A benchmark example of a crowd-pleasing Prosecco style, with ripe yellow fruit, a hint of sweetness (13g/l), and then a crisp apple finish with a touch of chalk, making for lovely creamy-textured refreshment. The Global Prosecco Masters is a competition created and run by the drinks business, and forms part of its successful Masters series for noble grape varieties, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; major wine styles, from sparkling to rosé; and famous regions including Rioja, Champagne and Tuscany. The competition is exclusively for Prosecco. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding in their field received the ultimate accolade – the title of Prosecco Master. This report features the medal winners only.

Although niche, there is a growth area in Prosecco: organic variants. But are they any good? Well, this sample called P.Lex was one of the highest-scoring Proseccos of the day, and employs organically-grown Glera – which is the grape of Prosecco. It has a lovely array of flavours, with honey and mango dominating, a touch of orange blossom, and then a lingering pear and apple fresh fruit finish. Moving marginally up the price ladder is this lively Prosecco from top producer Villa Sandi with its flavours of elderflower, pear and zesty grapefruit, and a mouth-filling richness from its 14g/l of residual sugar, even though it’s labelled as Brut (which is traditionally used for fizz with 12g/l or lower). A full report, including all the medallists from the Prosecco Masters 2021, will be published in the May edition of the drinks business. The selection below represents some of the most exciting finds from the competition, which comprised around 200 Proseccos, all of which were assessed without any knowledge of the producer behind them.New to the Prosecco Masters this year was this drop from Col Vetoraz, which impressed us for its generosity and intensity. At the sweeter end of the spectrum with 16g/l residual sugar, there is some noticeable mouth-filling richness, along with ripe peach and pear flavours. But if that sounds a bit heavy, fear not, this is a balanced glass of fizz, with the sweet fruit more than offset by a fresh lemon zest acidity. Even better for reducing your alcohol intake would be a ‘low alcohol’ wine. These aren’t allowed to be more than 1.2% ABV, 3 and many are around 0.5% ABV.

For now, read on for our top 10 Proseccos for all styles and occasions. Galanti Prosecco, Extra Dry, Prosecco DOC, NV (14g/l)

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