Holiday Sparkling Wines #3: Brut Prosecco! (The most popular sparkling wine in the world, why brut rather than dry this Holiday season, where the name Prosecco came from)

Show Notes

Episode 101: Holiday Sparkling Wines #3: Brut Prosecco!   00:00

Hello! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

Ok, a quick orientation for those of you who may be new to the podcast - in each episode we learn about, taste and give our honest review of three wines that are reasonably priced - meaning under $20 each -  and should be easy for you to find, and we talk about what foods to pair with that wine! And our podcast is made for people who want to learn more about wine, find new wines to enjoy, and just want someone to talk about wine in a fun way that regular people can understand and use in their daily lives. So, if that sounds like you, you are in the right place! And we are proud to say that we are recommended by the editors of Decanter Magazine who call us fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining

This is going to be our best episode ever. I can feel it. 

Carmela, it’s been a year since we did our last Holiday Sparkling wine extravaganza, and in this episode, we are going to focus on brut Prosecco. Now, we’ll talk more on why we are focusing on BRUT Prosecco specifically in a minute, but I did want to mention that last year’s episodes on Holiday sparkling wines are worth checking out, too, or rechecking out if it’s been a while - because they're still relevant! 

We did one on Crémant, which in my opinion is a way too overlooked sparkling wine that comes mostly from France, and plays second fiddle to Champagne, but really shouldn’t. So check out that episode - episode 54. And then we did another episode - episode 58 - on sparkling Rosé, and in that episode we tasted and reviewed sparkling Rosés from Argentina, a Cava from Spain, and a sparkling Rosé from Italy that was not a Prosecco.

So, those are great episodes to help you choose some great sparkling wines for the Holidays, and today will be another great episode on sparkling wine that should be another great choice for gifts or for serving during Holiday celebrations, including New Year’s Eve.

Now, most people know Prosecco - it is the most popular sparkling wine in the world after all. In fact, according to an article from Forbes that you can find in our show notes, there is more Prosecco sold than Champagne and Cava - combined. So that’s a lot!

We’ll talk in a minute about why we wanted to focus on brut Prosecco specifically, but Prosecco has a really interesting history, and some of that history is recent history. The grape that Prosecco is made from is called the Glera grape. But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, the name of the grape as separate from the name of the wine is sort of a recent invention. 

Again, there are some really good articles in the show notes that go into more detail than I will go into here, but until 2009, the grape was called Prosecco. However, the wine growers wanted to create a more protected what they call a designation of origin for Prosecco, and in order to do so, they had to create a new name for the grape, otherwise other areas of the world could grow the grape and call the wine Prosecco. 

So, the name of the grape is name sort of created on a technicality to protect the new designation of origin for Prosecco that was creating in Italy in the areas where they make the win - basically they wanted to create a legal wall around it so they could protect the specific sparkling wine made in that area - the same way Champagne can now only come from the Champagne region of France, or how Crémant can only come from specific regions in France and Luxembourg. The name Glera was a synonym for the grape used in the Friuli area of Italy, and so they just made that the official name for the grape rather than Prosecco. Which is crazy to me. 

Today, the EU protects the name Prosecco, and in some regions, like New Zealand, where they had started to make sparkling wines from the Prosecco grape when the grape was called Prosecco, they have agreed to stop using the name over the course of the next couple of years. However, Australia is holding out, so it is still possible to find sparkling wines called Prosecco that are not from Italy.

But it is doubtful that in most places in the world you will start seeing Prosecco from outside Italy because they make a TON of Prosecco in Italy and so markets are basically flooded with it. As recently as 2021, they produced 627 million bottles of the stuff. That’s a lot! In fact, I did a little calculating. It takes 3,333,333 bottles of wine to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool, so you could fill 181 Olympic sized pools. Wow.

But I think that’s enough background on the name Prosecco because we have got to get to our tasting and review of these three brut Proseccos because I am thirsty, and we’ll do that in a few minutes . . .

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug.

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ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/karlsson/2022/10/18/how-prosecco-became-the-worlds-most-popular-sparkling-wine-with-a-name-change/?sh=67b622742315 
• https://sanfranciscowineschool.com/blogs/blog/the-grape-behind-italy-s-prosecco-wines#:~:text=From%20Prosecco%20to%20Glera&text=In%20order%20to%20identify%20Prosecco,chosen%20as%20the%20new%20name.
• https://daily.sevenfifty.com/regions/prosecco/#:~:text=The%20Prosecco%20DOC%20growing%20area,winemakers%2C%20and%20360%20sparkling%20houses.  
• https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2020/05/how-much-would-it-cost-to-fill-a-swimming-pool-with-booze-has-anyone-ever-actually-done-this/

Topic: Why Brut Prosecco? 09:23

Carmela, let’s get to the topic at hand, and that topic is brut Prosecco. Now, I keep making a big deal of BRUT Prosecco because most of the time, the Prosecco that we buy and serve is dry and not brut.

Are you confused?!?

We haven’t talked about this for a little bit, but the definitions of dry and brut in sparkling wine are confusing because a dry sparkling wine actually is sweeter and has more sugar in it than a brut, which is differ from what we say for still wines. Brut sparkling wines have very little residual sugar, and extra brut or brut naturale sparkling wines will have basically none. That does not mean that they don’t have sweetness, it just means that there is no sugar or very little sugar left over after fermentation. 

Another good hint for you is that the lower the alcohol level of a wine, the sweeter it will tend to be. If you start running into sparkling wines that are under 11% alcohol, you are going to be running into sweeter wines. 

If you have been listening to us for a while, you know we prefer wines on the dry side rather than sweet, so with still wines, we will almost always go for a dry wine, and in sparkling wines, we will almost always go with a brut wine. I still make the mistake, though, because it can be confusing, of sometimes looking at a sparkling label and saying - oh good, it says dry, and then I have to remind myself that dry in sparkling means sweet. 

Part of that reason we like dry wines is a taste preference, and part of it is because I am trying to avoid consuming sugar unnecessarily for health reasons. In fact, because it is generally lower in sugar and carbs than beer, I have almost completely stopped drinking beer and drink wine instead. But that is a tangent.

The main reason why we prefer our wines on the dry side - or again brut if we are talking about sparkling wine - is because dry wines tend to be more acidic, and pair better with savory foods - meaning basically most foods that are not sweet that you would serve with the main part of a meal or with most appetizers. Sweeter wines tend to do better with sweeter foods, especially desserts, although some semi-sweet wines can actually pair well with spicy foods that bring the heat. So, keep that in your back pocket. 

What do you often say about sweet wines, Carmela? You often say that sweet wines can be enticing initially, but after a while they can become what you call tiring. What do you mean when you say that? For me, it just means that when things are too sweet, or you consume too many sweet things, we have a tendency to become thirsty, and sweet drinks can overwhelm the taste buds, almost crowding out anything else. 

But beyond that, we tend toward brut Prosecco because it just so happens that the Glera grape is on the sweeter side to begin with. In addition, the majority of mass produced Prosecco wines, which are the ones you and I are usually drinking, are made in the extra dry or sweeter style. 

According to a good article from a website we found on the interwebs called Just Perfect Wines, the mass produced Proseccos are going to be not quite as good of wines in terms of the quality of the grapes. That’s just sort of to be expected when you are producing wines at a very high clip, and so the little extra sugar added helps to create more taste for the wines, reduces the sharpness that the wines can sometimes have, and because sweet wines, again, tend to come across as pleasing initially when tasted, so people enjoy them. 

So, in addition to our palettes telling us we prefer drier wines because they pair better with food, there may also be something to say that the quality of the wine may just be better. Something to consider, and why we focus on the brut versions. Not that the sweeter ones are bad by any stretch, but just that we prefer them, and the less sugar helps!

So, on that note, I think it’s time to learn a little more about the specific wines we are drinking today. Whaddya say?

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.staffilo.it/en/blog/organic-prosecco/is-prosecco-extra-dry-or-brut/#:~:text=In%20the%20world%20of%20Prosecco,a%20bottle%20labeled%20%E2%80%9Cbrut.%E2%80%9D 
• https://www.vinovest.co/blog/is-prosecco-sweet#:~:text=Prosecco%20wine%20ranges%20from%20extremely,wine%20taste%20a%20bit%20sweet. 
• https://www.justperfectwines.co.uk/blogs/news/the-six-sweetness-levels-of-prosecco#:~:text=Typically%2C%20the%20mass%20produced%20Prosecco,quite%20sharp%20or%20fairly%20tasteless. 

Brut Prosecco Wines We Chose for This Episode 15:10

As usual, all of the wines we have chosen for this episode are under $20, and all of them should be relatively easy to find because I bought them all on wine.com. Now, Prosecco is not hard to find - at all. They are among the easiest wines to find now, and so you will have no problem. However, finding a BRUT Prosecco takes some time because you really have to look. And don’t get fooled when you see the term Extra Dry on the bottle. Look for Brut in the name.

I will also say that a lot of times, you may find that the brut Proseccos are actually a bit more expensive because they are a little less common for sure. 

The first wine we are going to drink is called Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut, and this is not a wine we have had before as far as I know. The winery says that they seek the steepest hills to find their grapes, and often steeper hills are more desirable because the water drains better, and water pooling around the base of grape vines is generally not a great thing.

The winery also says that they ferment in stainless steel - which I would expect is the case for all of these wines - for 15 days, and if you recall from previous episodes, Prosecco is made in a way that is pretty different from the Champagne or traditional method. Instead of a second fermentation in the bottle, which is time consuming, Prosecco is made in the Charmat method where the second fermentation takes place in a big vat, although this winery says they do the second fermentation in autoclaves which look like big safes and are under a lot of pressure, and so evidently, that makes the second fermentation very fast. 

This wine has gotten some good reviews - several 90+ ratings - and so this could be a really good bargain if this is a good wine. 

The second Prosecco we are going to drink is called Zardetto Prosecco Brut. Now, Zardetto Prosecco is not hard to find, but I think you may need to look around to find their Brut. This wine is actually 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Blanc or Chardonnay, and yes, it could be either or both depending on the year, so this is a blend. I assume they add those wines to add a bit more body to the wine.

They also get their grapes from higher hills, although there is no commentary about the steepness per se. They also say their second fermentation takes place in temperature controlled pressurized stainless steel tanks, which, again the pressure helps to make the fermentation happen faster. They also say they leave the wine for 30 days on the lees, which is something that they do often with sparkling wines. The lees is like the leftovers of yeasts, etc., and leaving the wines on the lees helps to impart that yeasty taste that many people, including us, like on sparkling wines. 

They make a ton of this wine, more than 1.5 million bottles a year, and they make it in small format splits which are ¼ bottles of wine and 1.5 liter magnums. Which is kind of fun. I’ll just say for New Year’s Eve, a big ass bottle of Prosecco is really fun to have. 

The last Prosecco we are drinking is a fancy one, and came in just below our $20 price cap. It is called Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut, and it is from the Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G. which is the highest designation for Prosecco, and it comes from the smallest area within the Prosecco designated area. Notice that the term Superiore is in the name, which is part of its designation.

The winery says that they soft press the grapes and then ferment the must in absence of skins at a controlled temperature. Then, after removing the accumulated foam (which sounds a little weird, but I think it means that they filter the wine), the second fermentation takes place in closed steel vats with the Charmat method at a controlled temperature.

So, just note that when you see either the names Valdobbiadene or Asolo on the bottle of a Prosecco, usually accompanied by the term Superiore, you are supposed to be getting the very best of the Proseccos, and why you very often pay more. In fact, some people just wonder why these are more expensive wines when you can find tons and tons of cheap Prosecco.

So today, part of what we want to do is see if we can tell if this wine is significantly better than the rest. Of course, we can’t say that a single wine is going to make the case or not, but in theory, it should be a better wine, and it did cost more!

But, I think that is enough information - let’s get to drinking to see if any or all of these wines should show up on your holiday table or as a holiday gift or that you should drink while watching the movie Elf. Or Die Hard! We’ll take a quick break and be right back. And, if you have these wines or similar wines, drink along with us!


ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://wilsondaniels.com/wine/brut-prosecco-doc-non-vintage/
• https://usa.zardettoprosecco.com/wines/prosecco-brut-doc/ 
• https://usa.zardettoprosecco.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Prosecco-DOC-Brut_Scheda-tecnica.pdf 
• https://www.lecolture.com/wines/sparkling-wines/brut-fagher.html 
• https://www.prosecco.it/en/prosecco-superiore-docg/ 

Brut Prosecco Wine Pairing Tasting and Reviews 23:22

Wine: Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut
Region: Italy, Prosecco
Year: NV
Price: $14.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 11%
Grapes: Glera
Professional Rating: WW 90, WE 92

What we tasted and smelled in this Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut:

• On the nose: Peach, yeast, pear, cider, baking spice, pear tart
• In the mouth: Tangy, Anjou pear, baking spice, a little bitter at the end, pear skin, pear tart, easy drinking. A summer wine.

Food to pair with this Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut: Go well with appetizers, brie cheese and apple, creamy cheese with fruit, dried fruits and nuts, something salty, fried fish, fish and chips, dessert
 
As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and a 5 or 6 means we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it. 

Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 7/10
• Carmela: 7/10

Wine: Zardetto Prosecco Brut
Region: Italy, Prosecco
Year: NV
Price: $15.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 11.5%
Grapes: 85% Glera, 15% Pinot Blanc/Chardonnay
Professional Rating: WE 90, JS 90

What we tasted and smelled in this Zardetto Prosecco Brut:

• On the nose: Toast, bread, brioche, apple, fresh meadow flowers, croissant, biscotti, shortbread, Biscoff 
• In the mouth: Spice, citrus, apple, lemon, Granny Smith apple, tropical fruit, pineapple juice, apple pie

Food to pair with this Zardetto Prosecco Brut: shrimp, shellfish, fried chicken, Buffalo wings, fish, spaghetti and clams, sushi

Zardetto Prosecco Brut Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 7/10
• Carmela: 8/10

Wine: Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut
Region: Italy, Valdobbiadene
Year: NV
Price: $19.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 11.5%
Grapes: Glera
Professional Rating: WE 90

What we tasted and smelled in this Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut:

• On the nose: Yeast, earth, Dole pineapple candy, lemon, apple, tropical fruit, Hawaii
• In the mouth: Tart, fizzy, pineapple candy, creamy, apple, lemon, cleans right off the tongue, more sophisticated

Food to pair with this Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut: Great food wine, pretty versatile, spicy foods, Thai food, chicken, creamy pasta sauces, stews, clam chowder, corn chowder, white pizza


Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 8/10
• Carmela: 8/10

Which one of these are you finishing tonight?

• Carmela: Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut
• Joe: Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut

Taste profiles expected from Brut Prosecco  41:05

• General 
  • In Good Taste: notes of lemon, citrus, green apple, and pear
• Bisol Jeio Prosecco Brut
  • Winery: Fresh personality and decisive notes of golden apple, citrus, and spring blossom
  • WW: This sparkling wine shines with active beads, tart apple aromas, and flavors
  • WE: Creamy, racy and fun, this offers inviting aromas of green apple, wisteria and aromatic herb. The vibrant palate delivers Bartlett pear, citrus and thyme accompanied by an elegant, continuous mousse. It has a crisp, dry close.
• Zardetto Prosecco Brut
  • JS: A good Prosecco with some nice citrus and light green-tea character. Balanced, lightly frothy and fun
  • WE: Fresh lemon, lime and citrus blossom frame the nose of this fun and lively wine. The palate pops with the light perlage of the wine and its vibrant citrus flavors. Clean and crisp on the finish.
• Le Colture Fagher Prosecco Superiore Brut
  • Winery: Its most attractive elements are encapsulated in the inviting sweetness of vegetable and heady citrus aromas and, very often, with a pleasing note of fresh bread, combined together with a lively and pleasant taste
  • WE: Crisp and focused, this Prosecco lights up the glass with notes of Honey-crisp apple, white flowers and crushed stone. The vibrant palate emulates the nose with a touch more flint on the zippy finish.

Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 43:34

Ok, so, Carmela, it is just about time for us to go, but before we do, we want to thank you very much for listening to us - and if you haven’t done so yet, now would be the perfect time to subscribe to our podcast and also a fantastic time to leave us a nice rating and review on our website or Apple podcasts or other podcast service - and it is an awesome and free way to support us and help us grow listeners.

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Alright, with that, we are going to sign off, so thanks again, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine.