In a sea of cava and Champagne, it's easy to overlook anothe.

Publication: Europe Intelligence Wire

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Financial Times Ltd.

(From Off Licence News)

Sally Easton MW

The sparkling wine market is growing at a healthy, almost double-digit rate. But cava dominates the bottom and Champagne the top sectors, so what hope is there for Italian sparklers beyond the sometimes delicious, sweet, grapey froth of Asti?

Italian sparkling wine production is focused on the cooler north of the country, where acidity is best retained. Piedmont is the home of Moscato, around the town of Asti. Neighbouring Lombardy has a long history of producing grapes for sparkling wine from the OltrepA Pavese and its more famous cousin Franciacorta DOCG, which is completely dedicated to the production of traditional method sparkling wines. In the north east Veneto, in the zones of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, Prosecco comes into its own.

After Spain, which accounts for a 50 per cent share of the UK sparkling wine market, Italy is number two with a 20 per cent share. It is an important category, but one that easily gets lost beneath the crushing weight of cava and the arriviste Australians at number three.

With nearly 75 per cent of the sparkling market under GBP6, Asti spumante is one of the few styles of wine that does well. Martin Horner, senior trade marketing...

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