Prosecco – Simple, yet Sparkling

Who would have guessed that Paris Hilton could change winemaking?

In the past year here in Germany, I have seen Ms. Hilton’s face on billboards, buses and big, in-store displays NOT to promote another reality TV show, but rather single-serving cans of Rich Prosecco. Yes, I did say, “cans” of Prosecco.

And as Rich Prosecco turned up everywhere in these parts, it also caught Italy’s irate attention as they decided this was the last straw for ersatz Prosecco. You see, any wine made from Prosecco grapes can be called Prosecco, whether it is produced in its native area, Italy’s Veneto region, or anywhere else in the world. And the Rich Brand so associated with Ms. Hilton used Austrian Prosecco grapes, garnering far too much attention and clearly not upholding the standards of quality Prosecco. In fact, despite extensive marketing, Rich Prosecco likely has not succeeded as anticipated, with the primary example being 30,000 cans of it for auction in a Serbian warehouse with an unfortunate expiration date of this month.

The good news for Prosecco makers and drinkers is that Italy’s agricultural and trade officials, looking at Champagne’s example, have declared that the only thing that can be called Prosecco must come from Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, Italy. And by year’s end, the European Union is expected to formalize that decision.

What’s so great about Prosecco?
Wine writers are amusingly consistent in their description of Prosecco, as a sparkling wine that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Its biggest fans usually add that it is fresh, fizzy, delicate, and fruity with mostly apple and pear-ish flavors. What it’s not is champagne. For me, one of the keenest differences is the nose. Prosecco has a sweet scent whereas champagne can sometimes smell yeasty and have somewhat yeasty or toasty flavors. Prosecco has a lightness that separates it from champagne as well, making it perfect as an aperitif, or for, as it became famous at Harry’s Bar, blending in cocktails with complementary fruits, such as peaches in the Bellini. The most distinct difference, however, is the price tag, and that has a lot to do with the process in making Prosecco.

Champagne becomes bubbly through a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Prosecco gets its fizz through the Charmat process, which occurs in large steel containers. So, rather than doing one bottling a year, the process is ongoing, with essentially continuous bottling, keeping the price down for happy consumers. And that’s important to a wine meant to be drunk young. If someone is pushing a vintage Prosecco, kindly decline. Prosecco is best young and cold. Time spent in cellars or on store shelves is not improving this wine.

Interestingly, Prosecco actually starts out as a still wine with very high acidity. Winemakers add sugar and yeast in that second fermentation when it becomes effervescent. While most Prosecco can lean toward the sweet side, drier versions do exist. However, an article in the London Observer quoted a winemaker as saying, “When it’s bone dry, it’s tongue-cutting stuff. Prosecco is a semi-aromatic variety, so you can’t keep the perfume in the wine and keep the sugar low. The more sugar there is in the grapes, the more aromatic it is.”

What’s nice about drinking Prosecco these days is that because its process and potential as a wine is growing, we are seeing more winemakers getting in the game. Until recently, mostly large producers made Prosecco that was cloyingly sweet, but without much character. Prosecco is actually one of the oldest wine grapes in Italy (possibly produced in Roman times), and has ranked 30th in importance out of about 2,000 grapes there, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

A great example of up and coming artisanal wineries involved in this trend is Bele Casel. Its concentrated, aromatic Prosecco comes from fruit grown near Santo Stefano and Sacol in the Valdobbiadene region. Cool temperatures for the fermentation process help keep the wine’s vibrancy and freshness, making the slightly sweet pear and apple taste wonderfully quaffable. Great for summer dishes, but especially wonderful with soft ripe cheese or prosciutto with melon.

The key with this and other newer Proseccos is to appreciate them for what they are. This isn’t a wine of pomp and circumstance. These are simple wines that offer pleasing refreshment. A slightly lemon or citrus hint leftover from the grape’s original acidity provides a wonderful balance, ultimately making it hard to put your glass down.

– Ivy Kupec