Look at the Pros of Prosecco
Well, it’s here again, August 13: National Prosecco day. So, let’s Look at the Pros of Prosecco. If you don’t know what Prosecco is, you probably aren’t a regular of this blog. This isn’t the first year we celebrate this bubbly holiday. And, it won’t be the last. So, first, let’s answer the question simply: Prosecco is a Sparkling wine from the Veneto Region of Northeast Italy, near the Slovakian border, where the grapes originated. Of course, it goes much further than that. While Champagne is the Champagne of Sparkling wines, Prosecco is no slouch in the market. And, the lower price tag doesn’t hurt.
So, what’s the difference? The main difference is in the names. Prosecco comes from a specific region in Italy. You can make an identical wine elsewhere. But, to get the name Prosecco, it has to come from a region in Northeast Italy that encompasses Venice, Verona, and a handful of other towns. And, unlike champagne where a number of different grape varieties can be used, Prosecco uses the Glera grape. Glera used to boast the name Prosecco. But, they changed it to avoid confusion with the wine. Also, Prosecco gets its secondary fermentation in the vat as opposed to champagne where it happens in the individual bottles. Champagne’s history goes back centuries. But, the official designation of Prosecco came on the books in the 1930’s despite the wine itself dating back to the 1700’s. So, it’s a relatively “new kid on the block”.
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Forget the cons. Look at the Pros of Prosecco
Italy is famous for mobsters, fashion, food, and, of course, wine. Big, bold reds like Chianti, Barolo , and Valpolicella are world famous, and stand up well to heavy comfort foods like red sauce pasta. But, Italy is a Peninsula surrounded by water. So, Seafood is a major part of the cuisine. Don’t forget the 7 fishes meal on Christmas Eve. While you can dink a heavy red with said seafood, a lighter wine generally works better. Plus, it’s a celebration. So, bubbles are in order. You wouldn’t drink a French wine with Italian seafood. So, Prosecco wins the day.
Purists look down on Prosecco because they don’t use the Methode Champenoise to introduce bubbles. This is where a little sugar is added to each bottle, and someone has to come in and turn each bottle throughout the secondary fermentation process. This method dates back to the invention of champagne. It’s extremely labor intensive. By the time Prosecco became a thing, we had newer, more efficient technology. Instead of wasting all that time and labor, Prosecco does the secondary fermentation in the vat before being bottled. Thus, they create a fine bubbly without the excessive labor, or the cost associated therein. You can argue that the champagne method is superior. But, is it twice the price better? And, when it comes down to it, wine is a very personal thing. It’s up to your personal taste.
a matter of taste
When it comes to taste, Prosecco tends to be sweeter than champagne. That’s not to say there aren’t extremely dry versions. Look at the history of champagne, the original versions had more than double the amount of sugar as Coca Cola. Brut was a later invention. Now, champagne uses any combination of 7 different grapes with very different flavor profiles. Prosecco is a minimum 85% Glera. They can add other grapes such as chardonnay and Pinot Noir (the main champagne grapes). So, while champagne can be all over the place, Prosecco tends to be more consistent. Meanwhile, there are some major differences between a good Prosecco and a great one. That’s just the nature of wine. Everything from the vintner to terroire to the weather affect how a wine turns out.
Glera is the white cousin of 2 varieties of Manzoni red grapes. These grapes derive from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (considered “noble” grapes). People describe Glera as neutral. But, that is a relative term. Granted, it doesn’t have a bold flavor like Chardonnay. The San Fransisco Wine school describes it like this:
That sounds like a good place to start with sparkling wines. Bubbles in wine were a bad thing until Champagne came along. carbonation covers up imperfection in a wine. It makes it hard to taste the grape in question. So, using a so called neutral grape makes perfect sense. Why take your best grapes and carbonate them? Secondary fermentation changes the overall perception of the wine. And, vintners can control the sweetness. So, you can get a super sweet or bone dry variation. You choose. It’s a matter of taste.
Who are the Pros of Prosecco?
Prosecco has been around since the Ancient Greeks. But, it’s popularity really only took off around the turn of the current century. We mentioned before that the powers that be changed the name of the grape from Prosecco to Glera. This was a marketing move. It guaranteed the market share from the region. They had to stretch the boundaries a bit though. The premier Prosecco producing area is Conegliano Valdobbiadene. But, the town of Prosecco is located a few miles away. So, when they drew up the map of the region, they included Everything from Verona to Trieste. The name change was necessary because you can’t copyright a grape. But, you can do so with a region (like champagne). advertising Pros of Prosecco put “Madmen” to shame. Not only is the area a tourist destination, but the name of the wine is a household word worldwide.
But, it’s been around forever, why the sudden increase in popularity? Here come the marketing geniuses again. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s sparkling wine became a major staple of the hip hop community and pop culture with People like Paris Hilton as influencers. Champagne prices shot through the roof. Since Prosecco used a more cost effective method of production, it was more affordable to the working class. At that time, Champagne was seen as the ultimate in quality, and competitors like Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante, Cheap American Sparklers, and Spanish Cavas were seen as the opposite end of the spectrum: laughably cheap with a quality to match. Prosecco filled that gap. A quality sparkler in a low to mid range price. Today, most Proseccos are between $10 and $20 a bottle while most Champagnes start above $30 and skyrocket from there.
Even in the recipes
The name Prosecco has even entered common drink recipes. Where people would have automatically said “champagne”, Prosecco is now the term used for sparkling wine in many popular drinks. Bellinis calls for Peach juice and Prosecco. Aperol Spritz as well. It finds its way into Sloe Gin Fizzes, martinis, sbagliotos, and even Mimosas. And, it makes perfect sense. At Only Cumin, we are big proponents of saving the expensive stuff for drinking straight. If you’re going to mix, you don’t want anything over the top. And, prosecco is based on what is described as a “neutral” grape. So, it’s the perfect mixer.
That’s not to say you can’t drink it straight. While most Proseccos use the Charmant method, that is not a requirement. So, you can get methode champenoise variations (at a premium price). But, most rely on the labor and cost saving method of bulk carbonation. And, the quality is better than most “cheap” champagnes. So, don’t think using Prosecco is “cheaping out”. If you want to spend $200 or more on exquisite champagne, have at it. But, a bottle of 90+ point Nino Franco Prosecco will run you around $20 as opposed to $65 for a bottle of Moet of comparable quality. So, save your money and enjoy a Prosecco Cocktail instead of feeling like you have to savor of every sip and don’t want to adulterate something that cost half a week’s pay.
So, let’s start mixing. Today we have the perfect summer drink. And, it captures the essence of Prosecco’s Italian homeland. Start with Prosecco, add a little Limoncello and vodka to boost the alcohol and flavors, and top with a scoop of Lemon Sorbet. Simple, cooling, refreshing, and flavorful. What’s not to love?
Lemon Sgroppino
Ingredients
- 1 Bottle Prosecco
- 2 Oz Vodka
- 4 Oz Limoncello
- 4 Scoops Lemon Sorbet
- Mint leaves and Lemon to Garnish
- Sugar to rim the glass Optional
Instructions
- Dip glasses in water or with a lemon to moisten it. Rub the rim in sugar. This step is optional, but adds a nice touch. You could even mix some lemon zest with the sugar.
- Pour one part vodka, 2 Parts limoncello in each glass. Add in well chilled Prosecco to fill the glasses about 2/4 full. Then put in a scoop of Sorbet. Garnish with lemon and mint. Drink immediately. The Sorbet will melt into the drink as you go. It's best while still at least partially frozen though, so don't let it sit for long.