Prosecco sales grow as fizz goes out of champagne market
Excerpt from article written by Rebecca Smithers, consumer affairs correspondent for theguardian – 28 December 2012
Italy’s best-kept secret – prosecco – is emerging as the clear winner over the festive season in the UK.
According to Tesco’s wine category manager, Alain Guilpain: “What makes the rising demand for prosecco even more startling is that until about five years ago it was generally only known by connoisseurs. But it has grown by word of mouth and has become our fastest-growing fizz this year, not only riding the credit crunch storm but emerging as a true winner because of its great quality and keen price point.”
Prosecco takes its name from the glera or prosecco white grape variety, which is grown mainly in the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene wine-growing regions of north-east Italy. It is a fresh and lively wine with crisp, fruit-driven character, often compared to apples and dessert pears with a clean, refreshing finish.