

Wine in Moderation is made up of many members but offers different ways to participate, allowing anyone to contribute to the project according to their possibilities and resources. How?

The Consortium therefore invites everyone to be an active part of this movement: becoming a supporter is very easy, just register through this link. Alcohol abuse is a social scourge that needs to be combated, and together, it is possible to incentivize positive change by making consumers aware that “The greatest wine is the one you can remember.”

The luxurious setting of the Sheraton Hotel in London played host to the long-awaited Glass of Bubbly Sustainability Summit, a major event in the wine industry and media calendar, a unique opportunity to explore the latest trends and innovations in the world of Sparkling Wine.

The event was proposed by Glass Of Bubbly, one of the most important online resources for news and information on sparkling wines, which contributes to highlighting the territories, producers and all the aromas and flavours on the planet.

Prosecco DOC this year joined the organisation with The Glass of Bubbly Sustainability Sparkling Wine Summit presented by Prosecco DOC, to fuel the discussion on sustainability in the sparkling wine sector with important partners such as Slowfood UK and Sustainable Wine Roundtable.

The event was moderated by Neil Phillips, Brand Ambassador of Prosecco DOC in the UK: a highly competent professional who, with over thirty years of experience in the wine and equestrian sectors, is able to make these worlds accessible to experts and novices alike.

Neil conducted two masterclasses dedicated to Veneto-Friuli bubbles, delving into the characteristics of the Denomination and always keeping the theme of sustainability at the centre.

The conference concluded with the Walk Around Tasting, during which producers had the opportunity to have their wines tasted by a selected audience of sector operators, importers and members of the press, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and potential commercial developments.

Participating companies: Ombre Wine; La Gioiosa; Fantinel; Paladin; Perlage Winery; Torresella.

So, the Glass of Bubbly Sustainability Summit was a highly relevant event for the sector, highlighting the growing importance of sustainability and offering valuable insights for a more prosperous and conscious future.

The Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine Controllata Prosecco is the new National Coordinator of Wine in Moderation, the first Consortium in Italy to support this important initiative.

The aim of the project is to encourage a culture of responsible and moderate drinking through education, awareness-raising and communication, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the wine world. These activities will not only benefit wine professionals, but also empower consumers to make informed choices.

By welcoming the Prosecco DOC as National Coordinator, Wine in Moderation recognises the vital role that this Denomination plays in its territory, in Italy and abroad, emphasising its social responsibility towards all stakeholders.

Sandro Sartor, President of Wine in Moderation

‘We are thrilled to welcome the Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine Controllata Prosecco as the new National Coordinator in Italy. His dedication to fostering a sustainable wine culture aligns perfectly with our mission, and we look forward to working together to further advance responsible consumption practices within the wine industry, and we truly hope that this will be the first of many other large and significant Appellation Consortia across Europe and wider.’

Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco DOC Consortium

‘For several years, the Consortium has been reflecting on its responsibility towards consumer health. In the past we have supported and promoted responsible consumption in various ways, but now the time has come to join this great initiative – Wine in Moderation – which fits perfectly with our values and beliefs. An unhealthy lifestyle with excessive consumption, today more than ever, is a phenomenon that must be fought, without damaging the social and economic heritage of the wine sector. As National Coordinators, we will carry out many activities focused on conscious consumption to ensure that this message reaches everyone, especially the new generations that we will try to bring closer to the culture of wine’.

More information on Wine in Moderation: http://www.wineinmoderation.com/

 

Per la vendemmia 2023, sono vigenti le seguenti disposizioni:

Di seguito potrete scaricare le indicazioni tecniche di vendemmia:

Il Consorzio rimane a disposizione per eventuali chiarimenti (Andrea Battistella – Mail ricerca@consorzioprosecco.it – Tel: 0422/1483392)

Un sincero augurio di buona vendemmia da tutto lo staff del Consorzio!