There is no doubt that the popularity of prosecco has skyrocketed over the last few years and it has to be said that the quality has risen to match. In this part of the world we are starting to see Australia standing toe to toe with the north of Italy – from where the glera grape originates – and Australian proseccos have topped this category in the past. This year, however, Italy got her nose in front. Salute Italia!

Most excitingly, for the first time we saw a Gisborne wine making it into the top ranking. Glera grape plantings in New Zealand are recent, so while today we see one homegrown prosecco, over the next few years we may see even more ending up on the table in front of the judges, competing against Italy and Australia for the coveted top spot. Make no mistake, when that happens, we’ll be sure to let you know.