Wine Grape Wednesday: Glera

If I'd written this post even a year ago, this grape variety wouldn't have existed.  The name wouldn't have, at least.  I hope I've intrigued you; read on!

History: Glera has been grown in the Veneto, an area of Italy north of Trieste (and not so far from Venice, of course) for quite some time, possibly thousands of years.  It is perhaps related to the famous vinum pucinum of Roman times, although scholarly evidence seems to indicate otherwise. 

Worldwide Production: Glera is only grown in limited quantities outside of Italy; inside Italy it is the 30th most important grape out of 2,000 varieties.  As you can see from the map below, the growing region is rather small!  About 150,000,000 bottles of bubbly come from this grape per year.


Eating and Processing: Glera is not an eating grape, it's a wine grape.  The vast majority of glera is used to make a sparkling beverage known as Prosecco.  And here's the interesting twist on the name.  The grape used to be called Prosecco as well, but the name was changed last year.  Why?  So that the drink Prosecco could qualify for the highest level of protection within the EU, the DOCG: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita.  It turns out that the grapes are grown more widely than just in the Veneto, so the name had to be changed.  Prosecco, for those of you not familiar, is a much more affordable alternative to Champagne with a fresh, crisp taste.  Apparently Proseccos in the 1960's were sweet, cloying affairs; this has changed as of the 1990's, when they started to be exported abroad.

Where to Find: You probably won't find the grape outside Italy but you can find Prosecco fairly easily at any liquor store, and also at Trader Joe's.

Relevant Blog: Broccoli and Prosecco

Bottom Line: I have a fondness for Prosecco and the classic drink that's made from it; I bet you might too!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Production map from ItalianMade.com
3. Image of glera grapes from Flickr Creative Commons