Glera is a long-standing synonym of northern Italy's Prosecco grape, and the name by which it is now officially known. This green-skinned variety has been grown for hundreds of years in the Veneto and Friuli regions, most famously to produce sparkling Prosecco wines.
Wine and grape characteristics
Italian wine produced from Glera is almost always either frizzante (fizzy) or spumante (fully sparkling). A few still wines are also made from Glera, but on nowhere near the same scale as the sparkling wines that are so widely exported around the globe.
Glera is a highly productive grape that ripens late in the season. It has high acidity and a fairly neutral palate, making it ideal for sparkling wine production. Glera’s aromatic profile is characterized by white peaches, with an occasional soapy note. The wine is light-bodied and low in alcohol (8.5 percent is the minimum permitted ABV for Prosecco wines), suggesting it as a refreshing summer beverage or as an aperitif.
Prosecco or Glera?
The Prosecco-Glera name change happened in 2009, when Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco was promoted to full DOCG status (the highest level of Italian wine quality). In light of this promotion, it was decided that the name Prosecco should be reserved exclusively for wines covered by Italy's official Prosecco appellation titles, and should not be used for the grape variety.
The European Union ratified this, effectively making it illegal for wine producers anywhere outside northeastern Italy to label their wines as "Prosecco". There are striking similarities between this story and that of Tocai Friulano and Tokay Pinot Gris.
The origin of both the Glera name is unclear. It's official usage has been controversial; though it has a history as a synonym for the Prosecco grape in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the name has also been applied to other varieties. Prosecco shares its name with a town located near the Italian-Slovenian border and may have originated there.
Sub-varieties
To complicate Glera/Prosecco matters further, the Glera/Prosecco variety is in fact several varieties, rather than a single one. Although some authorities claim there are tens of sub-varieties and biotypes, in practice these are boiled down into three key forms: Prosecco Lungo, Prosecco Tondo and Prosecco Nostrano (replace "Prosecco" with "Glera" as appropriate). To add further complexity, in the Colli Euganei, the variety/varieties go by their local synonym, Serprina.
Global plantings
The worldwide popularity of Prosecco has resulted in many imitations of the style – one of the key reasons that the Italian authorities sought international legal protection for the name "Prosecco" back in 2009. Outside Italy, Glera is grown in Slovenia and Australia, in particular the King Valley.
Synonyms
Serprina, Prosecco Bianco, Proseko Sciprina.
Food matches for Prosecco (Glera)
Prosecco is widely used as a party wine, for aperitifs and pre-meal drinks, with canapés, and as a more ergonomical bottle for toasts. As with many sparkling wines it is a reasonably flexible food partner.
Many lighter seafood dishes will go well with Prosecco, and it is also an excellent pairing for fish and chips. It is also an option for charcuterie platters.
