The harvest is over. The grapes have been carefully selected and gently pressed, and the must has completed its first fermentation, transforming into wine.

It might seem like the destination of a long journey. In reality, for Masottina Prosecco, it is only the beginning of a new stage.

This is when one of the elements that makes it instantly recognisable begins to take shape: the perlage. Those fine, elegant bubbles that accompany every glass are not created by chance. They are the result of a precise process shaped by time, care and expertise.

This stage is known as sparkling wine production, and it is made possible through the Martinotti Method, a technique that revolutionised the world of Italian sparkling wines and still represents an ideal way to enhance the freshness and aromatic expression of Prosecco.

From base wine to the second fermentation

Once the first fermentation is complete, the wine is ready to undergo a new transformation.

It is transferred into large stainless-steel pressure tanks, known as autoclaves, where the so-called second fermentation begins: the process that gives rise to the bubbles.

At this stage, selected yeasts and a small amount of sugar are added. The yeasts begin to transform the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Because the autoclave is a completely sealed environment, the CO₂ cannot escape and remains naturally dissolved in the wine.

This is the moment when the perlage is born.

A process that requires balance and precision, because every decision influences the final character of the wine.

Why the Martinotti Method?

There are several methods used to produce sparkling wine, but they do not all enhance the wine in the same way.

The Martinotti Method is particularly suited to wines whose strength lies in freshness and aromatic expression. The second fermentation in pressure tanks helps preserve the grape’s primary aromas, keeping alive the floral and fruity notes that characterise Prosecco.

The result is a sparkling wine that expresses immediacy, elegance and drinkability, while retaining the complexity that comes from careful management of every stage of production.

For Masottina, the Martinotti Method is not simply a production technique. It is the tool through which each wine is guided towards its fullest expression, respecting its identity and balance.

Time: an invisible ingredient

Sparkling wine production is not an immediate process.

During the second fermentation, temperature, pressure and fermentation times are carefully monitored so that the wine can develop a fine, persistent perlage while maintaining freshness, balance and aromatic intensity.

Even once fermentation is complete, the wine remains in contact with the yeasts for a period of time. It is a quiet but fundamental stage, during which the aromas become more refined and the wine reaches greater harmony.

The time dedicated to this stage varies according to the type of Prosecco and the characteristics we want to enhance. Each wine follows its own journey, shaped by its identity and by the desire to express the territory from which it originates at its best.

The process ranges from around 60 days of second fermentation and ageing for Costabella Organic Prosecco DOC Brut and the Calmaggiore Prosecco DOC Treviso collection, to 90 days for the ViaVenti collection, our selection of Prosecco DOC Treviso, and the ContradaGranda collection, an expression of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.

For our most representative selections, such as R.D.O., the process extends to approximately 120 days, allowing the wine to develop greater complexity, balance and expressive depth.

For Masottina, time is never simply an interval to be waited out. It is an essential part of the production process, an invisible element that helps define the style and identity of every bottle.

From the pressure tank to the bottle

Once the sparkling wine production process is complete, the wine is filtered and stabilised, while carefully preserving the pressure that holds its precious bubbles.

Only then is it ready to be bottled, retaining all the freshness, fragrance and elegance developed during the second fermentation.

This is the final step before the wine reaches the glass.

Many expressions, one style

Whether it is a Prosecco DOC, Prosecco DOC Treviso, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG or one of the more distinctive expressions associated with the Rive, the Martinotti Method is the common thread that accompanies the creation of Masottina’s bubbles.

What changes is the personality of each wine: the origin of the grapes, the characteristics of the base wine and the winemaking choices come together to create different expressions, united by the same principle.

Always seeking balance, harmony, elegance and recognisability.

A Journey That Continues

Every Masottina bottle embodies a journey shaped by choices, expertise and attention to detail.

From the vineyard to vinification, from the second fermentation to bottling, every stage contributes to building the wine’s identity and enhancing its most authentic characteristics.

But it all takes shape in one very specific place: a winery designed to put quality at the heart of every decision.

In the next article, we will step inside the Ogliano winery to discover how the far-sighted vision of Adriano Dal Bianco, winemaker and President of Masottina, became a winery capable of guiding every harvest towards its fullest expression.