Can you tell your Prosecco from your Faux-secco? If not, read on as Ellen Manning explains how to make sure that every glass is the real Italian deal
We’re in the middle of a beautiful love affair. It’s with a wine that’s posh enough for special occasions yet also perfect for a post-work drink. Sales of Prosecco have soared while whole festivals and bars have been dedicated to it. This year we’ve also seen panic over warnings of a shortage, concerns that our new-found romance could be hurting us through its effect on our teeth, and giddy excitement over a three-litre bottle that’s filling shelves for Christmas.
According to the Consortium for the Protection of Prosecco, of the 410 million bottles made in 2016, 75 per cent were exported. And of that export market, the UK came top with more than a third of sales – a whopping 100 million bottles – beating both the US and Germany.
We’re hooked, it seems. But like any flush of new romance, do must of us really know what we’re drinking and why we love it so much? And when this honeymoon period comes to an end, is there enough between us and Prosecco for our relationship to stay the course?
What makes Prosecco special
“Everybody thinks they know what Prosecco is, but for many people ‘Prosecco’ is the same as a sparkling wine,” says Luca Giavi, director of the official consortium which protects its identity and traditions under DOC classification, meaning Controlled Designation of Origin.
Wine can only be called Prosecco if it ticks a range of boxes. On top of the way it’s made, which involves a second fermentation in the winery that results in its fizz, there are more criteria it has to meet – including having a certain special label, being made in a certain way and coming from a certain region. We’re also supposed to drink it from wider wine glasses rather than traditional Champagne flutes.
Prosecco is produced exclusively in nine provinces spanning the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. It’s made predominantly from glera grapes mixed with a small percentage of other varieties.
Put simply, you can’t just give any old fizz from Italy that special name. But lack of knowledge among British drinkers means we’re often inadvertently sipping inferior stand-ins without even realising it. That’s why one of the consortium’s main jobs is tracking down any imposters – the likes of Krossecco and Meer-Secco and even the fizz you see poured from a pump on the bar, as the genuine stuff can only come in a bottle.
For the people who enforce this, it’s important because Prosecco’s distinct characteristics go beyond the bubbles. That floral, fruity smell and taste, as well as the slightly lower alcohol content, are what make people like it so much.
For Giavi, the appeal is simple to understand: “It’s accessible.” Neil Phillips, aka The Wine Tipster, agrees this is one of several elements behind its popularity in the UK.
“The flexibility of occasions when we have bubbles has changed a lot in the UK. We used to wait for a celebratory occasion. We’re more flexible now, people are going into a bar and saying: ‘I just want to drink bubbles’.”
How to pick the right bottle for you
Phillips, who is Prosecco DOC’s UK ambassador, admits that price plays some part, with customers able to pick up a bottle far cheaper than its posher cousin Champagne. But it’s more than that. “On top of that you have something attractive in Prosecco – it’s easy to drink, it’s friendly in terms of alcohol. It’s a very sociable style of drinking.”
But part of creating an enduring relationship is going beyond the initial impressions and seeing the complexity within. And that’s what the consortium wants to show consumers. In the same way that wine aficionados recognise a Chardonnay from a Chablis, an Alsace from an Australian, or beer fans know a pale ale from a blonde or a British from a Belgian, Prosecco goes beyond one word.
There are important differences between “semi-sparkling”, known as “frizzante”, and “spumante”, the bubbles you’re probably more used to. On top of that, within spumante Prosecco are an array of different names relating to the residual sugar level in it – with a “brut” having between zero and 12g per litre, compared to a sweeter “extra dry” with anything from 12g to 17g. This is an important factor in the differences between different types of the wine, especially in a world obsessed with sugar. It’s the range of choice that Giavi is keen for people across the world to understand better.
“It’s important to explain what kind of Prosecco you can use for this occasion or another occasion. I think that’s similar to beer: ‘I want a beer’. ‘What kind of beer’?”
Not just for the sweet toothed
Understanding its versatility and complexity is the next step in educating consumers about the different tastes available, says Phillips. People who think they don’t like Prosecco because it’s too sweet may still be able to find an option they like – and those who think it’s merely a cheaper version of Champagne should realise it offers a distinct alternative in more than just price.
“This is the next stage of the inquisitive journey,” says Phillips. And with retailers offering more choice at various prices, people can take that journey. “They can start to say, ‘I know that label, I know that Prosecco’ and associate with producers and names in the same way we do with Champagne.”
Phillips would also like to see a wider choice of Proseccos in restaurants, pubs and bars, proving to us that it’s not just an aperitif or something to be drunk on special occasions, but can hold its own in the world of food pairing. “These are lovely elegant wines – not just easy drinking,” he adds. “These are wines that can go really well with food and have a lot of versatility when it comes to food pairing. People need to see it like that without getting away from the fact it is a lovely drinking experience as well.”
With so much going for it, from taste to price, it’s no wonder Britain fell head over heels for Prosecco. But with far more to it than meets the eye and so much to learn, it looks like there’s plenty of scope for an enduring relationship that goes far beyond a fizzy fling.
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