Good news for prosecco lovers: rosé prosecco is on its way!
People had been whispering for a while about the start of production of a rosé version of the famous Italian fizz, and now the deal is done: rosé prosecco is coming! And believe me: there’s a good chance pink prosecco will be the new summer drink.
The ‘elixir of life’ prosecco is to Northern Italy what champagne is to France and cava to Spain: the country’s most famous sparkling wine. It’s actually quite strange that, although a dizzying number of bottles of prosecco have been flying around the world for years (for context: around 600 million in 2018 (!)—almost twice as many as champagne), rosé prosecco has never been produced. Because pink sparkling wine is not only incredibly cheerful and delicious; it’s also hugely popular. Rosé champagne and rosé cava have existed for ages. Good news for prosecco lovers who enjoy rosé wine: recently, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture approved the production of a pink version of the cheerful Italian sparkling wine.
Not all prosecco is created equal
Just as champagne can only be called champagne if it comes from Champagne, prosecco also has a protected designation of origin (DOC). Prosecco DOC may be produced in five provinces of Veneto and four provinces of Friuli. Because prosecco is made from the grape of the same name, a name change was decided on, and since 2009 that grape has been known as ‘glera’. Although this sounds more like a sexually transmitted disease than a cheerful little grape, it proved to be a smart move to counter the proliferation of prosecco and separate the wheat from the chaff. Sparkling wine made from the glera grape can also be produced elsewhere, but the name prosecco may only be used for wine originating from the designated area.
Prosecco for luxury cats
Yes, prosecco with a higher status exists too; prosecco from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, a beautiful area around sixty kilometres north of Venice with an unpronounceable name—I’ve given up by now—has DOCG status. DOCG stands for ‘Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita’ and is the highest qualification a wine can receive in Italy. Only 15 municipalities around Valdobbiadene and Conegliano may put Prosecco DOCG on the label—provided they meet the strict requirements. These requirements relate, among other things, to the location of the vineyard, the maximum yield and the amount of juice obtained from the grapes. A small part of the area, called Cartizze, is known as the grand cru of prosecco. This is where the finest (and most expensive) proseccos come from. Sparkling wines from outside these DOCG and DOC regions do exist, but they do not carry the name prosecco. If you want to impress, buy a grand cru prosecco and casually mumble some of what I explained to you above. Guaranteed success!
The big difference from champagne
Although prosecco has lovely bubbles, it is made in a completely different way from that famous French sparkling wine. Prosecco is (almost always) made using the méthode Charmat. In this method, the second fermentation takes place in a stainless-steel tank, creating a beautiful, foamy mousse. It is a less labour-intensive method than the one used to make champagne, in which the second fermentation takes place in the bottle itself. The end product is therefore also more affordable. Prosecco is often called a ‘democratic sparkling wine’: affordable for everyone, whereas champagne is much more expensive.
Frizzante and spumante
Prosecco can be frizzante or spumante. Frizzante, the most common variant, has light bubbles, the result of a relatively short second fermentation. The wine is therefore often still somewhat sweet because not all the sugars in the grapes have fermented. Spumante is derived from the verb ‘spumare’, meaning ‘to foam’. This sparkling wine must have a pressure of at least three bar. In the shop, you can easily tell them apart: spumantes have a traditional champagne cork, while frizzantes have a cork with string wrapped around it (spago), a screw cap or sometimes a crown cap. They are not wines for laying down. Buy and drink them!
Trick question
With spumantes, there is a somewhat confusing three-part classification: from ‘dry’ (the least dry, and therefore not actually ‘dry’ as the term suggests), to ‘extra dry’ (the classic variant, with 12–17 grams of residual sugar), to ‘brut’ (the driest).
A delicious welcome
Prosecco fans know: their favourite sparkling wine is fruity, lively and fresh. A glass of freshly opened prosecco smells wonderfully of wafting spring blossoms. Add the scent of citrus and green apples, combined with the frivolous bubbles and light character, and you have the ideal wine for a summer afternoon in the park or as a welcome drink at a party. And if it’s pink too, then it’s a complete celebration!
From barbecue to dessert
Of course, rosé prosecco is delicious as an aperitif, but it will also perform well at the table. By the way, did you know that ‘aperitif’ comes from Latin? Aperire = to open; it opens the meal and the appetite. How about rosé prosecco with tuna steak, whether barbecued or not, or with a dessert featuring red fruit such as raspberries and strawberries? Or alongside a chunk of dark chocolate?
Just a little longer…
Unfortunately, drinking such a festive sparkling wine this summer is not yet an option. The sale of rosé prosecco will only be permitted from 1 January 2021, after the harvest. And were you wondering how pink prosecco gets its pink colour? It comes from the pinot noir grape, of which 10 to 15 percent must be used.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes next summer’s ultimate drink!
