10 Things You Should Know About Prosecco
Lately, it seems like everyone is talking about Rosé. And rightfully so. Rosé is delicious and is growing like crazy in the US! BUT… there’s another wine that is equally as delicious and is growing almost as fast as Rosé. It just doesn’t get talked about quite as much (yet). That wine is Prosecco; an Italian sparkler from the northeast of Italy.
In 2016, Prosecco imports to the US rose by 31% to 5.3m cases (Impact Databank). Globally, Prosecco is on fire. Between 2006 and 2016, the production of Prosecco grew from about 50 million bottles to nearly 500 million bottles! That’s a lot of bubbles.
So, put aside the pink wine for a minute and let’s #PopTheProsecco with 10 facts you should know about this delightfully refreshing, bubbly wine.
1 – Prosecco bubbles typically last longer than beer bubbles
Prosecco gets its bubbles through a second fermentation that occurs in a sealed, stainless steel tank. The Charmat Method–sometimes referred to as Cuve Close or the Tank Method–is the name of the method used to make Prosecco, and gives the wine approximately 3 atmospheres of pressure (that means big time bubbles!!!)
2 – Your wallet (and palate) will thank you
Champagne acquires its bubbles through a second fermentation that happens inside each individual bottle. It requires much less time, labor, and cost to produce a sparkling wine using the Chamat Method. This is one major factor in explaining why Prosecco is less expensive than its counter-bubbly, Champagne. In fact, getting a great Prosecco for $10-15 is easy (just check out our Lot 50!)
3 – Prosecco is Italy’s largest DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata… or Controlled Designation of Origin)
Prosecco DOC spans a large territory north of Venice, encompassing nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions (more than 34,580 acres in total).
4 – Glera is Prosecco’s main grape
Prosecco is made with at least 85% Glera grapes. Other grapes used in Prosecco include Verdiso, Bianchetta, Trevigiana and Perera.
5 – The taste of Prosecco differs from Champagne
Prosecco generally displays bright and crisp fruit flavors which are influenced by the grape varieties used. Champagne often displays biscuity aromas acquired through the process of autolysis, or the interaction between the wine and the lees (expired yeast cells) during the required bottle aging for Champagne–which is one year for non-vintage Champagne, and three years for vintage Champagne.
6 – Brut is the most popular sweetness level of Prosecco you will find in the market today
Brut style has the least amount of residual sugar, compared to Extra Dry and Dry. However, it might seem sweeter than you think due to the grape’s fruit-forward flavors. Dry contains the highest amount of residual sugar (up to 1 gram of sugar per glass.)
7 – Prosecco is best served in a tulip style sparkling wine glass and served cold
The height and slenderness of the tulip glass is said to help preserve the bubbles, and the bulb at the top helps collect more of the floral aromas coming from the wine (but, let’s be honest, Prosecco tastes delicious no matter what vessel you drink it from).
8 – Prosecco is one of the most versatile wines when it comes to food pairing
You can enjoy Prosecco with pretty much anything you’re planning to put on your plate, but because of the sweet aromatics and bubbles, it pairs particularly well with Southeast Asian fare and spicy curries.
9 – Prosecco is also a great ingredient in cocktails
Prosecco is a go-to for sparkling cocktails like the Mimosa because of its flavor profile and cost. So, anytime your cocktail recipe calls for a splash of sparkling wine, we say… go Prosecco all the way!
Check out some of our favorite mimosa recipes here!
10 – Don’t wait to celebrate!
Don’t wait for a special occasion or New Year’s Eve to drink Prosecco. Anytime is a good time to pop a bottle! As we like to say, “Celebrate often!”
