Tag Archives: sparkling wine

Happy Prosecco Week!

This week – July 20-26, 2020 – we are celebrating the 3rd annual National Prosecco Week! So pop a cork on your favorite bottle of Prosecco, pour yourself a glass of that cold, refreshing, crisp bubbly, and read on to learn all about this super popular sparkling wine.

What is Prosecco?

Prosecco is Italy’s most popular sparkling wine, made from the Glera grape in the northeastern part of the country. It is produced in a large area covering the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and is named after the village of Prosecco.

What does Prosecco taste like?

Prosecco is a dry style sparkling wine that is light bodied, fresh and crisp with fruity flavors of green apple, honeydew melon, pear, and honeysuckle. Prosecco bubbles measure in at approximately 3 atmospheres of pressure, while Champagne in comparison has stronger bubbles at approximately 6 atmospheres.

Although it is fruity, Prosecco is not sweet. It contains only small amounts of residual sugar to balance out the high acidity, but this sugar is generally not detectable on the palate. The levels of sweetness in these wines are labeled as follows:

  • Brut: 0-12 grams of residual sugar per litre.
  • Extra-Dry: 12-17 grams of residual sugar per litre.
  • Dry: 17-32 grams of residual sugar per litre.

How is Prosecco made?

Prosecco is made using the Charmat, or Tank, method. This is a different manner of producing sparkling wine from the Traditional method, which is used to make Champagne.

The Charmat method was invented in 1895 and enabled large volumes of sparkling wine to be made inexpensively and quickly, so they could be released for sale faster. By comparison, the Traditional method is longer, more labor intensive, imparts deeper flavors of yeast and bread into the finished wine, and results in a more complex, yet more expensive bottle of wine.

Prosecco’s Charmat method is an expedited production process ideal for fruity wines. These wines are produced using the following steps:

  1. Fruit for sparkling wine is often harvested early while the grapes contain higher levels of acidity and lower levels of sugar. The fruit must be in perfect, healthy condition when picked, as any bad flavors from rotten fruit will be enhanced by effervescence. Therefore, the grapes are usually hand harvested and sorted.
  2. The grapes are gently pressed to extract clean juice while minimizing skin contact to avoid bitter tannins (tannins are contained in grape skins).
  3. The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks by adding yeast, which converts sugars into alcohol. This creates a base dry white wine. Since the grapes are picked early with low levels of sugar, the resulting base wine has a low level of alcohol.
  4. The base wine is then transferred to autoclaves, which are sealed and pressurized tanks. A mixture of sugar and yeast is added to trigger a second alcoholic fermentation. The CO2 produced during this stage of fermentation is trapped in the wine because the tanks are sealed, resulting in bubbles! This secondary fermentation also increases the level of the alcohol in the final wine.
  5. The wine is then brought to the desired sweetness level either by adding “dosage” (a sugar and wine mixture), or by stopping fermentation by cooling the wine when the desired pressure and sugar level is achieved.
  6. Occasionally, higher quality and more expensive Prosecco’s will be aged for several months before release, but the majority of wines are bottled immediately and sent off to the marketplace!

How do I choose the highest quality Prosecco?

Italy has wine laws that designate a quality hierarchy as follows:

  • Vino de Tavola (VDT) – simple table wines
  • Indicazione Geographica Tipica (IGT) – Upgraded table wines with higher quality standards.
  • Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) – indicates superior quality wines in Italy.
  • Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita (DOCG) – identifies Italy’s highest quality wines, and the most stringent rules apply. These wines must pass an in-depth laboratory analysis and tasting panel to guarantee their merit.

Most of the growing region for Prosecco is a DOC zone. However, within the larger Prosecco geographical area is a smaller, more prestigious DOCG area called Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco in the hills between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.

This area produces the most elegant expressions of Prosecco due to its steep hillsides, stony soils, and cooling breezes from the Adriatic Sea, all creating a moderate climate with ideal growing conditions. These Prosecco Superior DOCG wines must follow stricter rules including lower grape yields, hand harvesting, higher minimum alcohol levels, and vintage dating.

