From the Hills to the Sea: Audace Prosecco as Never Before

On 29 September 2022, the first Prosecco DOC Trieste came to life from the depths of the sea, after 4 months of aging at a depth of 20 metres in the Gulf of Trieste.

This is an unbelievable story, definitely worth telling.

It all began when two long-time friends Luca Serena, owner of Serena Wines 1881 and Elena Parovel, owner of Parovel vigneti oliveti 1898, decided to emphasise the uniqueness of Prosecco DOC Trieste, of which the grapes are cultivated in the hills of Carso region not too far from the sea, by aging 14 casks of Prosecco in a small area of 67 square metres in the Gulf of Trieste, creating an underwater cellar and allowing the wine to age in an unspoiled environment.

Cradled by the gentle waves of the sea, protected from the light and guarded by the fish, the wine was in the ideal place to give its best in terms of shining colour, captivating scents and unique flavours. In addition, the sea and its creatures have added their enchantment to the bottle with marine sediments to offer to us a Prosecco like never before.

This first edition of Prosecco DOC Trieste features 6,492 bottles beautifully presented with exquisite packaging recalling a maritime theme. The name of the wine, ‘Audace’, comes from the Italian military ship, that gave its name to the Trieste dock in the year 1922, precisely one century ago. The word ‘Audace’ is clearly visible on the medal placed on the neck of the Prosecco bottle featuring a wind rose.
However, this is not the only anniversary to remember, in fact, the grapes used to make this Prosecco were all collected in the year 2021, precisely two centuries after the first Prosecco was created along the Trieste coast with the second fermentation in the bottle in the year 1821.

What an incredible story, rich in history and tradition! What would we expect in terms of flavours and aromas from such a unique sparkling wine? Here are my tasting notes. I feel privileged to have tasted this first edition of Prosecco ‘Audace’ and give my impressions to you, my dear fizz lover.

Signore e Signori, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Audace Prosecco DOC Trieste Underwater wine Millesimato 2021.
100% Glera
Brilliant and intense straw yellow colour with fine and persistant perlage.
Rich and complex, it exudes distinctive saline notes with white flowers and ripe fruit hues.
In the mouth it is ample and crisp offering mineral, saline flavours marvelously combined with aromatic ripe golden apple accents.
Refined with a long finish.

As history often teaches us, the past doesn’t belong merely to the previous centuries, but sometimes it comes back to life as if it is part of our present lives. Maybe in a different way, maybe through modern technologies, maybe with a new meaning. We might say that somehow it can come back to us and we are lucky enough to live those memorable moments again.

Consider for example the Gulf of Trieste: how many people and ships have crossed it? Did it really change it over the years? I don’t think so, its beauty has remained unspoiled until now. Or think about the hills near Trieste where the grapes used for making ‘Audace’ are cultivated: have they changed since the first Prosecco was made here two centuries ago? Not at all, they are still marvellous. What I mean is that nature always amazes us. Likewise, a wine like ‘Audace’, made in the hills and aged under the sea, would never disappoint any high expectations.

This Prosecco is an incredible gift from nature, given to us by the passion and commitment of the Serena and Parovel families involved in this fascinating project. Lingering for a while over the bottle to admire the beautiful maritime wrapping, I can feel there is something truly emotional when touching the medal around the bottleneck bearing the name ‘Audace’; it evokes times of the past and somehow travels through the centuries, allowing us to be part of a perpetual history.