Prosecco DOC Rosé All Day

It’s never the wrong time of year for a sparkling pink wine.

Last spring, the official Prosecco DOC Consortium in Italy unveiled regulations for the first-ever Prosecco DOC Rosé, which debuted at the beginning of this year. Maia Parish, a Denver-based sommelier, wine expert, and founder of the Wine Suite LLC, greeted the news with excitement. “This Prosecco DOC Rosé is a great introductory sparkling wine for guests, and a great way to introduce a guest to Italian wines,” she says. While Prosecco Rosé itself is not a new concept, the DOC designation ups the ante. To earn the prestigious label, a bottle “must contain 85 to 95 percent Glera grapes and five to 15 percent Pinot Noir grapes,” Parish explains. The consortium spent nearly three years nailing down this ratio. On top of that, the wine must undergo 60 days in stainless steel fermentation tanks—that’s double the time of most other Prosecco DOCs. All of this culminates in a citrusy, floral flavor profile perfect for second-summer days.

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