Prosecco

Prosecco is a type of wine produced from Glera white grapes. It is Italy's most popular sparkling white wine and is usually a good substitute for the more pricey champagne. It is more affordable but still has that great flavor. It comes from the vineyards of Italy's northern region, Veneto. This is usually an all occasion wine. It is fun, affordable, and light. The aroma is rich and the flavors are simple. These wines have increasingly gained popularity and are grown in other countries like Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Romania. If you're looking for a not so fizzy, semi-sweet wine, this could be the right drink for you.

Prosecco's Competitors

Prosecco's main commercial competitor is the champagne. The wine making process is different which makes the price more reasonable. It uses the Charmat method wherein the secondary fermentation process takes place in stainless steel tanks. This process is cheaper as compared to the traditional method of having them fermented in individual bottles. The tank fermentation processing is better for the preservation of the grape's fresh clean flavors.

There are two types of Prosecco wines

Full sparkling wine better known as spumante (means foaming): This is more expensive than the other variant. It has undergone a full second fermentation process. The most famous example for this type is the Asti Spumante.

Lightly sparkling wine known as frizzante, gentile: The bubbles give you that refreshingly light tingly feeling. These bubbles mask the wine's sweetness. If you think the champagne is way too fizzy for you, try this type. The most common of this are the Lambrusco, Vinho Verde, Gavi, and Moscato d' Asti.

The colors and taste of prosecco

Prosecco appears as a pale golden color and the flavor has hints of lemon, citrus, melon, honey, and almonds. It has a fresh, crisp, and clean flavor that reminds you of a nice relaxing summer day. Its aroma is intense and brings about scents of apple, pear, peach, and apricot. It would seem ironic that while the aroma is concentrated, the flavor is light, delicate and simple. Its fresh flavor goes well with salads, creamy sauces, spicy Asian foods, almonds, pastas and seafood. It is food friendly and doesn't break your budget. It is a flexible wine so you won't go wrong with this choice.

 

Originally, Prosecco was drunk by itself. It is usually taken before meals as an appetizer outside Italy. It has a lower alcohol content as compared to its other competitors. But some mixed drinks have come out with this as a mixer. The famous Bellini cocktail, mixed with peach puree or just fresh peach juice is a heavenly drink and is Venice's most famous cocktail to date. It is best served chilled. This wine also has a life span of about three years. It should be consumed before it reaches its vintage though. It should be drank as young as possible so as to truly appreciate its flavor and aroma. Some of the highest quality wines of these types may be aged up to seven years.