A journey through two thousand years of winemaking history, across the Venetian hills, rural traditions and international recognition.
The history of Prosecco is deeply rooted in classical antiquity, passes through the Middle Ages, flourishes during the Renaissance and evolves into Europe’s most dynamic wine industry. Today Prosecco DOC and DOCG is the world’s best-selling sparkling wine, yet its soul remains profoundly tied to the hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
The hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene are a living cultural landscape, shaped over centuries by the ingenuity and tenacity of Venetian winegrowers.
The naturalist Pliny the Elder, in his Naturalis Historia, mentions a wine produced in the Trieste karst region called Pucinum, appreciated by Empress Livia for its beneficial properties. Many historians recognise this wine as a direct ancestor of Prosecco, produced from the grape now known as Glera.
The name “Prosecco” most likely derives from the small village of the same name near Trieste (in Slovenian Prosceco, meaning “cleared land”). During this period, Venetian winemakers began spreading the Glera grape variety across the Treviso hills, finding there an ideal terroir.
Aureliano Acanti, a Venetian oenologist and writer, in his text Il Roccolo Ditirambo describes a “sparkling and cheerful” wine produced in the Treviso hills, identified by historians as the direct forerunner of contemporary Prosecco. This is the first precise and documented mention.
Italy’s first Enological School was founded in Conegliano by Giovanni Battista Cerletti. The institute became the research and experimentation centre that would transform Treviso winemaking from artisanal to scientifically guided, laying the foundations of modern Prosecco.
The Italian chemist Federico Martinotti patented the tank fermentation method that would later bear the name of the Frenchman Charmat. Perfected in the 20th century, this technique became the standard method for producing Prosecco Spumante, guaranteeing aromatic freshness and persistent bubbles at accessible prices.
The Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene obtained its first Denominazione di Origine Controllata. This historic step delimited the production area, defined permitted grape varieties and established the first official quality standards.
The Venetian Spritz recipe — Prosecco, Aperol and a splash of soda — first conquered the bars of Veneto and then all of Italy. Mini Prosecco bottles became protagonists on bar counters, exponentially increasing demand for Prosecco DOC in all formats, including the 187ml mignon.
A historic reform restructured the system: the Prosecco DOC was created (9 provinces across Veneto and Friuli), and two excellence DGOCs were established: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG and Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG. The Prosecco grape variety was officially renamed Glera to protect the geographic denomination at European level.
The additional geographic designation Rive (from the dialect term for steep terraced vineyard slopes) was introduced, reserved for Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Proseccos from individual hamlets or communes, with reduced maximum yield and exclusively hand-harvesting. A qualitative leap bringing Prosecco closer to the Burgundian cru concept.
The Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape. Recognition rewarding centuries of work by Venetian winegrowers and their ability to create an agricultural landscape of extraordinary beauty and biodiversity.
Over 600 million bottles produced each year, exported to more than 100 countries. Prosecco DOC is the world’s best-selling sparkling wine, surpassing Champagne in volume. The 187ml mini format conquers hotels, airlines, restaurants and mass retail, becoming the symbol of accessible Italian elegance.
The Spritz was born in the 19th century, when Austrian soldiers in Veneto added water to local wine to lower its alcohol content. Prosecco later turned it into Italy’s most ordered cocktail.
Queen Elizabeth II was known for her preference for Prosecco as her evening aperitif. This royal passion contributed enormously to Prosecco’s popularity in the British market.
Prosecco DOC surpassed Champagne to become the world’s best-selling sparkling wine by volume since 2013, with growth that has never stopped.
Prosecco bubbles, produced with the Charmat Method, are larger than those of Champagne (Traditional Method). This makes them visually lively and pleasantly creamy on the palate.
The hogback hills of the DOCG zone have glacial and volcanic origins. Their shape creates unique microclimates that are impossible to replicate anywhere else in the world.
Prosecco DOC exports have tripled in the last decade. The most important markets remain Germany, Switzerland, the UK and USA, with steady growth in Asia and emerging countries.
Each production zone gives Prosecco unique characteristics. Learn about the terroirs and denominations of Italian Prosecco.
Explore the Areas