🍾 Prosecco

Overview & History

Prosecco is Italy's beloved sparkling wine, hailing from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions in northeastern Italy. This effervescent charmer has taken the world by storm, becoming the best-selling sparkling wine globally — yes, even outselling Champagne!

The name "Prosecco" originally referred to the grape variety, but in 2009, to protect the wine's identity, the grape was officially renamed "Glera" and Prosecco became a geographical designation. Clever Italians!

While sparkling wine has been made in this region since the late 19th century, Prosecco's global popularity explosion happened in the 2000s, fueled by the Aperol Spritz phenomenon and brunch culture around the world.

Production Method: Charmat (Tank Method)

Unlike Champagne, Prosecco is made using the Charmat method (also called Martinotti method, after its Italian inventor), where secondary fermentation happens in large pressurized tanks rather than individual bottles:

• Base Wine: Still Glera wine is produced, typically fresh and aromatic
• Tank Fermentation: Wine is transferred to large stainless steel autoclaves with yeast and sugar
• Controlled Environment: Temperature-controlled fermentation preserves fresh, fruity aromas
• Quick Turnaround: The process takes only 30 days to several months
• Filtration & Bottling: Wine is filtered under pressure and bottled, ready to drink!

This method is perfect for Prosecco's style — it preserves the grape's delicate floral and fruity character rather than developing complex yeasty notes.

Appellations & Quality Levels

Prosecco has a quality hierarchy worth knowing:

• Prosecco DOC: The broadest designation, covering vineyards across Veneto and Friuli. Fresh, easy-drinking, and great value
• Prosecco Superiore DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene: The prestigious hilltop region with steeper slopes and more concentrated flavors
• Cartizze DOCG: A tiny 265-acre grand cru within Valdobbiadene — the pinnacle of Prosecco
• Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG: A smaller DOCG zone known for elegant, mineral-driven styles
• Rive: Single-vineyard Proseccos from specific hillside sites in Valdobbiadene

Grape Varieties

Prosecco is primarily made from:

• Glera: Must comprise at least 85% of the blend. This aromatic grape delivers green apple, pear, and white flower notes
• Permitted Blending Grapes: Up to 15% of Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera Lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Nero

Sweetness Levels

Prosecco sweetness differs slightly from Champagne terminology:

• Brut Nature: 0-3 g/L — rare in Prosecco, very dry
• Extra Brut: 0-6 g/L — crisp and lean
• Brut: 0-12 g/L — the most popular style, balanced and refreshing
• Extra Dry: 12-17 g/L — confusingly named but slightly sweet; very popular!
• Dry: 17-32 g/L — noticeably sweet, great for cocktails
• Demi-Sec: 32-50 g/L — sweet and dessert-friendly

Pro tip: "Extra Dry" is actually sweeter than "Brut" — don't let the name fool you!

Effervescence Styles

• Spumante: Fully sparkling with 3+ atmospheres of pressure. The most common style
• Frizzante: Lightly sparkling with 1-2.5 atmospheres. Gentler fizz, often in crown-capped bottles
• Tranquillo: Still (non-sparkling) version — rare but delightful

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Pale straw to light gold with greenish highlights; lively, frothy bubbles

Nose: Fresh green apple, ripe pear, white peach, honeysuckle, acacia flowers, and citrus zest. Some examples show hints of almond

Palate: Light-bodied with refreshing acidity, soft mousse, flavors of apple, pear, melon, and a touch of minerality. Clean and crisp

Finish: Short to medium, clean, with lingering fruit notes

Fun Facts

• Over 600 million bottles of Prosecco are produced annually — that's a lot of bubbles!
• The steep hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene are so treacherous that harvesting must be done entirely by hand
• In 2019, the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene became a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Prosecco outsells Champagne by nearly 3 to 1 globally
• The Bellini cocktail (Prosecco + white peach purée) was invented at Harry's Bar in Venice in 1948
• Prosecco is meant to be drunk young — within 1-2 years of release for maximum freshness
• The Aperol Spritz (Prosecco + Aperol + soda) has become one of the world's most popular cocktails

Serving Tips

Temperature: Serve Prosecco well-chilled at 38-45°F (3-7°C). Colder than Champagne to emphasize its refreshing character.

Glassware: A flute works well to showcase the playful bubbles, but a tulip glass allows you to better appreciate the aromatic bouquet. For casual occasions, a wine tumbler is perfectly acceptable — it's Prosecco, after all!

Timing: Drink Prosecco young! Unlike Champagne, it doesn't improve with age. Buy it fresh and enjoy it within the year.

Cocktail Star: Prosecco's light, fruity character makes it perfect for cocktails — Bellinis, Aperol Spritzes, Mimosas, and more!