Venice Prosecco Guide
Prosecco comes from the hills north of Venice and exists in two tiers. Prosecco DOC is the broad denomination, covering a large zone across nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, established in 2009 to protect the name after the grape once called Prosecco was renamed Glera. Prosecco Superiore DOCG comes only from Conegliano Valdobbiadene, a smaller hillside zone about 50 kilometers north of Venice, where steep, hand-tended vineyards produce more concentrated grapes; the hills became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. Within Valdobbiadene, Cartizze is the most prized subzone, a single hillside of roughly 107 hectares that yields the richest, most structured wines and the highest prices. Both DOC and DOCG are made from Glera using the Charmat method, a tank-based second fermentation that preserves the wine's fresh, fruity character. In Venice, prosecco is drunk as an ombra, a small glass of wine, a tradition said to date back to market vendors who moved their wine carts to follow the shadow of the Campanile di San Marco to keep the bottles cool. Bacari across San Polo and Cannaregio pour prosecco sfuso, unlabeled house prosecco drawn from a tap or demijohn, alongside bottled DOC and DOCG options. A glass of sfuso costs 1.50 to 3 EUR, bottled DOC runs 3 to 5 EUR a glass, Valdobbiadene DOCG 5 to 8 EUR, and Cartizze 8 to 12 EUR a glass or 25 to 40 EUR a bottle.
Must Try
- Prosecco sfuso (house prosecco on tap)
- Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG
- Cartizze
- Prosecco Frizzante
- Prosecco Rive (single-vineyard)
Frequently Asked Questions
4 QuestionsWhat is the difference between Prosecco DOC and DOCG?
Prosecco DOC is a broad denomination covering a large area across nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, with looser production rules. Prosecco Superiore DOCG comes only from the hillside zone of Conegliano Valdobbiadene north of Venice, where stricter growing and yield rules produce more concentrated, higher-quality wine.
What is Cartizze?
Cartizze is the most prestigious subzone within Conegliano Valdobbiadene, a single hillside of about 107 hectares. Grapes grown there produce the richest and most structured Prosecco Superiore, sold at higher prices than standard DOCG bottles, roughly 25 to 40 EUR per bottle in Venice.
What grape is Prosecco made from?
Prosecco is made primarily from Glera, a white grape that was itself called Prosecco until 2009, when producers renamed the grape Glera to protect Prosecco as a place-based denomination rather than a grape variety name.
What is an ombra in Venice?
An ombra is a small glass of wine, traditionally prosecco or a light local red, sold at bacari across the city. The name means "shadow" in Italian and is said to come from wine vendors near Piazza San Marco who moved their carts to stay in the shade of the Campanile.
