Words by Helena Nicklin
We’re not always in the mood for a Hollywood blockbuster. Sometimes, a bit of daytime TV hits the spot perfectly: it’s accessible, cheaper than going to the cinema and you can consume buckets of it in one sitting and barely notice! Yes, if Champagne is the film star of the wine world, Prosecco is the much-loved TV star. And while it doesn’t command the price tag or have the wow factor of its film-star cousin Champagne, it’s often seen as more approachable, affordable and a lot less demanding.
Prosecco is the easy-drinking fizz choice for many these days; loved for its creamy mousse, soft, ripe pear flavour and low-ish alcohol (generally 11%). It’s not trying to taste like Champagne with all those complex flavours that come with age; Prosecco is all about fresh fruit and early drinking. It’s cheaper to produce and therefore cheaper to sell, so all in all, it’s easy to see why it’s the everyday sparkling wine of choice for many in the UK and the US..
Need-to-know Prosecco Facts
This fresh-faced Italian lovely is a great wine in its own right, so here are some vital statistics:
Where is it from?: the small, hilly Conegliano Valdobbiadene area within the Veneto in North East Italy, just above Venice.
Grape: Made with the Glera grape, which until recently was also called Prosecco.
Fizz levels: Prosecco comes in various styles of bubbleage: still (tranquilo), semi-sparkling (frizzante) and fully sparkling (spumante). Spumante wines keep their fizz better than frizzante wines. The ones we usually see in shops are spumante with a few frizzante wines here and there.
Quality levels. The acronyms D.O.C. or D.O.C.G. on your labels equate to a rubber stamp of quality, as wines have been made according to certain regulations. D.O.C. (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata) is more common that the higher quality D.O.C.G. (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita) and within this latter category, there are Prosecco wines that go up further, from Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, up to Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG, then at the top of the pyramid, you have Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG, which is a high quality sub zone over 107 hectares. These wines will naturally be more expensive and show a great more viscosity and complexity. They are often referred to as the Grand Cru wines of Prosecco.
Sweetness Levels
Deep breath! Did you know there were actually six key levels of sweetness for Prosecco? It’s not really at all clear to be honest, especially in the middle ranges so it’s little wonder people have no idea why some Prosecco wines are sweeter than others. Here they are from driest to sweetest, though it’s really the Brut and Extra Dry styles that we see mostly in the UK.
Dry to Sweet
Brut Nature Aka Ultra Brut, Brut Zero, Pas Dosé and Dosage Zéro) (0 – 3 g/l residual sugar for the wine geeks). Bone dry, this is the driest of the Prosecco styles.
Extra Brut (0-6g/l residual sugar), is ‘very dry’.
Brut (0-12g/l residual sugar), is dry but fruit will feel ripe.
Extra Dry (12-17 g/l residual sugar) and is medium dry with a hint of sweetness. Also known as Extra Sec in French and Extra Seco in Italian. Both mean extra dry, even though the wine is not technically dry. Bonkers.
Dry (17-32 g/l residual sugar) Also known as Sec or Secco, will taste pretty darn sweet. Not dessert wine sweet, but definitely sweet.
Demi-Sec (32-50 g/l residual sugar), is proper sweet, yo, though it’s actually quite hard to find demi-sec Proseccos in the UK. Very much a pudding wine.
Food Matching
Take Prosecco to any party and it will excel. It’s fabulous alone, but is also incredibly versatile, going well with many foods. The slight sweetness will even help cut through some delicate spice. Give it a go with antipasti, creamy sauces, seafood, spicy starters, white meat and pasta dishes. The list goes on!
Here are some great, easy drinking Proseccos that are easy to find:
The Brut: Co-op Irresistible Prosecco D.O.C ‘Special Cuvée’ - Brut, £8
A classy, drier style of Prosecco that’s less frothy and ripe than some. This wine won’t get sickly thanks to the lower sugar levels and there’s a lovely floral and honeyed note balanced by a cool hint of lime that keeps you coming back for more. Find it at Co-op here.
The Extra Dry: Planeta Organico Organic Prosecco D.O.C. Treviso- Extra Dry, £7.99, Aldi
This sparkler frequently comes top of the charts when it comes to Prosecco picks. It’s a richer style with buckets of ripe pear and baked apple fruit flavours, but beautifully balanced. Made with organically grown grapes, which is a bonus. Find it at Aldi here.
The Vintage Superiore: Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference, Conegliano Prosecco Superiore, 2012- Brut £10
A vintage Prosecco no less, which means the grapes were so good they used only the ones from the 2012 growing season rather than blending several years together. Made by a revered producer, this deserves its higher price tag for the zesty lemon, peachy notes and dazzling drinkability. Find it here.
The Cartizze: Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Le Colture NV
Possibly the best Prosecco I’ve ever had. Cartizze wines mange a greater balance of all their flavour components, from blossom aromatics, ripe pear and almond to acidity, a cool, saline core and sophisticated drinkability. You can see the upgrade in the price of course, but I’d take this over any cheap Champagne.
Find it at Corney & Barrow here.
The Frizzante: Allini Prosecco frizzante, Lidl, £4.99
Note that this Prosecco is frizzante in style, so is meant to be softer, with less frothiness than the other ‘spumante’ wines. Uncomplicated and refreshing, with decent fruit. It’s unfussy but pleasant with it and who can argue with that price? Find it here.
Let us know if you find a P rosecco you love! We’re on Insta @Thethreedrinkers and twitter @The3Drinkers