Review: FIOL Prosecco DOC Rosé

When the summer heat kicks into high gear, many wine lovers want to have lighter, chilled wines, like Prosecco.

Many of you probably already know that Prosecco is a sparkling wine from northern Italy, made using the Charmat method. The Charmat method involves putting the wine into pressurized stainless steel tanks during secondary fermentation in order to create the bubbles that make the wine sparkling. This method differs from the Traditional Method, where that secondary fermentation occurs after the wine has been placed in bottles.

A grape variety called Glera is the primary grape used to create Prosecco. It’s a grape with high acidity and a fairly neutral flavor, which makes it a good choice for sparkling wines. The Prosecco I’m highlighting today is a Rosé Prosecco, which is made from 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Noir. You need at least some red grapes to make a Rosé, after all.

Honestly, I often avoid Prosecco, due to the fact that some brands are bulk produced and rather disappointing. But it’s unfair to lump ALL Prosecco in to that category. The fact is, some Prosecco is delicious… amazing even. This Rosé Prosecco, from FIOL, is one of the good ones.

The producers of FIOL also noticed that much of the Prosecco on the market had become homogenous and somewhat lackluster. They set out to create a Prosecco that was authentic to the roots of Prosecco. One that would stand out when compared with others.

The name itself, FIOL, translates to mean “son” in the Venetian dialect, but is more colloquially used to refer to someone who stands out as a natural leader. That is the goal of the producers of this wine.

This wine is produced in Treviso, the heartland of Italy’s Prosecco region. The producers connections in this region enabled them to select the grapes from 2,300 different growers across nearly 15,000 acres of vineyards. Starting in 2019, they brought in Marzio Pol to lead the winemaking, who has overseen nearly 50 harvests and been consulting for 30 years. All of this has come together to create a Prosecco that does, in fact, stand out.

Tasting Notes

This Prosecco has a lovely, light pink hue. The nose offers delightful aromas such as lemon, pear, red raspberry, strawberry and orange blossom. There’s a nice creamy and bubbly mouthfeel on the palate, along with tasty flavors such as tart apple, lemon, raspberry spritz and saline mineral flavors. It has a pleasant finish, with lingering citrus flavors.

Wine: FIOL Prosecco DOC Rosé
Varieties: 85% Glera, 15% Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2021
Alcohol: 11%
Rating: 91
Average price: $22
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.