Contents
- Prosecco is like champagne, right?
- This, of course, is interesting, but what is the difference between prosecco and champagne?
- That’s clearer, thanks, but how do these differences affect the taste and aroma of wine?
- And what about the classification? They say it’s hard.
- So, it’s time to run to the store. But first, tell me how to drink prosecco?
Want to drink real champagne, but you can’t afford it? From time immemorial, Italy has been preparing an exceptional sparkling wine, which is known worldwide as prosecco. It is an order of magnitude cheaper than the French competitor, and the quality is far ahead of the price.
1
Prosecco is like champagne, right?
No. Prosecco is a dry sparkling wine made in Italy from the Glera grape variety, known as Prosecco until 2009 (according to EU regulation No. to guilt). In addition to Glera, other grape varieties can be included in the composition of the wine (no more than 1166%). The name comes from the Italian village of Prosecco (Prosecco) near Trieste, where, probably, Glera grapes began to be grown.
2
This, of course, is interesting, but what is the difference between prosecco and champagne?
The simplest and most obvious answer is that I make champagne in France, and prosecco in Italy. But there are other differences that true fans of sparkling wines should know.
Champagne
Champagne is a sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France, 130 km northeast of Paris, near the city of Reims.
- The grapes used for production are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
- Produced using the laborious and expensive traditional technology known as “Méthode Champenoise” where the secondary fermentation takes place directly in the bottle.
- Due to the complex production process, an entry-level bottle of champagne costs about $40.
A standard glass of champagne contains 128 calories and 12% alcohol.
Prosecco
Prosecco is a sparkling wine made in the Veneto region of Italy, 24 km north of Venice, near the city of Treviso.
- For production, Glera grapes are used.
- It is mainly produced by the affordable Sharma method, when the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, and then the finished drink is bottled.
- Thanks to the use of the Charmat method, the price of entry-level prosecco is significantly lower than the price of champagne – in the region of $12-14.
A standard glass of prosecco contains 121 calories and 11% alcohol.
3
That’s clearer, thanks, but how do these differences affect the taste and aroma of wine?
Of course, due to differences in secondary fermentation technology, the flavor and aroma profile of both drinks is very different.
Flavor profile of champagne
Tasting notes.
Since champagne is in contact with yeast sediment longer (at least 12 months, after which the drink is subjected to remuage and disgorgement), notes of cheese rind are clearly traced in its aroma, more often – toasted bread crust or biscuit. The wine is aged in bottles under high pressure, so the champagne bubbles are long-playing and “sharp”. The palate is dominated by citrus fruits, white peach, white cherry, almonds and toasted toast.
Flavor profile of prosecco
Tasting notes.
Prosecco has more pronounced fruity and floral aromas that come from grapes. Due to aging in lower pressure tanks, prosecco’s bubbles are “light” and frothy. Typical prosecco has notes of green apple, pear, banana cream, honeysuckle, hazelnuts, vanilla and honey.
Gastronomic accompaniment.
Since Champagne is mostly dry and has a high acidity, it pairs well as an aperitif with shellfish, raw oysters, pickled vegetables, and crispy fried appetizers. Sipping champagne with potato chips may seem wild, but it’s a good combination (of course, the chips must be unflavoured).
Gastronomic accompaniment.
Prosecco is sweeter than champagne, so it pairs perfectly with fruit and cured meats. Among the traditional snacks is a melon wrapped in prosciutto. Prosecco also pairs well with Asian dishes such as Chinese noodles, sushi, and spicy-sweet salads. Prosecco versions of “brut” often accompany pizza and pasta with seafood, already as a digestif.
4
And what about the classification? They say it’s hard.
Yes, that is right. In France, the production of all regional wines is under the control of the AOC system (well, these are all those appellations and other tricky rules, because of which cognac and champagne can only be made in France, and the rest is brandy and sparkling wines). So, in Italy there is a system for this DOC (Designation of origin). Prosecco DOC produced in nine provinces, including Veneto и Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions. These are mainly young vineyards in the channel of the valley in Treviso.
But that’s not all. In 2009, a consortium of prosecco producers proposed upgrading the drink to the so-called DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), which included the elite growing areas of Glera – a conditional region between the towns of Valdobbiadene in the west and Conegliano in the east. So appeared Prosecco Superiore DOCG, which comes in two versions: in fact, Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, as well as the less common wine Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, which is made from grapes grown near the city of Asolo.
It’s difficult, but it’s enough to understand that DOC prosecco is ordinary sparkling wines that are mass-produced and do not care much about its high quality (for example, vineyards in DOC prosecco “burn out” in 15 years due to consumer approach). Prosecco DOCG is another matter, the grapes for which are grown on the hills (vineyards live for several decades), and the people who produce it care about the traditions and quality of the drink. But it’s all poetry. For us, a slightly different classification is more important. So, prosecco, depending on the saturation of carbon dioxide, is divided into:
- sparkling wine (sparkling wine)
- Sparkling (semi-sparkling wines)
- Tranquillo (still wines)
Prosecco Spumante is the most common and expensive, while Tranquillo is exotic (the share of production is only 5%), only a few producers are involved in its export. Also, Prosecco DOC and DOCG, in accordance with EU requirements, is divided by sugar content into: “Brut“(up to 12 grams per liter of residual sugars),”Extra dry»(12-17 g / l) or«Dry» (17–32 g/l). All prosecco wines that are not protected by the DOC are labeled “IGT-Veneto” – they are cheap, but you can’t guess the quality.
5
So, it’s time to run to the store. But first, tell me how to drink prosecco?
Like regular champagne and any other sparkling wine: chilled from flute (champagne glass, flute). In Italy, prosecco is considered a wine for any occasion. Unlike champagne in a prosecco bottle, the fermentation process does not continue and the wine simply ages, losing light fruity undertones, so you need to drink it young, preferably no older than 2 years. Prosecco is also used to make numerous cocktails, among which Bellini is certainly the leader (prosecco and peach puree, and if you replace the puree with strawberry, you get Rossini). In recent years, the Aperol Syringe cocktail has been gaining popularity, which has become a truly cult in Europe. In other cocktails, prosecco can replace champagne, for example, in the Mimosa cocktail, such a replacement is used everywhere to reduce the cost of a mixed drink.