Prosecco Made Me Do It – Your Ultimate Guide to Prosecco

I have to admit, I am a bit of a Prosecco fiend. It’s affordable, easy-drinking and it’s food friendly. I will also admit that I do have a jumper which says ‘Prosecco Made Me Do It’ and I am in the Top Ten in Australia for reviewing Prosecco on the wine app – Vivino. So this post has really been a long time coming.

The aim of this post is to share my knowledge on Prosecco so that you can understand better what’s in your glass. And hey, who knows this information may come in handy at:

• Quiz nights
• Filling awkward silences on a Tinder date
• Or simply to broaden your wine knowledge…. to name a few.

In order to get through this post you will need:

• A bottle of Prosecco
• A glass

Now fill the said glass up and continue reading wine lovers…

(If you need help with deciding what Prosecco to drink while reading this post, please quickly skip to the bottom of the post for some tasting notes).

What is Prosecco?

Prosecco is a sparkling wine made from the Glera grape (this grape variety has also been known by the name ‘Prosecco’ in the past).

This sparkling white wine originated in the Veneto wine region in north-east Italy, however, you’ll now find Prosecco made around the world, including here in Australia. The King Valley in Victoria produces a lot of Aussie Prosecco.

There’s much debate in the wine world that the name ‘Prosecco’ should be reserved only for Italian Prosecco, just like the words Champagne and Port. Leave a comment below as to your thoughts on this.

Are Prosecco & Champagne the same thing?

No. Prosecco and Champagne are completely different products. And remember, the name ‘Champagne’ is reserved only for bubbles that are made in the Champagne region in France and adhere’s to certain regulations.

So what’s the difference between the two other than where they’re made?

• Different grape varieties
• Different wine-making methods
• Prosecco is considerably cheaper typically
• Different taste profiles (Prosecco is typically full of apple, pear, melon, and cream while Champagne is more on the nutty, citrusy, toasty and peachy side of things)

What is the price of Prosecco?

As mentioned above, Prosecco is typically cheaper than Champagne. You can buy Prosecco for $10 a bottle upwards. Even the high-end Prosecco’s don’t go too crazy in price. If you’re spending $30-40 on a bottle, then it should be near the higher end in terms of quality.

DOC or DOCG Prosecco?

If you see DOC or DOCG on a bottle of Italian wine, then you should know that these are quality classifications. DOCG is the top classification in the country followed by DOC and after that you also get IGT.

For your reference, DOCG stands for:

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin)

How many calories in Prosecco?

Typically you’ll find Prosecco is slightly on the sweeter side compared to the highly compared (yet it should never be compared) Champagne – so Prosecco has slightly more calories. Livestrong says that in a 148ml glass of Prosecco, you’re consuming roughly 108 calories. In the scheme of things, it’s actually not a bad choice if you’re watching your calories as for instance, a regular pint of beer is about 195 calories (yes a pint is more mls but less alcohol by volume).

What Prosecco cocktails are there?

Because Prosecco is so darn affordable, it doesn’t seem criminal to mix it with other ingredients to make up a cocktail. Some of the more noteworthy cocktails using Prosecco include:

• Aperol Spritz
• Mimosa
• Bellini

There are a ton more Prosecco recipes that you can find via Google or perhaps check out Amy Zavatto’s seriously sparkling cocktail book – Prosecco Made Me Do It.

Because Prosecco is so darn affordable, it doesn't seem criminal to mix it with other ingredients to make up a cocktail.Click To Tweet

Prosecco Tasting Notes

As I’ve previously mentioned, I try my fair share of Prosecco. Here are some of my recent tasting notes:

Aldi Prosecco

I picked up this Corte Carista Prosecco DOC NV from ALDI Australia for $10. It comes from the home of Prosecco – Italy’s Veneto Region in the North of Italy. Quite frankly it’s great value for a quaffing bubbles. It’s a lemon-lime colour in the glass with relaxing skyward bubbles. The nose is full of fresh citrus, herbs and delicate flowers. While in the mouth it’s easy drinking, uncomplicated and very smashable with its pear and lemon flavours. For $10, you can’t complain! All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

Matches well with boardgame day/night.

Freixenet Prosecco

When I received this sample, it stood out to me for two reasons:

1. Its unique and rather gorgeous bottle
2. It’s made by Freixenet which are a cava producer in Spain (you’ve probably seen the black bottle for $10 at some point) and this is an Italian Prosecco

Needless to say, the bottle didn’t last longer unopened. RRP $25 from Dan Murphy’s or BWS.

On the eye, it’s full of plentiful tiny bubbles and it has a real greeny tinge to the colour. The nose is fresh and fruity with crisp pears and lemon zest. There’s also a touch of florals in there to amp up the pretty factor. In the mouth, it’s smooth and easy drinking. Its fruitiness makes it highly approachable and food-friendly. All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

Photo credit: Mr. Spittoon.

Matches well with love.

POPS Bellini Prosecco & Peach Ice Popsicle

Hello POPS Australia ‘Bellini’ Prosecco & Peach ice popsicle! You may have seen recently that I bought a range of Pops from the Thirsty Camel at the Claremont Hotel (4 for $15).

They’re made in Britain and are made using natural ingredients plus 29% Prosecco & 3.6% peach schnapps. There’s also hibiscus flowers and blood orange juice in the mix. At 56 calories a pop and 3.8% alcohol, you really can’t go wrong!

I really enjoyed the Bellini and it’s probably the one I’d reach for first out of the range. It’s highly refreshing with its peachiness and it has that lovely smooth texture all the Pops ice blocks have. Thoroughly enjoyable!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

Matches well with hot days.

Sensi Prosecco DOC

I can’t help myself.. when I spot a Prosecco I haven’t tried, I just have to grab a bottle! I was (semi) hoping this Sensi Prosecco DOC had a bright green cap for my Wearing Memories ring – but it was blank, unfortunately. It’s a cheap & cheerful at $12 a bottle.

It’s a refreshing lemon/lime colour on the eye. The nose is fresh, lively and fruity. To be honest, it goes down darn easily – it’s uncomplicated, food-friendly and at $12, I ain’t complaining!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

Matches well with nibbles and platters.

Brown Brothers Prosecco

You may or may not have noticed that I drink a bit of Prosecco. It’s highly affordable and so easy drinking that I tend to just grab a new one to try when I go to the shops each week. This Brown Brothers Winery dressed up Limited Edition bottle (designed in collaboration with the RMIT School of Fashion & Textiles) is made from King Valley grapes (Glera). It retails for approximately $20.

It’s a gently erupting straw colour in the glass. The nose is fruit forward yet it has an underlying floral perfume with a whiff of musk. In the mouth, it’s smooth, crisp, flavoursome (think pears, apples and lemon) and incredibly easy drinking.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

Matches well with glitz and glam.

Box Grove Vineyard 2016 Prosecco

A few bottles of Prosecco have already been downed in my house this year. This one from Box Grove Vineyard Wines in Victoria I included in December’s #thetcwineclub box from The Wine Gallery. It’s made from the traditional Prosecco grape – Glera.

It’s a pale yellow colour in the glass with crisp apple, sliced pear, creamy peach and sweet florals on the nose. In the mouth it’s extremely refreshing and thirst quenching with plentiful peach and vibrant citrus flavours. Yumo!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

Matches well with reading your favourite wine blog 😉