If we are loyal to the calendar, February is still a winter month. Still, after the long cold months of December and January, we are all eagerly waiting for the spring awakening, and we are surprised to already be seeing early signs. The vineyards, recently trimmed back during the winter pruning, are still bare, but work continues at the winery, with the fermentation and aging of wines harvested last year.

People from all over the world appreciate Prosecco, but few really know how to make this particular wine. Though it is universally known by the French name “Charmat“, this method of making wine sparkling was invented to the 1800’s by the director of the Experimental Institute for Oenology of Asti, Federico Martinotti. However, it was a Frenchman named Eugène Charmat, who industrialized the process and it was named after him around 1910. According to method, which in Italian we like to call “Martinotti” the sparkling process takes place in large pressure-tight containers called autoclaves, able to withstand internal pressures that arrive at over 10 bars. The autoclave has various tools to control what happens inside, and the walls provide a gap through which the liquid flows to cool off.

Towards the end of sparkling wine, the fermentation is stopped in time to leave enough residual sugar to guarantee the balance and harmony of flavors and fragrances. Fermentation is stopped by appropriately lowering the temperature to stop the activity of yeasts. Then the aging lasts an average of 40/50 days, but for Charmat “long” as our Cuvée Torri di Credazzo aging lasts up to 180 days, which also helps to refine the texture of the bubbles.

This is the production technology that allows for a Prosecco that keeps the aromas of the grape varietal, which are expressed in a fruity and floral wine, with the typical silky bubbles that characterize the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore.