Prosecco Wine Guide
Getting to Know Prosecco
Prosecco is a sparkling wine from northeastern Italy and is known for being light, fresh, and easy to drink. It’s usually less expensive than Champagne and is often served as an aperitivo, with appetizers, or in sparkling wine cocktails like Aperol Spritz.
Prosecco is made from the Glera grape and is typically light-bodied with flavors of apple, pear, citrus, and sometimes a little floral sweetness. It’s a very approachable sparkling wine and a good one to keep around for gatherings, celebrations, or simple appetizers.
Prosecco and Veneto
Prosecco comes from Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northeastern Italy. The most famous areas you’ll see on labels are:
- Prosecco DOC
- Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
Conegliano Valdobbiadene is generally considered higher quality and comes from hillside vineyards. Regular Prosecco DOC is more common and usually less expensive.
Unlike Champagne, which is made with a second fermentation in the bottle, Prosecco is made using the tank method, which keeps the wine fresh, fruity, and lighter in style.
The Taste and Style of Prosecco
Prosecco is usually a light-bodied sparkling wine with high acidity and gentle bubbles.
Common tasting notes:
- Honeysuckle or flowers
- Green apple
- Pear
- Lemon
- White peach
Brut to Demi-Sec
Prosecco ranges from dry to slightly sweet. The confusing part is that the sweetness terms don’t mean what most people expect:
Label
Brut
Extra Dry
Dry
Demi-Sec
Sweetness
Dry
Slightly sweet
Sweeter
Sweet
Most Prosecco you’ll see is Brut or Extra Dry.
What to Eat with Prosecco
Prosecco is very versatile with food, especially lighter foods, salty foods, and appetizers. The acidity and bubbles help cut through salt and fat, which makes it great with fried foods and cheese.
Prosecco is also often served before dinner as an aperitivo.
Choosing Prosecco
When buying Prosecco, look for Prosecco DOC or Prosecco Superiore DOCG on the label. Both are widely available, with DOCG generally coming from smaller hillside areas and often a little higher in quality.
You’ll also want to remember the sweetness levels listed:
- Brut is dry
- Extra Dry is slightly sweeter
- Dry is sweeter
Most Prosecco you’ll find is Brut or Extra Dry, both of which work well with food and aperitivo.
Prosecco is usually very affordable and easy to find, often under $20, making it a good option to keep on hand for gatherings, appetizers, or casual meals.
Some producers you’ll often see:
- La Marca
- Mionetto
- Ruffino
- Bisol
- Zonin
Most bottles are easy to enjoy, so it’s a wine you can pick up without much planning.
Serving Prosecco
Prosecco should be served cold.
Serving tips:
- Temperature: 40–45°F
- Glass: Sparkling wine glass or white wine glass
- Open just before serving
- Best the day it’s opened
If it warms up too much, it will taste flat and overly sweet.
When to Open a Bottle of Prosecco
Prosecco is a good wine to open for appetizers, small gatherings, brunch, or celebrations. It’s also a very good wine to serve with salty foods, fried foods, or light meals.
It’s one of the easiest sparkling wines to serve because most people enjoy it, it pairs with many foods, and it’s usually affordable.
Prosecco is a good bottle to keep around for aperitivo, appetizers, or any time you want something light and sparkling.
