Italian bubbly prosecco rises to the occasion

Verona, Italy

IF there was one tipple wine lovers couldn't get enough of last year it was prosecco, the Italian sparkler that has outstripped champagne as the world's favourite bubbly. And listening to industry insiders assembled in the city of Romeo and Juliet for the VinItaly wine fair, the global love affair with the country's finest fizz is not about to go flat.

A disappointing 2014 harvest means producers could soon be struggling to keep pace with expanding demand as consumers in China - where the wine industry is burgeoning - and South-East Asia look to join a party already in full swing in the English-speaking world.