Dry sparkling wine prosecco. Champagne and prosecco - what's the difference?

Prosecco is one of the most popular wines in Italy. This sparkling drink is famous for its pleasant refreshing taste and is affordable. The combination of these two important factors makes Italian champagne prosecco suitable for both a solemn occasion and a picnic in nature.

Originally from Ancient Rome

This drink has a rich history. Even in Ancient Rome, it was successfully produced and enjoyed with pleasure wine, the raw material for which was the grape variety Glera. A refreshing drink with a fruity aroma and a moderate fortress, the Romans called puccino. Unlike the modern counterpart, it was not sparkling, but was appreciated for being very refreshing in the summer heat.

Today, thanks to modern technologies, Sharma prosecco is characterized by the presence of gas bubbles. Beloved by the Italians, he is one of the important elements of the national culture.

Created for enjoyment

In the homeland of this drink, in the cities of Valdobbiadene and Conquelado, people really know how to enjoy the taste of life that flows here in a measured and without fuss. Created for pleasure, Prosecco, like nothing else, is the happy personification of the Italian dream: to rejoice in simple things carelessly and unhurriedly.

Prosecco - champagne, which appeared on the international market much later than its eminent colleague from French Champagne. Only in the 60s of the last century it was heard outside of Italy. The combination of excellent taste and reasonable cost instantly made this wine popular. Now prosecco is produced not only in Italy, but also in Brazil, Argentina, Romania and even in Australia.

Prosecco - champagne for the people

Currently, the production of this dry wine uses Glera grape, but Bianchetta, Verdizo and Perera are also used. The most valuable is prosecco, made from raw materials grown in the town of Kartizze. Grape vines here ripen at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level, and the vine filling time is longer. This allows you to get an extraordinary taste of the drink, which is considered the best prosecco in the world. However, it should be noted that its cost is relatively low.

This explains the incredible popularity of prosecco. Champagne, the price of which starts at 40 euros per bottle, can hardly be called an affordable drink for people's consumption. The technology of its manufacture is rather complicated and time-consuming. Price prosecco fluctuates around 10-15 euros per bottle.

Such similar and so different

These drinks really are similar, and the simple inhabitant can not even specify precisely in which glass the prosecco is located. Champagne in the classical sense has very significant differences, which are due to the peculiarities of its production.

This champagne from Reims is made using the Methode Champenoise technology, which means that the drink is saturated with carbon dioxide as a result of secondary fermentation. It is carried out directly in bottles, which are located horizontally. The carbonation process lasts at least 9 months. This is reflected in the cost of champagne, which many consider high. The difference in manufacturing technology is not the only thing that distinguishes champagne from Prosecco. In the aroma of French sparkling wine, notes of sponge cake, almonds, citruses, peaches and cherries are felt. The vesicles of champagne are sharper and more stable.

The process of manufacturing prosecco is based on the Sharma method, when secondary fermentation occurs in a sealed container. Wine saturated with carbon dioxide is bottled. This drink is good for young people, since after 2 years of storage, it begins to lose its original properties. The presence of abundant foam is more typical for prosecco, champagne is usually characterized by moderate foaming. The vesicles of Italian wine are less stable, and notes of exotic fruits, green apple, honeysuckle, pears and cream nuances are read in the fragrance.

Species of Prosecco

For those who face a dilemma: prosecco - champagne, the price is one of the most vivid and weighty arguments in favor of Italian wine. At the moment in Europe, this affordable drink beats all records of popularity among people of different ages and social status.

Prosecco is divided into several types of sugar content. It can be extra-dry (from 12 g / l) and dry (from 20 g / l). A separate view is the prosecco brut champagne, the content of sugars in which is 15 g / l. Today brut is a rather popular brand among amateurs and connoisseurs of wines. The famous company Martini produces an elite drink of this type, the cost of which can not be called affordable. Experts argue that this is not the best brut, and the fabulous price is due to the loud name of the manufacturer and the skilful marketing company of the drink.

Peculiarities of prosecco species

A total of several types of prosecco are distinguished, depending on its characteristics.

• Tranquille, which means "calm". This medium-price wine is the least sparkling, and its volume is very small - only 5% of all Italian prosecco.
• Spumante is a high-grade brute, the repeated fermentation of which is carried out at a pressure of 3 atmospheres. The cost is also at an average level.
• Frizzante is a kind of compromise between the two above mentioned wines, it is exported in small quantities. Its price can be different and directly depends on the type of grapes used as raw materials.
• Superiore de Cartizze is the highest grade of bruta, which is made from vineyards from the legendary Kartizze hill. This champagne prosecco reviews has the most flattering. Superiore de Cartizze awarded the status of "Grand Cru" - the highest in winemaking.

This information is necessarily indicated on the label and much can tell the consumer about the nature of the sparkling wine.

Where do real prosecco?

When choosing a bottle with prosecco, be sure to pay attention not only to the type of wine, but also to the place where it was made. Today, this drink is rightly called the one that is made in Veneto and the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

One of the popular sparkling wines of excellent quality is Champagne Prosecco "Passa Parola". This brute spumante from the Veneto region. Clean, elegant and refreshing taste, as well as the fruity-floral fragrance of this prosecco was awarded the highest international awards. The cost of the bottle of "PassParola" is within 1000 rubles, but its quality is much higher.

How and with what to serve prosecco?

Like champagne, prosecco is served in glasses in the form of a flute. They contribute to the long retention of gas bubbles in the drink. Before serving, the prosecco should be cooled to 8 ° C and offered to guests as an aperitif or complement to dishes and desserts.

Thanks to the light and unobtrusive taste, this dry wine combines well with many dishes, without interrupting their taste and giving new interesting notes to the products that are familiar to us.

At the solemn events prosecco can be served as an aperitif, complementing it with fruits. Also this drink is able to make a good company for fish and seafood. This combination is classic for champagne and sparkling wines.

A family dinner, the main course of which is a bird or game, can also be supplemented with a prosecco bottle. Fragrant pastries, fruit salads, ice cream and other desserts are perfectly compatible with brut. Thanks to the moderate content of sugars in this wine, the sweetness of such products will not be luscious. Prosecco enriches desserts with a noble fruit-and-cream aroma, gives a piquant sourness.

Cocktails with Prosecco

This wine can serve as an excellent base for making cocktails. You can experiment with a variety of fruits, spices, ice cream.

Here are a few ideas for making drinks for a special occasion:

• For a romantic picnic you can prepare a cocktail of prosecco with strawberries. This will require ¾ cup of orange juice, 150 grams of fragrant berries, a tablespoon of sugar, a pair of mint leaves and wine to taste. In order to get the most pleasure from a cocktail, you will need to prepare in advance and take with you a small portable refrigerator. From strawberries, sugar and orange juice, you need to make a mashed potatoes in a blender, and then pass it through a sieve. Take this semi-finished product with you to nature. Already at the picnic place, place the glasses in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then remove them and put in 1 or 2 tablespoons of strawberry puree. From above, you need to top off the prosecco to taste and decorate with a sheet of fresh mint.
• Surprise your guests with the incredibly tasty dessert cocktail "Bellini". To make it, you need 1.75 liters of prosecco, 4 large ripe peaches and cane sugar to taste. Fruits will need to be peeled and pulp turned into a puree with a blender. In the resulting mass, pour the sugar and whisk again. Mix the prepared puree with the cooled prosecco and pour over the glasses. When serving guests cocktail can be decorated with a piece of peach.

Pleasant taste and fascinating fruity-cream flavor Prosecco has long been loved by gourmets from around the world. The affordable price of the drink made it one of the most popular wines. It's time and you appreciate it.