Glera (Prosecco)

Glera is believed to originate from the village of Prosecco near Trieste, on the traditional Slovenia-Italy border, and has been cultivated in the Veneto and Friuli regions for hundreds of years. For most of its history the grape was simply called Prosecco, a name that referred to both the variety and the wines made from it. The pivotal regulatory moment came in 2009, when Italian authorities elevated Conegliano Valdobbiadene to DOCG status and simultaneously required the grape to be renamed Glera. The change was designed to prevent producers outside the protected zone from labelling their wines as Prosecco by citing the grape variety name, mirroring the approach France uses to protect Champagne. Carpenè Malvolti, founded in Conegliano in 1868 by Antonio Carpenè, is credited as the first winery in Italy to produce Prosecco as a sparkling wine; it was Etile Carpenè of that house who first printed the Prosecco name on a commercial label in 1924. DOC recognition for the wines came in 1969.

• Renamed Glera in 2009 so that 'Prosecco' could function exclusively as a protected geographic denomination, not a grape variety name, preventing producers elsewhere from labelling wines as Prosecco by citing the grape
• Carpenè Malvolti, founded in 1868 in Conegliano by Antonio Carpenè, is Italy's oldest family-owned sparkling wine company and the first house to print the name Prosecco on a label, doing so in 1924 under Etile Carpenè
• Before 2009, Prosecco wines were produced under the Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOC alongside several IGT designations covering broader areas of the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia
• In 2009, Conegliano Valdobbiadene was elevated to DOCG while the various Prosecco IGTs were unified into a single Prosecco DOC covering nine provinces in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia

Glera is grown primarily in the province of Treviso in the Veneto, with the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG zone representing the historic and qualitative heart of production. The DOCG covers approximately 8,667 hectares of steep, terraced hillsides between the town of Conegliano to the east and Valdobbiadene to the west, with vineyard yields capped at 13.5 tonnes per hectare. The region's Pre-Alpine climate, and varied soils of marl, limestone, and clay combine to retain the natural acidity that defines the Glera style. Planted on south-facing slopes with controlled yields, the variety produces wines with genuine depth and character; on flat land with unrestricted yields, it becomes notably more neutral. The Prosecco Hills were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape in 2019, recognising the unique interaction between centuries of heroic hillside viticulture and the region's distinctive hogback geomorphology.

• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG: the historic core zone covering approximately 8,667 hectares of steep hillsides across 15 communes between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, with yields capped at 13.5 tonnes per hectare
• Cartizze: a 107-hectare grand cru subzone within Valdobbiadene, with vineyards rising from 200 to 350 metres elevation; production is capped at around 1.2 million bottles per year and is typically made in a Dry style (17 to 32 g/L residual sugar)
• Rive designations: 43 officially recognised single-commune or single-hamlet wines within Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, requiring hand-harvesting and vintage labelling to highlight distinct terroirs
• Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG: a separate, independent DOCG located in the Colli Asolani hills, which also received DOCG status in 2009 and offers its own terroir-driven expressions of the Glera grape

Glera is a semi-aromatic variety whose character is strongly shaped by site and yield management. On hillside vineyards with controlled yields it expresses delicate, fresh aromas of white flowers, lemon, pear, green apple, and white peach. On flat land or at high yields the wine becomes progressively more neutral. The Charmat method preserves these delicate aromatics, which would be overwhelmed by the yeast-derived complexity of traditional method production. Depending on dosage level, wines range from bone-dry Brut Nature and Extra Brut through the popular Brut (up to 12 g/L residual sugar) showcasing citrus freshness, to the dominant Extra Dry style (12 to 17 g/L) emphasising ripe stone fruit, to the traditionally sweeter Cartizze Dry (17 to 32 g/L) where grape-derived sweetness and acidity balance each other. Most Prosecco is intended for early consumption, within one to two years of bottling, when its primary fruit is most vivid.

