What Is Prosecco? A Beginner’s Guide

What does Prosecco taste like?

A typical sparkling Prosecco is light to medium-bodied, refreshing and fruit-driven. You may notice pear, green apple, citrus or white-flower aromas. The bubbles are often lively, while the texture is generally bright and clean rather than strongly creamy or yeasty.

That is a useful starting point, not a rule. Prosecco can vary according to its origin, sweetness, grape blend, alcohol level and winemaking choices. Some examples are more floral, some more citrusy, and some have a broader or richer feel.

Prosecco can also be made in different levels of sparkle. Spumante means sparkling, frizzante means semi-sparkling and tranquillo means still. When Australians casually refer to Prosecco, they are usually talking about the sparkling version.

Where does Prosecco come from?

The broad designation is Prosecco DOC. Its production area extends across nine provinces in the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

A separate designation is Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG. It comes from a smaller, defined hilly area around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in the province of Treviso, covering 15 municipalities.

For a beginner, the important distinction is simple:

• Prosecco DOC describes the broader regulated production area.
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG describes a narrower, hilly protected designation.

DOCG is part of the legal name and production framework. It should not be treated as a promise that every DOCG wine will taste better to every drinker, or that every DOC wine is inferior.

What grape is Prosecco made from?

Glera is the principal grape associated with Prosecco. It is a white grape that contributes to the wine’s fresh, floral and fruit-led character.

Prosecco DOC rules also allow specified supplementary varieties within limits. These include varieties such as Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera Lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero, depending on the product category and permitted proportions.

That is why it is more accurate to say that Prosecco is primarily made from Glera, rather than saying every bottle is made from 100% Glera. Prosecco DOC Rosé, for example, uses Glera with Pinot Nero within defined proportions.

How is Prosecco made?

Most sparkling Prosecco is made using the tank method, also called the Martinotti or Charmat method.

The basic process is:

1. Grapes are pressed and the juice undergoes a first fermentation.
2. The resulting still wine is clarified and prepared for its second fermentation.
3. A second fermentation takes place in a sealed, pressurised tank.
4. The carbon dioxide created during fermentation remains dissolved in the wine.
5. The wine is filtered and bottled under pressure.

Because the second fermentation takes place in a tank rather than in each individual bottle, the method generally helps preserve fresh fruit and floral aromas. It does not mean the wine is simple or low quality.

Nor is every Prosecco made in exactly the same way. Certain permitted categories and local traditions include bottle-fermented examples. “Most Prosecco” is therefore safer and more accurate than “all Prosecco”.

You can read more about the tank method in sparkling-wine production and how it differs from the traditional method.

Is Prosecco sweet?

Prosecco can range from very dry to sweet. The label terms describe residual sugar—the sugar left in the wine after fermentation—but sweetness is also affected by acidity, bubbles, alcohol and fruit character.

For Prosecco DOC Spumante, the main categories are:

The famous beginner trap is that Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut. In sparkling-wine terminology, “dry” does not necessarily mean bone-dry in the everyday sense.

Prosecco compared with other sparkling wines

Champagne comes from Champagne in France and is commonly made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier using the traditional method. It is often associated with bottle fermentation and lees ageing.

Cava is a Spanish protected sparkling wine generally made using the traditional method. Its classic grape framework includes Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada.

Crémant is not one single wine or region. The name is used by several French regional appellations, each with its own place, grapes and rules.

Moscato d’Asti comes from Piedmont in Italy and is made from Moscato Bianco. It is usually sweet, highly aromatic and lightly sparkling, making it quite different from a standard dry or off-dry Prosecco.

These wines may all have bubbles, but sparkling wine is a broad family. Origin, grape variety, sweetness and production method can make them taste very different.

What does “Prosecco” mean on an Australian label?

Australian shoppers need to read the whole label rather than relying on the word Prosecco alone.

Imported Italian Prosecco refers to wine made under the protected Italian designation. Under Australia’s current arrangements, Prosecco has also been used domestically as a grape-variety name. That means an Australian-produced wine and an imported Italian Prosecco are not automatically legally or stylistically identical.

Check the country-of-origin information and the rest of the label. “Prosecco” does not, by itself, tell you that the wine was made in Italy.

Australian and European labelling arrangements are subject to implementation changes. For a current legal interpretation, consult the latest information from Wine Australia and the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

How should Prosecco be served?

Serve sparkling Prosecco well chilled. The ideal temperature can vary with the wine, so avoid treating one number as compulsory.

Open it safely: chill the bottle, keep the cork pointed away from people and hold the cork firmly while slowly turning the bottle. The aim is a controlled release rather than a dramatic pop. See how to open sparkling wine safely.

Prosecco works comfortably with seafood, shellfish, salty appetisers, fried foods, salads, sushi, antipasto, mild cheeses and brunch dishes. Sweeter examples can also work with mildly spicy foods or fruit-based desserts.

Frequently asked questions

Is Prosecco sweet?

It can be. Prosecco ranges from very dry to sweet. Brut is drier than Extra Dry, despite what the wording may suggest.

Is Prosecco Champagne?

No. Champagne is a protected French designation with its own region, grapes and production rules. Prosecco is associated with protected Italian designations, Glera and usually tank-method production.

What grape is Prosecco made from?

Glera is the principal grape. Some permitted Prosecco categories can include other varieties within regulated limits.

How should Prosecco be served?

Serve it well chilled and open it carefully. Keep any remaining wine refrigerated with a suitable sparkling-wine stopper.