To find these wines, look for “Valdobbiadene Prosecco” or “Prosecco Superior DOCG” on the label, along with a DOCG sticker usually placed around the neck of the bottle.

How popular is Prosecco?

Prosecco is the best-selling sparkling wine in the world by volume, taking away from the market share of Champagne in recent years. Prosecco’s success is attributed to its lower price, its greater approachability of fruity flavor, and its profile as a sparkling wine that can be drunk anytime, and not just for special occasions. With an average production cost of $4.20 per bottle, a fraction of Champagne’s average $11.63, Prosecco can be purchased at a price that makes it easier to buy for more casual settings.

Pet Nat: The Next Big Bubbly

You might think that all bubbles are created equal, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are actually six different ways of producing sparkling wines that result in wines with different characters, textures, flavors and price ranges. However, have you ever thought about how sparkling wine first came to be?

You might be surprised to know that Champagne was not the world’s first sparkling wine. In fact, Champagne’s “Traditional Method” of making sparkling wine came along 200 years after sparkling wine was first developed. The very first manner of producing sparkling wine is called the “Ancestral Method” and the first recorded reference to it was in 1531 in Languedoc in southern France.

This ancient method of making sparkling wine is now experiencing a big resurgence in popularity, and these wines are definitely worth seeking out, so let’s delve a little deeper and learn more about wines made using the Ancestral Method.

Names on the label:

  • Pét-nat (Pétillant Naturel)
  • Col Fondo
  • Methode Ancestral
  • Bottle Fermented

How its made:

  • Not only is this the oldest way of making sparkling wine, it is also the simplest method – so simple, in fact, that it probably first happened by accident!
  • A still wine is bottled before alcoholic fermentation is completed, leaving some residual sugar and yeast left in the wine.
  • The fermentation continues in the bottle, with the yeast converting the remaining sugar into alcohol and releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) as a by-product of fermentation. The CO2 bubbles are absorbed into the wine, creating a sparkling wine.
  • Some Pét-nats are left unfined and unfiltered, meaning they can have a hazy or cloudy appearance due to yeast cells left in the wine.
  • These wines are often closed with a crown cap (beer-bottle cap) rather than a cork, reflecting the informal style of these wines.

What it tastes like:

  • The fun thing about Pét-nats is they can be made from any grape variety and are produced all over the world. The small producers who are making these wines today love to experiment with unusual, little known varietals. Because of this, there is no typical flavor profile for Pét-nats, but its a great way to explore grapes you have never heard of before!
  • Pét-nats displays calmer foam, typically with larger bubbles on the palate. The lower pressure of pét-nats allows for a more generous aroma upon opening the bottle.
  • A pét-nat’s bubbles often become softer and smaller as it ages so are meant to be drunk young and not cellared for a long period of time.
  • Those that are hazy and unfiltered can have a creamier texture, as well as biscuity, bready flavors imparted by the yeast cells remaining in the wine.
  • Most pét-nats tend to be fairly low in alcohol—often under 13% ABV— and so they’re usually refreshing and easy drinking.

Where to find them

  • Pét-nats tend to cost in the range of $18-$35.
  • They can be difficult to find in supermarkets and big chain wine stores. You will have better luck finding them in Natural Wine shops and boutique wine shops.
  • Many small, local wineries are now producing Pét-nats because they are easy and cost-effective to produce, so take a look at the wineries in your home state as they may be producing some excellent Pét-nats. In fact, the best one I’ve ever had was made in my home state of New Jersey with chenin blanc grapes. This is also a great way to support a local business!

 

Back to School Wines

Back to School time can either drive you to drink from the stress of trying to get kids up and out early, dealing with massive amounts of homework, frenemy drama, and constantly rushing kids to multiple sports and activities. Or it can be a cause to raise your glass in celebration for getting back on a schedule, not having to pay for summer camp anymore, not having to find ways to keep the kids busy/entertained, and getting some breathing room.

