20/08/2021

The history of the Martinotti Method. The Italian Method.

We are at the end of the 19th century and the enologist Federico Martinotti, director of the Regia Stazione Enologica di Asti, decides to look for a more practical system than the Classic Method (or Champenoise) to make sparkling wines. From his researches and experiments the "Continuous Processing Device" was born.

We are in the middle of an Industrial Revolution, Martinotti’s apparatus was patented in 1895 in Italy, France and Switzerland and proved to be an innovative method because it involved the use of three tanks (autoclaves) for the refermentation of wine "base" for the production of sparkling wines. A system that turned out to be very suitable especially for the elaboration of dry sparkling wines and also able to preserve more effectively the aromas of the grapes.

Martinotti worked on his apparatus for many years, however the final engineering of the method was under the signature of Charmat who, in 1907 develops a system equal to the Martinotti's one, but with an easily scalable plant at an acceptable cost as he used autoclaves in fire-enamelled cast iron.

From 1907 onwards is History. The history of sparkling wine with Martinotti - Charmat method. A way to produce our prosecco that perfectly preserves the fruity hints of a semi-aromatic grape like our Glera.