Fizzy facts: What sets Prosecco apart

Did you drink Champagne on Valentine’s Day? How about a glass of Prosecco? After New Year’s Eve, the highest consumption of sparkling wine occurs on Valentine’s Day. Recently, Prosecco has been the number one sparkling wine sold. So, what exactly is Prosecco?

For this kind of question, we turn to our resident expert, Jim Sperk of the Northern Ohio Wine Guild. 

“Prosecco is a sparkling wine that comes from northeastern Italy and is made primarily from a grape that had the same name as the wine,” Jim says. “The Prosecco grape had its name changed to Glera in an effort to protect the Prosecco region. Sparkling wines from other areas cannot use the Prosecco name.”

Jim explains that up to 15% of the wine can be made from other grapes in the region like Perera, Bianchetta and Verdi blends, and that although there are some similarities between Champagne and Prosecco, the differences between them are significant. 

“Champagne is made with a second fermentation taking place in the bottle,” Jim says. “This labor-intensive method is known as the ‘Champenoise’ or ‘Traditionale.’ Prosecco is produced in a method known as ‘Charmat’ or ‘Tank,’ when the wine also undergoes a second fermentation but in a tank.”

Jim says that Prosecco’s second fermentation pressurizes the tank, and the carbonation can’t escape so it goes into the wine. This is a much more cost-effective method and results in a sparkling wine with only about two-thirds the pressure of Champagne. 

“This method results in a price that is half that of lesser Champagnes,” Jim says. “And because the method also creates two-thirds the pressure of Champagne’s production method, the ‘Charmat’ method means the bubbles may last for a shorter time than they would in a Champagne flute.”

Jim adds that the “Charmat” method also expresses more of a yeasty, beer-like aroma unless the producer ages the wine to create a creamier texture, similar to that of Champagne. 



“Proseccos, just as Champagnes, are produced in different quality levels,” Jim says.

“And like just about everything else, the higher the quality, the higher the price.” 

For information about the Northern Ohio Wine Guild, contact Jim Sperk at tinymoonwines@usa.net.