PROSECCO

 I write this as the new year approaches, so I think of what sparkling wine I will be wanting to open to celebrate the new year.  I thought it would be good to share some thoughts on Prosecco, the popular sparkling wine of Italy. 

Prosecco would be a great choice for bringing in the New Year and/or a great brunch companion the next day or any weekend morning!

The popularity of Prosecco grows every year.  Prosecco’s appeal is its lively bubbles and its “fruity” palate without being sweet, or dry.  Even with the Brut designation, (a measurement of sugar in the sparkling wines) Brut being on the dry side, the wine doesn’t come across dry.

People’s definition of “sweet” varies a great deal.  In wine terms, I like to call something sweet when it is sugary or candy like.  A better term is “fruity”, which is more like ripe fruit, but not candied fruit. 

I feel Prosecco is more fruity, not bitter or yeasty, or sweet. 

Like I said, we all have different tastes and opinions.  That is a good thing too!

The grape of Prosecco is Glera.  The generic name for sparkling wine made in Italy would be Prosecco.

Rose’ Prosecco DOC- In 2020, the wine laws were changed to allow up to 25% of Pinot Noir in the wine.  The red Pinot Noir is added to the white Glera to make a delicious sparkling pink Prosecco.

This change has opened up the doors for more Rose' Prosecco to be exported. 

This also provides more food pairing avenues including beef, red sauce pastas and salmon.

Here is the quick lesson on how most sparkling wines are made, including Prosecco. 

The grapes are harvested, crushed and put into tanks to ferment.  Once the wine has fermented, it is now a “still wine” just like any other non-sparkling wine. 

There are 2 main ways to make sparkling wine. One is to add the sugar and yeast to the already fermented still wine in a tank. (Charmat Method) The sugar and yeast get busy and release carbon dioxide into the wine which creates the second fermentation- the bubbles.  The wine in the tank is then put into the bottles for aging. 

The second way is to add the sugar and yeast to the wine in the bottle. (Methode Traditionelle) This process is more labor intensive.  This method tends to have more sparkle (bubbles longer) in the wine but will cost more to produce.

I don’t feel either method makes one better than the other. (Why is everything a competition?)  I feel it is a matter of personal taste and quite frankly, I think the average consumer doesn’t know the difference. 

Maybe a side-by-side comparison with the different methods might create a preference, I don’t know.  A side-by-side comparison would be fun though!

Prosecco will put a smile on your face!

Prosecco is full-on bubble in the glass and in the mouth.  The pear and apple fruit flavors are very appealing to the masses.  It is not uncommon to put some orange juice in it for Mimosas.

The wine bridges between the Moscato drinker and the Champagne drinker.  Not sweet, or real dry either.  Generally pleasing for all tastes; even the non-sparkling wine drinker.

Prosecco is also very affordable for quality sparkling wine.  A regular bottle could be bought for as little as $10 retail.  A smart restaurant will have prosecco by the glass or the small 187 oz bottle available to their customer.  Even a non-Italian restaurant can serve Prosecco by the glass or small bottle option to make some money.

Prosecco is a great celebrational choice for wine drinkers.  The quality is great and the bubbles are visual and there is pleasure in the mouth.  The wine just makes your mind go into “happy mode”.  I have not seen anyone drinking Prosecco with a frown 😔 on their face.  It is a smile maker! 

There can be times when we need this wine to make family get togethers a happier occasion.

 Another great thing about Prosecco is that it is a palate cleanser.

The bubbles clean the tongue and refresh the taste buds so that you can enjoy the variety of food flavors of your meals.  But don’t save it for just the special meals, it is a great wine for daily drinking too!

Prosecco is fun, its celebratory, its uncomplicated, its easy drinking and one of the best wine values out of Italy.

If you think you are not a person who can enjoy sparkling wine, I can relate to that.  I would guess that you, like me, had an unimpressive taste of some bubbly wine at a party or wedding.  I would also say in these occasions, the wine was not Prosecco.  It was probably the cheapest bubbly wine available and thus the bad taste in the mouth (no pun intended) on sparkling wine.

Having said that, I suggest you seek out a Prosecco and give it another try.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.  And it doesn’t hurt to do more smiling, does it?

FRANCIACORTA  DOCG

Franciacorta DOCG is a sparkling wine from the Lombardy region in north central Italy.  The differences here between this wine and Prosecco are-

The grapes used in Franciacorta are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and in some cases, Pinot Blanc.  Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the grapes allowed in Champagne from France. 

This wine is made in the “traditional” way by adding the sugar and yeast to the wine in the bottle for its 2^nd fermentation. This is the way it is done in Champagne.

These two facts can help us to understand how Franciacorta DOCG is more like Champagne than Prosecco is.  Franciacorta would be the Italian sparkling wine most like Champagne.

Franciacorta does have a lot of similarities besides the grapes and processes.  The wine is well made, dry, yeasty, bright, consistent bubbles, and not cheap to buy.  This would be a lesser priced alternative to Champagne in that style.

Prosecco is fruitier, less bubbly, and value priced. 

Like most things in life, there is a time and place for those things.  Prosecco has more appeal to the masses, where Franciacorta has more appeal to the Champagne lover looking for some variety.

Neither is good or bad!  Each has its place in its time.

There are 5 different styles of Franciacorta- Non-Vintage (NV), Rose, Millesmato, Saten, and Riserva.  Each has its own set of regulations.

Franciacorta NV- has some aging requirements.  The wine must have a minimum of 25 months of aging; of which 18 months must be with the lees.  (Lees are the dead yeast from fermentation.  They provide some creaminess to white wines.)

Non-Vintage designates that multiple vintages can be used in making the wine.

Franciacorta Rose- must age a minimum of 24 months on the lees.  To give it the rose’ color, there must be a minimum of 25% Pinot Noir in the wine.  Regarding sparkling wines, roses’ are a result of adding red wine to white wine in order to get pink. 

If you think “if it is pink, it is sweet”, you would be misguided. These roses’ are not sweet.

Franciacorta Millesmato- This is the vintage wine.  It must say the year the grapes were harvested, or the vintage.  The wine must sit for at 37 months, of which 30 months is with the lees before release.

Franciacorta Saten- Only white grapes in this one, (Blanc d’ Blanc) a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc.   This is softer and creamier than the others but it too must age 24 months on the lees before being released.

Franciacorta Riserva- This is the best in class.  This wine must age a minimum of 5 years on the lees before its release.  Only the best grapes are selected to make this wine.  This would be the highest priced Franciacorta.

In my opinion, the Franciacorta wines are very similar to Champagne but not exactly the same.  Franciacorta doesn’t disappoint or fall short of the expectations.  They are an excellent alternative to Champagne!  If you like Champagne, you will love the Franciacorta wines!

FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:

The apple flavors and the bright acids make this a tasty wine with food. 

For true indulgence, Caviar is best!  

Enjoy with rich cream cheeses, olives, vegetable pastas, shellfish and cream sauces.

As you can see, there are great sparkling wine options coming out of Italy.  These two sparkling wines have their differences, yet both provide wonderfully delicious wines for us to enjoy.

I suggest you create a special occasion once a week and celebrate!

Ciao Ciao