Top Interesting & Fun Facts about Glera/Prosecco

Jul 05, 2023by Daniela Novotna
🍇🥂 Did you know that in order to create a sublime Prosecco, it must be made from at least 85% Glera grapes? At Desiderio N°1, we take it a step further and craft our exquisite Prosecco using 100% Glera grapes. 🍾✨
Here are some other facts about Glera and Prosecco:

  1. Glera is a semi-aromatic variety meaning it can be rather fragrant, floral and fruity when grown with care and low yields;

  2. Prosecco is always a white wine, mostly grown in Veneto with a small percentage in Friuli–Venezia Giulia;

  3. Prosecco DOC is the largest denomination of origin in Italy and Glera produces the highest volume of any Italian DOP;

  4. Originally the grape was known as Prosecco (and several variants such as Prosecco Tondo) but the name was changed in 2009 in order to protect the Prosecco name from international appropriation;

  5. There is an actual town called Prosecco, located in Friuli Venezia Giulia’s province of Trieste;

  6. Since 2013, more bottles of Prosecco are sold globally than even bottles of French Champagne (307 million bottles of Prosecco sold in 2013 versus 304 million of Champagne that year);

  7. The fermentation of Glera in tanks rather than in bottle like in Champagne results in more affordable sparkling wines;

  8. Not all Prosecco is sparkling! Most are indeed spumante (abundantly bubbly), but some come as the slightly fizzy version called frizzante, or even entirely still as tranquillo (although these are rarely seen outside of Italy);

  9. Prosecco has both DOC and DOCG status. Standard Prosecco comes under the Denominazione di Origine Controllata “Prosecco DOC”. But some small vineyards areas with vines growing in limestone-rich and steep hillsides benefit from the “Prosecco Superiore DOCG” appellation such as Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Cartizze, Asolo or Rive.