Prosecco Secrets 1: Bubbly and Sparkling

In an earlier post we promised to write more about the secrets of Prosecco. We could have asked one of our producers for help, but we would have end up with a 600 pages book. So, we will keep it short and simple focusing on the essential facts!

The Sparkles of Prosecco
In this first part about Prosecco we first discuss the variety in sparkles that you may come across; knowing about bubbles makes a lot of difference to you which Prosecco you choose.
When you browser a restaurant’s wine list or when you visit the Prosecco page of our shop, you may come across the terms “Spumante” and “Frizzante”.  Now, if you like your wine to be really bubbly and exuberant or just produce a nice little bit of sparkles that tantalise your taste buds, these terms can make all the difference in your choice of Prosecco.

Spumante
The Italian term “Spumante” litterally translated means “frothy”, but it is intended as “sparkling” or “fully sparkling”. Most Prosecco made in Italy nowadays is Spumante. 
All bottles of Spumante, Prosecco or otherwise, are sealed with the typical mushroom-shaped cork and cage like champagne, and the glass is of the thickest and heaviest type.
These “heavy-duty” implements are absolutely necessary as the pressure in the bottle is the same as in a double-decker bus tyre; don’t underestimate the power of the bubble! For instance, both the Vettori  Proseccos in our shop are Spumante type.
Sadly, the more elaborate closure, the heavier bottle and its transport costs, not to mention UK’s duty on any wines with a mushroom cork (£2.16 a bottle!) make Spumante wines that little more expensive. For a good cause we say, but also be aware of the cheap stuff; £2.16 on a £5.99 bottle of bubbles, with closure, glass bottle and transport cost being the same for everyone, should make you think about the quality of what’s left; the wine itself!  Just read our article about the Real Cost of Wine for more… horror!

Frizzante


NV Prosecco IGT, Riondo

 “Frizzante” can be translated as “effervescent” or “lightly sparkling”.  A very good example is the NV Prosecco IGT, Riondo. As the pressure is considerably less in these bottles, normal thickness/heaviness glass and a simple cork aided in place with a little string, are normally used for Frizzante wines.
In fact Prosecco Frizzante in Italy is often referred to, in a non-official way, as Prosecco “Spago” (“string”).

How to spot a Prosecco Frizzante or Prosecco Spumante?
So, the tip to spot at a glance if a bottle of Prosecco is either Spumante or Frizzante, it is simply to look at the cork:
• Mushroom-type & cage – Spumante
• Normal cork and string, Frizzante.
It is that simple.

Prosecco Tranquillo:
This still version of the Prosecco is not well known in the UK and you will not often see it in a restaurant wine list.  An example of the Prosecco Tranquillo is made by Colvendra

How do they compare when drank?
With Prosecco Spumate, the intensity of the bubbles makes it drinkable at a colder temperature and some say it also makes it more zesty and thirst-clenching than the Frizzante variety. Having said that, if you enjoy Prosecco Frizzante at a slightly less chilled temperature, it can produce creaminess and a finishing similar to Chardonnay Champagnes and Cremants.

Prosecco getting and staying bubbly
The bubbles contain the natural gas Carbon Dioxide that develops naturally in the second stage of the fermentation process. This is the same gas that is – artificially – added to fizzy drinks so, although needless to say, it is totally harmless.
The age, ripeness, acidity and sugar levels of the grape influence the sparkles as well as the amount of yeast and sugar (sometimes called ‘Price de mousse’) added during this second stage of fermentation.  
The last factor influencing the bubbles is the glass in which you serve the Prosecco.  There are special Prosecco tulip-shaped glasses that let escape the gas/bubbles in the most optimal manner for Prosecco.

Trivia fact
Did you know that although the bubbles in sparkling wine contain gas, this alone cannot make a wine… bubble? It is only when the Carbon Dioxide molecules come into contact with the impurities on the glass’ surface, that a chemical reaction occur and the bubbles are produced.If you were to pour any sparkling wine in a fully-sterilised glass, absolutely clean of all impurities on its surface, well… it wouldn’t sparkle at all!

And with this dinner-party “cracker” we thank Stephen Fry and the BBC show QI for reminding us of it and we salute you until next blog:  Prosecco Secrets: 2. Region and Denomination


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The Joy of Sparkling Wine

Miolo Franciacorta DOCG

Sparkling wine is a controversial topic. From the artificially inflated prices of Champagne (nobody forces you to buy it), to the merits of home-grown products (yes, home-grown as in the UK. Try the superb Nyetimber) to of course our own Italian Wine Boutique blind tastings with “the experts” where the “Miolo” Franciacorta DOCG without fail is voted “best Champagne of the evening!” Irresistibly amusing, just keep an eye on our Tastings page if you’d like to experience it live.

But the heat of the discussion becomes red and even white in their motherland, when the merits of sparkling wines from Italy are discussed. Loads of disinformation, critics and so called expert blowing hot hair, not to mention UK’ supermarkets are responsible for the confusion. But don’t you worry for a second! We are here to help with our charming Italian accents (pity there isn’t an app for it yet!) and our 35 years of experience as head sommeliers and wine consultant, we will reveal all the secrets, or industry facts as we call them, about Italian Sparkling wines.

Now, grab a glass of your favourite bubbles and relax while you read this introduction to Italian Sparkling wines. This is the first article of a series in which, we will explain loads of facts and share tons of tips about Italian Sparkling wines.

Italy produces traditional sparkling wines such as Asti Spumante (correct name, Moscato D’Asti DOCG), Franciacorta DOCG and of course the “new UK’s craze” Prosecco which has had since 1876 to perfect. But surely you have heard about these. What most people outside their Italian valleys of production have been missing, are those less known, sometimes unpronounceable, varieties that we know the UK taste buds would absolutely love. Yes, there is an awful lot more to Italian Sparkling wines than Asti and Prosecco.
This is possible, yet again, to the truly infinite variety and richness of  grape and terroirs - a French word to indicate the combination of geography, geology and climate of a certain place that uniquely influence the quality of the crop - varieties in Italy. Since bubbles - as our next blogs will illustrate - are naturally, yet manually induced in sparkling wine, it is possible to attempt the creation of a sparkling wine virtually anywhere in the world and with any grapes. And this is exactly what happens with notoriously mixed results.

But thankfully in Italy, with its hundreds of indigenous grapes and terroirs, results are much more consistent. Having also had literally hundreds of years/vintages to experiment with, fine tune and perfect those combinations of grapes, terroirs and production methods, what Italy has to offer in terms of Sparkling wine would spoil for choice any bubble-lover.  


Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos


So prepare yourself to hear all about the incredible Lessini Durello DOC made less than 30 miles from the Prosecco DOC area and tasting superb, but nothing like Prosecco, learn about what makes the bubbles, discover how the mushroom cork can increase the price you pay for your wine to, most importantly, what brut, dry and extra-dry can mean to your taste buds (not to dinner-party vocabulary!). From the Alps to the beaches of Sicily, here we come to spark (le) your wine experience!