You’ll quickly learn that Prosecco is more than just inexpensive bubbles. Find out more about this intriguing sparkling wine, including how to choose it, the various styles, Valdobbiadene, the primary wine-producing area, and the foods that go well with it.
Prosecco is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced over a wide area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco in the province of Trieste.
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Table of Contents
What is Prosecco?
Technically, Prosecco is a sparkling wine that originates from the Valdobbiadene region in Veneto, Italy.
The wine is made with Prosecco grapes (also called “Glera”) and made into wine via the Charmat sparkling method, which gives wines approximately 3 atmospheres of pressure.
This indicates that Prosecco’s bubbles generally last longer than beer’s (1.5 atmospheres of pressure), but not as long as Champagne’s (5-6 atmospheres of pressure).
What Does Prosecco Taste Like?
You probably have no idea what Prosecco tastes like if you’re searching for that question on Google. Let me introduce you to Prosecco, a white sparkling wine that tastes a lot like Champagne (in a way that will make the majority of wine connoisseurs want to scream down the house). However, you can very easily find a style you like because Prosecco is widely available and comes in a variety of flavors, from very sweet to very dry.
How Long Does Prosecco Last?
In my house, not very long. Ok, bad joke. Moving swiftly on…
Unfortunately, the answer to the frequently asked question “Does Prosecco go off” is yes. Young wines like to be consumed immediately, unlike Prosecco. So Prosecco does age and benefit from a vintage, unlike wines that do not.
Prosecco lasts for how long? Prosecco should generally be consumed within a year of purchase if it is in the original, unopened bottle.
Depending on how it has been stored, Prosecco can last for a while after being opened. You should be able to enjoy your Prosecco for a few days inside the bottle if you use a proper sparkling wine stopper. Open one evening, and then consume the remaining portions the following (or even the following day if you don’t mind a slight reduction in fizz levels).
What’s the Difference Between Prosecco and Champagne?
I won’t go into too much detail when describing how Prosecco and Champagne differ. Instead, here’s the highlights:
- they’re from different locations: Champagne is from France, Prosecco is from Italy;
- they use different grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier are all used in champagne. Prosecco used the Glera grape;
- they use different methods for getting the bubbles into the sparkling wine. Unlike Prosecco, which adds the yeast to the tanks before bottling, Champagne adds the yeast to the bottles (known as the Traditional Method).
Tips on Finding High-Quality Prosecco
- Prosecco DOC: The most common quality level of Prosecco which can be made in nine provinces spanning Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions.
- Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG: Grapes are blended from a smaller, more focused growing area between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano in the hills. Some of the most intense Prosecco wines are said to come from these hills.
- Asolo Prosecco DOCG: Another smaller hillside region producing excellent wines to high standards can be found across the river from the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene region. The bottle label for wines reads Asolo Prosecco (previously: Colli Asolani).
- Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore Rive DOCG: Conegliano-Valdobbiadene wines produced from particular communes or vineyards. There are 43 such communes.
- Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG: Generally regarded as one of the world’s best terroirs for Prosecco, this 265-acre micro-region is located just outside of Valdobbiadene (towards the Westside).
FAQs
Should Prosecco Be Chilled?
Absolute cooling is required for prosecco. It doesn’t taste all that good when you grab a warm Coke can off the supermarket shelf, does it? The bubbles are big and gassy and fill you up to the point you can’t enjoy your drink. Same with Prosecco.
How Do You Store Prosecco?
Prosecco should be stored for up to a year in a cool, dry place. Keep it out of the fridge after a few days. It runs the chance of drying out the cork, which could ruin your bubbles. Boo!
How Do You Serve Prosecco?
A few hours before you intend to drink it, place your Prosecco in the refrigerator, and it will come out perfectly chilled. Serve it alone, much like you would champagne. don’t add ice to it (it will kill the bubbles and the flavour).
Summary: What is Prosecco?
Prosecco is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco which is in the province of Trieste, Italy. Although it is made from the Prosecco grape, which the European Union renamed Glera in 2009, denomination rules permit up to 15% of the wine to come from other authorized varieties. Prosecco is almost always made in sparkling or semi-sparkling style (spumante and frizzante, respectively), but a still wine (tranquillo) is also permitted. Within the larger designation are two small DOCG areas, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco in the hills between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and Asolo Prosecco around the nearby town of Asolo. Prosecco Superiore is always spumante and comes only from these DOCG areas.
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