Lately, I have been drinking less and saving champagne from the region of champagne – pronounced Rance…. (like France without the F), as a treat.
I still enjoy the bubbly so I switched to Prosecco. Here’s the research from a ‘how to buy guide‘ I found online which tells you How to Pick Prosecco.
Surprise! Surprise! There isn’t one kind of prosecco.
“There are three sweetness levels:
- Brut (up to 12 grams/liter of sugar)
- Extra Dry (12-17 grams/liter of sugar)
- Dry (17-32 grams/liter of sugar)”
I step in here to let you know I bulleted these items to make it clearer for you. Sugar = inflammation. Inflammation = Disease. With that in mind, if it doesn’t bother you to pick the one with the least amount of sugar. The dryer the Prosecco, the more sugar they use.
Fundamental LA’s wine director, Alicia Kemper says “There is also the DOC/DOCG variance. DOCG tends to be higher quality and smaller production,” she says. “The DOCG’s in prosecco are Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore, Colli Asolani, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore Rive, Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze.”
Ok. The next thing to figure out is if like champagne, would you know if a bottle is bad? And how does that happen?
“Bad prosecco is a product of cheap production methods in which sugar (not from grapes) is added and or acidified to achieve perceived freshness, and rather than letting natural fermentation occur carbonation is added like soda,” says Iris Rowlee, wine director of Perbacco in San Francisco. “These methods often lead to big, not lasting bubbles and a flabby taste.”
Ahhh…. that explains why I like some prosecco but not others. I have to pay attention to the winemakers, the terroir (the ground where it grows)! And then, I need to know how to tell if a prosecco is bad.
Bridges says: “Trust your nose. How does it make you feel? When you drink it, is it something you savor?”
According to the article I read it says: more specifically what makes a good prosecco is the fruit and where it is from and who is making the wine. Thoughtful, sustainable farming practices, native yeast fermentation, grower wines.”
Bridges urges prosecco shoppers to look at who makes the wine, how involved are the winemakers in the vineyards they’re using, and what winemaking practices they follow. “We should all be asking ourselves these questions and researching what we are putting in our bodies. Wine is one of those foods that we don’t have to put everything every ingredient on the bottle. Discover wines that are made by people and not machines. You will find more connection to the place it comes from and you will feel better drinking it.”
So I guess the last thing I need to know when shopping for Prosecco is what names, locations and marking to look for.
“Look for the names Valdobbiadene and Conegliano on the label,” Slover says. “These are the traditional hometowns, so to speak, of prosecco in terms of quality and prestige.” It’s important to look out for the DOC and DOCG markings, not just for measuring quality but for making sure it’s actually genuine prosecco. “Nobody wants to support a cheater. Prosecco is one of the most falsified wines around the world,” Rowlee says. “DOC is a reference to the idea of a ‘controlled designation of origin’ and prosecco, named for a town, Prosecco, near Trieste the capital of the state of Friuli in the corner of North eastern Italy, can only be made in this area and neighboring Veneto. Both of the grand crus or DOCGs for this wine are found in the heart of the Veneto, and it is here that proseccos of the highest regard are made.”
I know this info is helping me figure out what to buy. Hope it helps you! If so, please pass it on!
Healthy Happy Eating,
