This is the phrase we commonly hear when someone wants to drink bubbles.
But, are all wines with bubbles called Prosecco?
Some of you will say with certainty “absolutely not!” Actually many people don’t know the difference. Here is a brief overview to clarify the ideas on sparkling wines…
As people commonly use the word Prosecco we could substitute it with the more appropriate word “Spumante” (sparkling wine). Because if it has bubbles it is a sparkling wine.
But every sparkling wine can be made in various ways.
1) Among the most common there is the “Metodo Classico” or “Champenoise Methode” which includes the largest and best known sparkling wines in the world including the Italian Franciacorta, the French Champagne or the Spanish Cava (and many others).
This method involves a long and complex process in which the second fermentation of the wine takes place in the bottle on its own yeasts which gives the wine an incredible breadth of aromas and flavors.
2) The second most famous method is the Martinotti or Charmat.
In this sparkling process the second fermentation of the base wine is carried out inside a closed autoclave (tank).
It is a slightly less noble method and is usually used for the production of wines such as Prosecco (produced only in Veneto, Italy, with Glera grapes)
3) Another method, which despite being very old, is regaining space in the preferences of wine lovers is the Ancestral Method (called Pet-Nat in France).
This method requires that the first fermentation of the wine is interrupted before its conclusion and the wine bottled. This process allows the wine to restart the fermentation inside the bottle and end it when the sugars are finished and the yeasts exhausted.
The resulting wine will be particularly aromatic and characterized by aromas of bread crust, smoked, yeasts and fruity notes.
The Ancestral method is widespread in the world of natural wines.
So in conclusion, when you order bubbles again ask the waiter “Which sparkling wines do you have?”
Life is too short to drink cheap bubbles!