Martonotti," Japan's first Prosecco specialty bar, was awarded the top prize at the Prosecco DOC Excellent Store Competition.

"Martonotti Prosecco Bar & Cafe" in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, achieved the top position in terms of sales quantity, handling amount, and seating efficiency during the "Mese del Prosecco DOC 2023" (Prosecco DOC Month 2023).

The world's most widely consumed sparkling wine, "Prosecco DOC," saw the announcement and award ceremony of the results of the restaurant and retail excellence competition, "Mese del Prosecco 2023" (Prosecco DOC Month 2023), which took place on December 18th. "Martonotti Prosecco Bar & Cafe" in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, emerged as the outstanding establishment, securing the overall first position for the month of August 2023 by selling 314 bottles. In the competition, Martonotti claimed the top spot in all three evaluation criteria: "total units sold," "sales amount" calculated by multiplying the sales price and quantity for each product, and "sales efficiency" based on the number of seats in the establishment. The second place overall went to "Angelo Court Tokyo" in Mejiro, Tokyo, while the third place was awarded to the top-performing retail establishment, "ENJI WINE CLUB" in Kobe.

The world's largest producer of Italian sparkling wine by production volume.

Prosecco is a wine produced in the northern Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with the majority being sparkling wine. It is highly appreciated for its freshness and lightness both in Italy and across Europe. The 'Prosecco DOC,' primarily crafted from grapes cultivated in the plains, is known for its invigorating and approachable qualities. With a production volume surpassing six billion bottles, it exceeds the production of well-known sparkling wines like French Champagne and Spanish Cava, making it the world's largest producer. Prosecco stands as the most beloved sparkling wine globally.

A total of 195 establishments participated in the Excellent Store Competition, marking the highest number in the past four years.

The Prosecco DOC Protection Association, responsible for promoting the dissemination and quality protection of Prosecco DOC, initiated comprehensive promotional activities in Japan in 2017. The campaign, known as 'Prosecco Month,' started in the same year and is now in its sixth edition, with this year marking the fourth occurrence of the restaurant and retail competition, following a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, a record-breaking 195 establishments from across the country participated. Furthermore, the Prosecco featured in this campaign included 21 brands and 40 items, with a total of 4,426 bottles of Prosecco consumed during the campaign period.

Reference Document: Prosecco Month Results Announcement (Prosecco DOC Protection Association Japanese Website) [Link: https://proseccodoc.jp/mesedelprosecco/]

In addition to securing the top position in sales quantity, amount, and seating efficiency, the specialty store achieved the highest number of handled items, with a unique range of 26 products.

Martonotti, which opened as Japan's first Prosecco bar in May 2020, has actively contributed to the promotion of Prosecco, even during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The establishment received the 'SNS Award' in both 2020 and 2021 as part of campaigns conducted during this period.

This year marked the first time the competition was held in a contest format since its inception in 2020. Martonotti, with its curated selection of 14 brands and 26 Prosecco items, further strengthened its role as a specialty store, actively promoting the presence of Prosecco in daily life. The establishment secured the first position in all categories of the comprehensive division, combining both the food and beverage and retail sectors, in terms of all metrics (sales quantity, handling amount, and sales efficiency).

Martonotti is also engaged in activities aimed at promoting Prosecco in both the dining and takeaway sectors, including the development of cocktail recipes using Prosecco and the publication of cocktail books.

The second-place winner, Angelo Court Tokyo, focuses on Sicilian cuisine in the southern part of Italy, actively offering Prosecco for aperitifs, during meals, and as a toast for weddings. The third-place winner, ENJI WINE CLUB, is Japan's first membership-based wine shop specializing in Reefer Wine (wines strictly temperature-controlled in refrigerated containers). Through various sales channels and methods, they achieved first place in both sales quantity and revenue in the retail sector.

The three awarded establishments will receive an invitation for a training trip to visit Prosecco production areas in 2024 as part of their prize.

MARTINOTTI Prosecco Bar & Caffè

Martonotti, Japan's first specialized Prosecco bar, focuses exclusively on Italy's most widely consumed sparkling wine, Prosecco (*1). Launched in May 2020 by bartender Hiroaki Nagashima, who has experience in hotel bars and various restaurants, as well as contributions to alcohol and beverage specialty magazines. The bar boasts a lineup of over 50 types of Prosecco at all times, along with a variety of cocktails, whiskies, and a well-rounded food menu.

Location: 1F, birth, 4-9 Nihonbashi Yokoyamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0003 Phone: 050-5800-2802 (Closed on Tuesdays) URL: https://prosecco.tokyo Seating Capacity: 14 (7 at the counter, 7 at tables) Opening Date: May 8, 2020

Representative: Hiroaki Nagashima

In May 2020, Hiroaki Nagashima inaugurated MARTINOTTI Prosecco Bar & Caffè, becoming an ambassador for Prosecco DOC, actively disseminating information about Prosecco and creating innovative cocktails. He laid the foundation for his bartending career at the Mountain Top Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. Subsequently, he worked as a journalist for the hospitality and restaurant industry specialized magazine "HOTERES" (Weekly Hotel Restaurant) and served as a marketing consultant. From 2005, he managed THE PLACE, a bar in Hiroo, and from 2007 to 2014, he served as the head of the restaurant division at Clematis no Oka, a complex cultural facility including museums and restaurants in Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka Prefecture. In July 2019, he established Martonotti Co., Ltd.

Following the opening of the Prosecco bar, Nagashima, in addition to managing the establishment, engages in activities such as developing cocktail recipes using Prosecco and writing/editing the online book 'Cocktail DOC | Prosecco Cocktails.'