NEW YORK, NY, APRIL 10, 2017 – The Consorzio di Tutela della DOC Prosecco (Prosecco DOC Consortium, www.prosecco.wine) is proud to announce the formation of ‘Casa Prosecco DOC USA,’ which will serve as the denomination’s official source of news and information in the United States, the second largest importer of Prosecco in the world.

Sales of Prosecco have continued to increase more than 20% annually since 2013 in the US, and the growth and popularity of America’s favorite sparkling wine show no signs of slowing. Given the importance of the US market for Prosecco producers, the Consortium was keen to open an official bureau in the United States.

“When we inaugurated the first ‘Casa Prosecco’ in Xi’An, China in March 2016, I announced that we would open other headquarters in other cities around the world soon thereafter,” said Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco DOC Consortium. “Now, after opening Casa Prosecco DOC Hamburg, recently announced at the ProWein industry expo in Dusseldorf, we are happy to announce the inauguration of Casa Prosecco DOC USA.

“The US market has been a huge champion of Prosecco, continually affirming that the American public knows how to appreciate the quality and affordable prices of our wines. Despite the fact that the US represents more than 20% of all Prosecco exports, we believe that there is still enormous growth potential. It’s no coincidence that the US market is our first priority, and we allocate more resources there for promotional, professional, and educational activities than in any other market.”

Colangelo & Partners, an integrated communications agency specializing in fine wine and spirits, will be the official US headquarters of Casa Prosecco. Colangelo & Partners has worked with several leading producers over more than a decade and has been the agency of record for the Prosecco DOC Consortium since 2014, focused on promoting and protecting the reputation and authenticity of this popular sparkling wine that has many imitators.

“We first started promoting Prosecco in the very early days of its development in the US,” said Gino Colangelo, president of Colangelo & Partners.  “We’re proud to see the continued growth of this special wine, and determined to contribute to its continued success.”   

From Romania and South America to Australia, wine that is advertised as Prosecco is sold to consumers who are not aware of the fact that the name Prosecco can only be used to designate wines that are grown in nine specific provinces of the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions of Italy. Bars and restaurants claim to serve Prosecco “on tap,” despite the fact that official regulations state that Prosecco can only be packaged in a glass bottle. And sparkling rosé wines are referred to as “Prosecco Rosé” on the wine lists of some of the best restaurants in the world with renowned sommeliers, even though according to official regulations, Prosecco cannot be rosé. These are just some of the challenges that need to be addressed to protect the authenticity and quality of Prosecco.

The Prosecco DOC Consortium and Colangelo & Partners are continuing to work together to debunk myths and educate trade and consumers alike about Prosecco through trade and press seminars, important industry conferences, continuous media outreach, and participation in consumer events like art shows, fashion shows, and collectors events.

Casa Prosecco DOC USA will continue and expand upon this work by becoming the official source of all news and information concerning Prosecco in the US and around the world. The Casa Prosecco DOC USA website (link when live) will be updated regularly with the most pertinent news regarding Prosecco, from new regulations and initiatives to harvest reports and export data to national and international events involving Prosecco. The team of Casa Prosecco DOC USA will also respond to inquiries about Prosecco from news outlets, press, and consumers via the official contact form on the website (link once site is live).

For more information visit www.casaprosecco.com or contact Casa Prosecco DOC USA directly:

Casa Prosecco DOC USA

1010 6th Avenue Suite 300

New York, NY 10018

Tel: +1.646.346.1757

Email: casaprosecco@colangelopr.com

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About The Prosecco DOC Consortium:

Prosecco was granted the Controlled Designation of Origin status on July 17th, 2009, and the Prosecco DOC Consortium (Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine Controllata Prosecco) was created on November 19th of the same year to coordinate and manage the Prosecco DOC. The organization unites the different groups of manufacturers—wineries, individual and associated vine-growers, still wine and sparkling wine producers—to ensure the designation continues to grow and that the production regulations are complied with.

About Prosecco DOC:

Prosecco DOC wines come in Spumante (sparkling), Frizzante (semi-sparkling) and Tranquillo (still) varieties. The wines are made from mainly the Glera grape, native to North East Italy for thousands of years, and can be combined with a maximum of 15% of the following grapes: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero. Prosecco Frizzante and Spumante varieties get their famous bubbles using the Secondary Fermentation production method, bottled under high pressure after fermentation in bulk tanks called autoclaves, as opposed to the traditional method, which bypasses the autoclaves and is used for other sparkling wine varieties. The end result is a brilliant straw yellow wine with fine, persistent perlage and aromas of white flowers, apple and pear. It is fresh and elegant on the palate with moderate alcoholic strength. For a full list of Prosecco DOC producers, visit www.prosecco.wine.

About Colangelo & Partners

Colangelo & Partners (www.colangelopr.com) specializes in premium food, wine, spirits and lifestyle brands, and has long-established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry leaders. Agency principals have years of experience in retail and distribution as well as communications, a rare combination that gives Colangelo & Partners invaluable insights into consumer purchasing behavior.  The agency focuses on ‘closing the loop’ between creative communications programs, distribution, promotion, publicity and the consumer in order to maximize the efficiency of its communications programs and deliver measurable results. Founded in 2006, Colangelo & Partners was honored as one of the year’s top integrated communications firms at the 2013 Agency Elite Awards and for one of the best digital marketing campaigns at the 2014 Digital PR Awards.