Prosecco: the Prince of Sparkling Wines

IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROSECCO

Prosecco is one of the Italian effervescent that is light, frothy and inexpensive. Prosecco is a white wine with a Denomination of Controlled Origin produced in Veneto and the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. It became known in the nineties as Prosecco (Typical Geographical Indication) and in 2009 it obtained the Controlled Designation of Origin, increasing its quality.

Prosecco is the most exported Italian wine abroad. It is essentially Italy’s version of Champagne and its most well-known alternative. In 2014 it surpassed Champagne for the first time in terms of the number of bottles sold worldwide.

Prosecco has experienced a real boom since the 90s of the twentieth century, with a surge between 2005 and 2010. More than 8000 wineries and 269 sparkling wine producers are dedicated to the production of this wine, which puts on the market more than 330 million bottles a year - mostly exported - for a total turnover of more than 3 billion euros.

Types and characteristics

There are basically three types of Prosecco:

The Prosecco in its natural form, also called tranquil, with a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10.50% vol.

Prosecco spumante (sparkling), with a minimum alcohol content of 11.00% vol.

Semi-sparkling Prosecco (frizzante), with a minimum of 9% vol

Colour: In all cases, it is a wine with a straw yellow colour.

Nose: it has a fine aroma and a fresh sweet aroma, you will detect hints of apple, apricot and pear.

Palate: On the palate, the sparkling varies in sweetness from brut, extra-dry to dry, while the others are only dry.

Grape varieties and cultivation

The basic vine for the production of Prosecco is the glera, whose grapes must make up at least 85% of the total, which gives it stronger fruit notes. A small fraction, not exceeding 15% of the total, may consist of green, bianchetta trevigiana, Perera, glera lunga, chardonnay, pinot bianco, pinot grigio, and pinot Nero vinified in white.

The soils suitable for the cultivation of the vineyards are those that are well exposed and drained. So, high water or peat soils are not allowed. Each plot must have at least 2,300 vines per hectare. The cultivation and planting techniques are the ''classic'' ones, which do not cause changes in the quality of the grapes and wine.

 Production method

Prosecco is produced using an affordable, less labour and time intensive approach; the Charmat method also called the tank method (an Italian speciality) which results in a more reasonable price tag. It is considered to be the best way to produce fruity and aromatic sparkling wines. The wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks (instead of the bottle itself) and is bottled under pressure. The duration of the fermentation affects the quality; longer fermentation helps to preserve the wine's aromas and provides thinner, more long-lasting bubbles.

Food pairings with prosecco

Prosecco is amazingly all-rounder and goes well with a wide range of cuisines. As it leans more towards the sweetest end of the spectrum, it is recommended with fish or shellfish dishes, seafood soups, rice dishes, spicy foods, cured meats and fruit appetizers such as melon wrapped in ham.

Serving temperature & style: for guaranteed enjoyment; Prosecco should be served cold (38–45 °F / 3–7 °C) in a tulip style wine glass.

For the lovers of effervescent wine who are on a budget, Congratulations! Vinatis offers you a wide range of prosecco at affordable prices; where you will have a similar feeling and taste of champagne.