Prosecco
Prosecco is the Italian sparkling wine made from the glera grape, which gets its bubbles not in the bottle but in a sealed tank. Check the label: extra dry is not drier than brut, but slightly sweeter.
Sparkling wines by type
Prosecco is not the only sparkling wine on the shelf. Here, we tell you more about the other three and where their bubbles come from.
Champagne
The French sparkling wine that gets its carbonation in the bottle and therefore has more bread and yeast notes than prosecco.
About Champagne →Cava
The Spanish sparkling wine, which, like champagne, ages in the bottle and takes around nine months to do so.
About Cava →
Crémant
A French sparkling wine from outside the Champagne region, with the same wording on the label.
About Crémant →
Lambrusco
The red Italian sparkling wine, and therefore the counterpart to the white and rosé bottles on this page.
About Lambrusco →One grape, and a second fermentation in a tank
Prosecco comes from northern Italy and is made from a single white grape: glera. This grape grows mainly in the hilly areas of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where the fertile soils and mild climate suit it well. The core area lies north of Venice, around the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and the hills between them are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This area is considered the birthplace of prosecco; a small part of it is called Cartizze and is known as the grand cru. On the label, you will see DOC and DOCG: DOC is the designation for a protected designation of origin, while DOCG is for a protected and guaranteed designation of origin. If there is rosé in the bottle, glera is not the only grape used and pinot noir has been added.
The bubbles are created differently than in champagne and cava, and that is the main difference between the three. After harvesting, the grapes are gently pressed and fermented into still wine. The wine then goes into a large, sealed tank according to the Charmat method, together with yeast and a little sugar. The pressure that develops creates the fine bubbles, after which the wine is filtered and bottled under pressure to preserve its freshness. The second fermentation therefore takes place in a tank rather than in the bottle, as with champagne and cava, which ages in the bottle for around nine months. This tank method is easier and less time-consuming, and the aim is a fruity sparkling wine. You can taste that: lively, slightly sweet and fruity, and often a little less dry than champagne.
In short
Six bottles, from dry to sweet
The word on the label refers to sugar, and that is where the trap lies: with sparkling wine, extra dry is not drier than brut, but slightly sweeter. In the progression from dry to sweet, extra dry therefore comes after brut. These six bottles range from the driest to the sweetest.
Zonin Prosecco Brut
A festive, gently dry prosecco with soft bubbles and a fruity flavour of pear, melon and lime. The driest of this selection, and immediately the safest choice for an aperitif.
Canti Prosecco Millesimato
Millesimato means that the wine comes from a single vintage. Dry and light in flavour, with pleasant bubbles and a fresh, fruity character.
Bottega Prosecco Gold
The famous gold bottle, here in the small 20 cl format. Floral and fruity, with apple, pear and citrus.
Masottina Contrada Granda
Made from glera grapes from Conegliano Valdobbiadene, with green apple, apricots and acacia in the glass. The bottle that shows the difference: from this producer, the brut contains 10 grams of residual sugar per litre and this extra dry contains 14 grams.
Canti Prosecco Rosé
The pink version, and proof that a prosecco rosé is not made from glera alone: there is pinot noir in it too. Delicate, with soft bubbles, red fruit and a hint of almonds.
Canti Prosecco Ice
The sweet end of the scale, with a lightly sweet taste. Intended for large, round wine glasses filled with ice cubes, with mint leaves and blackberries added.
Brut, extra dry and demi-sec also appear on a champagne bottle, but that wine gets its bubbles in the bottle.
Lively, lightly sweet and fruity
Apple, pear and citrus
Prosecco smells of light fruit: pear, melon and lime in one bottle, apple, pear and citrus in the other. A bottle from Conegliano Valdobbiadene adds green apple, apricots and acacia.
Soft bubbles
The bubbles are fine and soft, and the taste is lively, slightly sweet, and fruity. Prosecco is often a little less dry than champagne, which makes it easy to drink even without food.
From brut to demi-sec
You can find how much sugar is in the glass on the label. From dry to sweet, the range runs from brut nature and extra brut through brut and extra dry to sec, demi-sec, and doux.
Flavor profile of an average brut. An extra dry scores a step higher on sweetness, and a demi-sec scores considerably higher.
How to pour prosecco
Prosecco is meant to be drunk young, served well chilled, and does not need to be opened with a bang.
Chill it well first
Place the bottle in the refrigerator for four hours or longer, or put it in a cooler with cold water and ice for half an hour. If you're in a hurry, add a few tablespoons of salt to the ice water: ten minutes is then enough.
The right glass →Open without a bang
If there is a muselet around the cork, the wire cage with the tab, loosen that first. Hold the bottom of the bottle at an angle of about 45 degrees and turn the bottle, not the cork. Let the pressure slowly push the cork out so that it sighs out of the bottle.
From dry to sweet →In a spritz
The proportions are always the same: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts flavoring such as Aperol or limoncello, and 1 part sparkling water. Fill a large wine glass with ice, pour in that order, stir briefly, and garnish with a slice of orange or lemon.
To the cocktails →Prosecco cocktails
Prosecco is the foundation of a spritz, and the proportions are fixed: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts flavoring, and 1 part sparkling water. The other two below both come from Venice and its surroundings.
Bellini
Peach purée at the bottom of the glass, then pour prosecco over it very slowly. Invented at Harry's Bar in Venice.
Aperol Spritz
Add ice to the glass, then Aperol and prosecco, followed by sparkling water. Stir briefly and add a slice of orange.
Hugo Spritz
Elderflower syrup with prosecco and sparkling water, finished with mint, a squeezed slice of lime, and ice.
Sgroppino
Whisk the lemon sorbet until smooth, then add vodka and prosecco and serve immediately.The right glass for prosecco
Straight prosecco goes into a flute or another champagne glass, where the bubbles remain on display. If it goes into a spritz, it belongs in a large wine glass filled with ice. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about prosecco
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