What is Prosecco Wine? An Introduction to the Sparkling White Wine

It really does not matter how much you know about wine because it is an entire ocean, or some may say, a whole universe to dive in and explore. There are hundreds and thousands of wine types produced and enjoyed all over the world. So, if you don’t know about some wines then it is not a shame, trust me!

This time we are going to learn about Prosecco wine, a wine that hails from Italy and is made using a special method. It is also often confused with Champagne as both of them are sparkling wines, but it does not mean that what looks similar will be similar in actuality!!

About Prosecco

Here’s everything you need to know about this delicious sparkling white wine.

1. Origin and Grapes

• Prosecco gets its name from the village where it was first produced called Prosecco in Friuli, Italy. It is a large wine-growing area that runs through almost nine different regions of northeast Italy.
• Its roots can be traced around 400 years back. The first written evidence of the use of the word ‘Prosecco’ dates back to 1593.
• While Prosecco is accepted as Italian wine, the grape used to produce it was actually brought over to Italy from Slovenia.
• The grape variety that is used in making this wine is called Glera (also called Prosecco grapes). This wine is made through the Charmat sparkling method with an atmospheric pressure of three.

2. How it is made?

• Just like any other wine is made, Prosecco is also produced by collecting the harvested grapes, stomping them, fermenting and finally letting them mature.
• Prosecco wine is a blend of grape varieties that includes at least 85% Glera. The other 25% are grapes picked from local and international vineyards, including verdiso, bianchetta trevigiana, perera, chardonnay, pinot bianco, pinot grigio and pinot noir.
• Mainly, Prosecco is produced by the Charmat method, popularly known as the tank method.
• There are many ways to give the wine its frizziness. Each method has its pros and cons.

2. Taste and Flavors

• Many styles of Prosecco wine are available in the market. The most popular ones are brut and extra brut styles.
• Prosecco is a white sparkling wine and tastes very similar to Champagne.
• Prosecco has fruity notes of green apple, honeydew melon, pear, and honeysuckle. It can also have notes of peach, apple, pear, melon, and cream, combined with intense floral aromas. Sometimes it tastes sweeter than it is actually.
• The aromas get a soft touch because of the secondary fermentation used in the making process. It has all the aromas of fruits that are used in the making.
• This wine comes with frizziness; now, this frizziness also has two levels:
  • Frizzante, which is used for semi-sparkling style, and
  • Spumante, which is used for sparkling style.

3. Difference between Prosecco & Champagne

• Prosecco is often mixed up with Champagne as both are sparkling wine. Both of them do share some similarities but are quite different. The grapes that go into making both of them are different. Even the winemaking process is not the same.
• The bubbles in both of them are added differently. When it comes to Prosecco; it is kept in tanks while Champagne is introduced to yeast in the bottles.
• Both of them originate from different parts of the world.
• Some wine drinkers think that Prosecco is a cheaper alternative of Champagne, but it is not always true as some of the premium Prosecco is really expensive.
• There are few quality levels for Proseccoto to look for. But the two at either end of the scale are:
  • Prosecco DOC, which is the most common one.
  • Prosecco Superiore DOCG: This is one of the finest Prosecco wines available in the market and comes with strict quality checks.

4. Food Pairing and Serving

• Prosecco comes with robust fruity flavors and high acidity levels, and these two characteristics help it blend with so many types of food varieties.
• Mostly it is enjoyed before the meal, which means it is served as an aperitif. Spicy food dishes from Asian cuisines will be going to taste heaven with this wine. It will also taste great with foods like french toast, poached egg and smoked salmon.
• It is best served chilled (don’t add ice to it as it will kill the bubbles) as the low temperature enhances its fruity flavors to give you a satisfying experience. If you want to keep the frizziness till the last sip, then serve it in a Champagne flute or tulip glass.
• It also acts as a great base for many cocktails. Both Bellinis and mimosas are delicious ways to enjoy a nice bottle of Prosecco.

5. Great Buys

We have done our research and have found out some of the amazing yet affordable Prosecco wine picks for you. Here is list of our recommendations;

1. Ruggeri ‘Vecchie Viti’ Prosecco Brut

(3.9 / 5) 

Price $18.20

2.  La Marca ‘Luminore’ Prosecco Superiore

(4 / 5) 

Price: $19.99

3. Carpené Malvolti Prosecco Superiore

(3.8 / 5) 

Price: $18.50

4. Adami Garbel Brut Prosecco

(4.2 / 5) 

Price: $16.99

5. Cinzano Sparkling Wine Prosecco

(4.7 / 5) 

Price: $18.00

Conclusion

We are certain that you now know about everything that you should know about Prosecco wine, an Italian sparkling white wine. It’s a dry and fruity with a wide range of food pairings. You know the kind of grape variety, its making process, its taste and everything in between. You also see why it is confused with Champagne and how they are different.

This wine is a bomb on your palate when it comes to the intensity of its flavors and should be tried at least once. We have already given you our recommendations, and you must try them out!