• Primary aromatics: white blossom, lemon, pear, green apple, and white peach; these fresh varietal aromas are best preserved through the Charmat method and diminish quickly with age
• Extra Dry style (12 to 17 g/L residual sugar): the historically dominant dosage level, showing riper peach and apricot with a gentle honeyed edge balanced by bright acidity
• Brut style (up to 12 g/L): increasingly popular, emphasising citrus freshness and mineral precision; well suited to food pairing throughout a meal
• Cartizze Dry: ripe orchard fruit, fine perlage, and a naturally sweet palate profile derived from late-ripening Glera on this distinctive 107-hectare hillside grand cru

Virtually all commercially produced Prosecco is made using the Charmat method, known in Italy as the Martinotti method, in which secondary fermentation occurs in pressurised stainless steel tanks (autoclaves) rather than individual bottles. This technique was invented and patented by Federico Martinotti in 1895 and subsequently refined and re-patented by French engineer Eugene Charmat in 1907. The approach is particularly well suited to Glera because it preserves the variety's delicate primary fruit and floral aromatics, which would be overshadowed by the biscuit and brioche complexity that bottle fermentation produces. Harvest timing is critical: grapes are picked to maintain the natural acidity that gives Prosecco its refreshing character. A small but growing category called Col Fondo follows the traditional approach, bottling Glera with its lees for a second fermentation in the bottle and leaving it undisgorged, producing a cloudy, yeasty, fully dry frizzante style increasingly sought by sommeliers.

• Secondary fermentation in pressurised autoclaves preserves Glera's primary fruit aromatics far more effectively than bottle fermentation, yielding a fresh, fruit-driven style
• The Martinotti method was patented in 1895 by Federico Martinotti; Eugene Charmat refined and re-patented the process in 1907, lending his name to the technique internationally
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG regulations require a minimum of 30 days on lees for Prosecco Superiore Spumante; some premium producers extend this period for greater texture and complexity
• Col Fondo (meaning 'with the bottom') is an artisanal Prosecco style fermented in bottle and left on its lees, producing a naturally dry, lightly hazy frizzante wine that ferments to full dryness

The Prosecco category ranges from large-scale industrial production to small family estates, but several houses consistently deliver quality worth seeking out. Carpenè Malvolti, founded in Conegliano in 1868 by Antonio Carpenè, is Italy's oldest family-owned sparkling wine company; it was Etile Carpenè of this house who first used the Prosecco name on a label in 1924. Nino Franco, founded in Valdobbiadene in 1919 by Antonio Franco, is one of the oldest estates in the region and has been a leading quality benchmark under the direction of Primo Franco, with its Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore named Wine Enthusiast's number one wine of 2019. Villa Sandi, based in Crocetta del Montello, is a large quality-focused producer with estates across Prosecco DOC and DOCG, and markets La Rivetta as its Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG offering. Within the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG there are more than 150 registered producers, represented by the Consorzio di Tutela del Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG.

• Carpenè Malvolti (founded 1868, Conegliano): Italy's oldest family-owned sparkling wine company, founded by Antonio Carpenè; Etile Carpenè first printed the Prosecco name on a label in 1924
• Nino Franco (founded 1919, Valdobbiadene): established by Antonio Franco; one of the oldest and most respected estates in the DOCG, led for decades by Primo Franco; Rustico named Wine Enthusiast number one wine of 2019
• Villa Sandi (Crocetta del Montello): large quality-focused producer with estates across Prosecco DOC and DOCG, including La Rivetta Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG
• Col Vetoraz (founded 1993, Valdobbiadene): boutique DOCG-only estate producing approximately one million bottles exclusively within Valdobbiadene, with a strong focus on single-terroir expression

Glera's moderate alcohol, vibrant acidity, and approachable residual sugar create versatility that few sparkling wines can match. Extra Brut and Brut styles cut through salt and fat with mineral precision, making them excellent with raw seafood, oysters, and light antipasti. Extra Dry styles, with their gentle sweetness and fruit-forward character, pair naturally with delicate risotto, soft cheeses, and light pasta dishes. Cartizze Dry, with its higher residual sugar balanced by hillside acidity, traditionally accompanies pastries and fruit-based desserts. Serve all styles well chilled, ideally at 6 to 8 degrees Celsius, in a tulip flute or white wine glass to preserve perlage and concentrate the aromatics. Most Prosecco is designed for immediate enjoyment; consume within one to two years of purchase for peak freshness.

• Raw oysters and shellfish: Brut or Extra Brut styles, where mineral acidity amplifies briny umami without competing with delicate sea flavours
• Risotto and light pasta: Extra Dry (12 to 17 g/L) balances the richness of butter and Parmigiano with just enough residual sweetness
• Soft cheeses (burrata, fresh mozzarella, ricotta): the honeyed floral notes of Extra Dry complement creamy textures without an acidic clash
• Charcuterie and aperitivo: Brut formats pair with prosciutto, mortadella, and aged cheeses through the classic acidity-salt balance
• Cartizze Dry with pastry and fruit-based desserts: its grape-derived sweetness and fine perlage make it a natural match for delicate sweets