No matter your situation, here are a few wine recommendations to celebrate or cope with Back to School, expertly paired with your child’s grade.

Preschool/Kindergarten

No first day of school is harder than when your little one goes off to school for the very first time. For many moms, this is the first time their child has been away from them for any length of time, and certainly the first time their child is being left in the care of “strangers” for the day. Tears are very likely to be shed. For those moms crying into their wine on the first day, I am recommending a wine with some salinity (a salty character).

Albariño is a white wine from the Galicia and Rias Baixas regions of Spain, located on the Atlantic coast. This is a light-bodied wine that is both fruity and floral. It has lemon, lime, peach, and nectarine characteristics with a slightly bitter finish reminiscent of grapefruit. Due to its proximity to the ocean, the sea air imparts a slightly briney character on the wine. This wine is fresh and zippy and should be drunk young. It is excellent paired with seafood.

Recommended: La Cana Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain, $17

Elementary School

The elementary school years are the easiest and most fun. Kids at this age love to learn and relish every lesson, while homework is still generally light and they are not yet overwhelmed by workload and exams. The kids grow attached to their teachers and make lots of new friends. Elementary schools still have classroom parties and field days. These fun years deserve an equally fun and easy-drinking wine. Nothing is more cheery than a glass of pretty pink rosé.

Rosé can made from several different grape varieties in a number of different styles, from light to full-bodied, and dry to sweet. The most popular style of rosé is from Provence, France, which is typically light, crisp and dry with aromas of strawberry, watermelon and roses. For a slightly fuller-bodied style, try a rosé from Spain or California.

Recommendation: Bodegas Muga Rosé Rioja, Spain, $15

Middle School

Middle School is an awkward time for many children with lots of changes. School is getting more difficult and friendships are beginning to develop lots of drama. However, these are also the years where we hold on to our childrens’ sweet innocence even harder before they truly grow up. Middle school requires a wine that is getting more serious, but is still approachable and enjoyable.

Pinot Noir is a finicky grape that can be difficult to grow due to its delicate, thin skin and need for a moderate climate. However, when done right, it produces a lighter-bodied, easy drinking wine with juicy red fruit characters of cherry and raspberry, and notes of flowers, vanilla and mushroom. It is one of the most popular wines in the world, with the very best coming from Burgundy, France (along with very high prices). Other regions that produce excellent Pinot Noir at more moderate prices are Oregon and New Zealand.

Recommendation: A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir, Oregon, $17

High School

High school – the dark years. You now have cranky and rebellious teenagers who think all adult are idiots, grunt rather than speak, and hide in their rooms for hours on end huddled with their smart phones. Schoolwork is so difficult that many parents (me included) cannot offer any help, exams are an everyday occurrence, preparing for college is a full-time job, and sports and other activities are all-consuming. The dark years require an equally deep, dark wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most popular wine, and for good reason. It is full-bodied and concentrated with black fruit characteristics (blackberry, black cherry, black currant) and toasty flavors from oak aging. It’s a big wine that can easily handle big moments in life. Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux, France is renowned the world over. Napa Valley is equally well regarded (and my personal favorite). Yet both regions have prices that match the high demand. Excellent Cabernet can still be had at more moderate prices in regions such as Chile, Argentina and Australia.

Recommendation: Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, $20

College

You made it this far, now it’s time to celebrate! Although there is still plenty of parenting ahead of you, you have gotten your children though to independence and adulthood. There’s no time like the present to pat yourself on the back and raise a glass to a job well done.

Sparkling wine (simply known as “bubbles”) is the perfect companion for celebrations. There are several different ways of producing sparkling wine, which I promise to cover in a future blog post. However, only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France can be labelled as Champagne, and these also command some of the highest prices. Not to worry, though. There are plenty of delicious bubbles out there at very reasonable prices, including Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy and Sparkling Wine from California.

Recommendation: Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut, $19

Cheers!