Why Serprino Could Be Your Next Favorite Wine

Forbes

4 days ago

The U.S. market is the largest and most dynamic destination for Prosecco in the world. Imports reached a record of 117,6 million bottles in 2024, with a strong double-digit growth (+17%) over the previous year. It's easy for American wine lovers to find a bottle of Prosecco everywhere, as the presence of this sparkling wine is ubiquitous in American restaurants and retail, and the trend toward premiumization and sustainability is likely to further drive demand in the coming years. Things could change, though. There is a rising demand for premium and higher-quality DOCG Prosecco (as the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, or Asolo), as American consumers become more sophisticated in their sparkling wine preferences and seek for more complex and gastronomic bubbles, but this category of wine is not for every pocket. On the other hand, there are numerous individuals who are seeking sparkling wines that are less expensive than Prosecco or as a bubbly everyday alternative. If you are one of these wine lover, but don't want to give up to a Glera-based wine, then Serprino might become your wine of choice.
The Wine Coming From Volcans
This wine is produced in Veneto, the same region as Prosecco, but in a different zone: the volcanic soils of the Euganean Hills that surround Padua city and its neighborhood. The best part? It's slightly sparkling, and a fizzy wine is typically easier and more approachable than a sparkling one. It's the only fizzy wine made with an autochthonous grape in Veneto that benefits from a denomination of origin, and among the few in Italy to be linked to a single territory. Serprino can only be produced in the area of the Euganean Hills, which is protected as a Regional Park. You can consider Serprino as the Prosecco's unknown brother also because of its pretty limited production. The different Prosecco denominations (Prosecco DOC, Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, Asolo Prosecco DOCG, Cartizze subzones) extend for over 367,000 acres in total, and the production counts over 660 million bottles a year: compared to that, the tiny Serprino denomination produces only 1 million bottles on 2,100 acres.
The Mistery Of A Bizarre Name
Squeezed by such a giant, it's no wonder that even many Venetian people ignore Serprino's existence. Yet it can boast a viticulture story dating back to the old Atestina civilization (between IX century B.C. and 1st century A.D.), where this local variety has always benefited from special care by the farmers. According to some scholars, the Serprina grape owes its name to the sinuous, almost serpentine shape of the clusters (the word 'Serprina' in Italian language recalls the word 'serpe', snake), or to the vigorous growth of the vine. Many hypotheses, no certainty: to date there is no definitive answer to the origin of the name. Instead, it is certain that it has a close kinship with Glera: Serprina is likely a specific biotype of the Prosecco grape. However, being cultivated exclusively in much more restricted and well-defined areas with unique geological and microclimatic characteristics has given the grape its original and unmistakable characteristics. The volcanic and alluvial soils of Euganean Hills rich in marine fossils, clay, and limestone, imparts distinctive minerality and freshness to the wine, setting Serprino wine apart from Prosecco.
Euganean Hills, A Treasure Of Biodiversity
If you look at the Soil Map of the Euganean Hills, such as that kept in the headquarters of the Consorzio di Tutela Vini Colli Euganei, you'll see a puzzle of colors reminiscent of Harlequin's dress, where any color points a different soil. They range from very ancient sedimentary type rocks, formed when the area was still home to a vast tropical sea, to more recent volcanic rocks. Euganean Hills are a treasure trove of biodiversity, and not only naturalistic but also historical, artistic and cultural, thanks to the presence of Venetian villas, castles, villages, monasteries and abbeys. Today they are also a UNESCO Man And Biosphere (MAB) Reserve. Although nowadays there are some producers who also make sparkling Serprino, traditionally people have always preferred vinified Serprina as a slightly sparkling wine, to show off its originality.
A Wine For Every Occasions
The grape's scents and nuances can be influenced by the soil, slope, or altitude at which it is grown. The climate of the hills is temperate sub-Mediterranean, and areas that are almost arid where dwarf prickly pear or capers grow wild alternate with others that are much wetter and cooler, in the woods where chestnut trees are common. This variety of environments, soils and microclimates is revealed in the glasses of Serprino with aromas of ripe white fruit (pear, apple, peach) that sometimes come along with citrus or tropical notes if the grapes come from vineyards located in warmer areas. Conversely, in the case of vineyards located at higher and cooler altitudes, Serprino expresses more vegetal scents, reminiscent of aromatic garden herbs such as mint and thyme, reaching balsamic and aromatic notes of herbs, mint, thyme, reaching balsamic and menthol nuances. In either case, however, the freshness and cleanliness of the sip, the ease of drinking and the great versatility of food pairing make this wine a very pleasant tasting experience, at all hours of the day and on all occasions. Serprino is a contemporary product, because it meets the requirements that today's most demanding consumers look for in a wine: bubbly, white, from an indigenous grape variety cultivated in an environment rich in biodiversity, with a low alcohol content (10 to 11.5 degrees) and a very attractive price-quality ratio. A versatile wine, whose characteristics complement a wide range of foods: fish or vegetable appetizers, risottos with wild herbs or peas, typical pastas of Italian cuisine, shellfish, and cured meats. A glass of this wine is perfect even with sushi and sashimi, pizza or poke. If you are curious to know more about this wine, and plan to do a jump in Veneto sooner or later, don't miss the wine events organized throughout the year by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Colli Euganei. Being a volcanic wine, Serprino is unable to stay still and quiet…