Champagne comes from France, Italy, California or anywhere in the world, right?
Wrong.
Champagne only comes from France’s Champagne region. Period.
I know this annoys some people who call all sparkling wine Champagne. And if you think it’s just a snobby French thing, bourbon can only be called bourbon if it’s made in the United States.
Or think of it this way. Would you call someone from Spain a Swede? Or someone from Massachusetts a New Yorker? I rest my case.
Similar rules apply to Prosecco.
It’s easy to think that all Italian sparkling wine is Prosecco. But like Champagne, Italian sparkling wine can only be called Prosecco if it comes from a specific location in Italy. (There’s more to this as well, but more about that in a minute.)
So what about all the other sparkling wines from Italy? What are they? And what are they called?
This week, you can learn more about all the other amazing Italian sparkling wines besides Prosecco. I’ve also included some tasting notes and a few recommendations.
Hope you enjoy.
What is Prosecco?
As explained above, Prosecco can only be called Prosecco if it comes from a particular place in Italy. Specifically, Prosecco can only come from nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions near Venice. In fact, there’s even a village called Prosecco in this region. And to make matters even more confusing, before 2009, the grape used to make Prosecco was called “prosecco.” Now that grape is called glera since Prosecco winemakers wanted to trademark the name of the Prosecco wine region in Italy and didn’t want to have the region and the grape share the same name. I know, it’s confusing.
Other Italian sparkling wines
Many places in Italy make distinct sparkling wines. And in most cases, the name you see on the bottle refers to the location where the sparkling wine is made in Italy. But as with many things to do with wine, nothing’s ever straightforward. Sometimes, the name of some sparkling wines has more to do with how it’s made rather than where it’s from. Just remember, wine’s supposed to be fun. So if you buy the so-called “wrong” one, don’t worry. You can always try a different one next time.
- Asti – Like Prosecco, Asti refers to where the sparkling wine is made – in the Asti region in Piedmont in northwestern Italy. But Asti also refers to a specific type of sparkling wine. Specifically, Asti sparkling wines are sweet, low-alcohol dessert wines made with moscato bianco grapes.
- Franciacorta – A type of sparkling wine from Lombardy in northern central Italy near Milan, Franciacorta is made using the “traditional method” which is the way sparkling wine is made in France’s Champagne region. Franciacorta sparkling wines are made with a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc grapes and have a slightly nutty flavor and aroma.
- Lambrusco – Just when thought you had Italian sparkling wine all figured out, along comes Lambrusco. The name here’s a triple threat. Lambrusco refers to the region where this sparkling wine comes from in northern Italy. Lambrusco also refers to a specific type of red sparkling wine. And lambrusco is also the name of the grape used to make Lambrusco. And if that’s not enough to think about, Lambrusco sparkling wines can range from sweet to dry depending on how they’re made.
- Moscato – Last but not least, Moscato often refers to an Italian sparkling wine made with moscato grapes. The best-known Moscato sparkling wine is Moscato D’Asti, a light, slightly sweet sparkling wine from the Asti region in Piedmont. However, Moscato is also the name of a grape, which is also often called “muscat” in other countries. So if you see Moscato D’Asti on a label, that means the sparkling wine is from the Asti region of Italy and it’s made with moscato grapes.
- Trento – And one more thing, as Columbo used to say. Trento isn’t a type of Italian sparkling wine but it is one of the best-known regions in Italy when it comes to making crisp, dry sparkling wines. Trento is located in northwestern Italy near the Austrian border. Trento is also sometimes called “Trentino.” So if you see Trentino on a wine label, that means the wine comes from Italy’s Trento region.
- Trentodoc – As you might suspect, the Trento in “Trentodoc” refers to where this Italian sparkling wine comes from – Italy’s Trento or Trentino region. But that’s not all. Trentodoc are Italian sparkling wines from Trento/Trentino made using the traditional method of making sparkling wine that’s used in France’s Champagne region. In addition, Trentodoc sparkling wines can only be made using a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier with pinot blanc grapes. And technically, Trentodoc is really Trento DOC since the DOC refers to the abbreviation used by winemakers in Italy to refer to wines from a particular geographic area. So Trento DOC or Trentodoc are the same thing.
Other Italian sparkling wine terms
Along with the types of Italian sparkling wines described above, you might also see a few other terms listed on the label. In general, these other words describe the sweetness level of the wine or how it’s made.
- Frizzante – This word refers to the effervescence of a sparkling wine, which simply means how sparkling it is or how many bubbles there are in the glass. Frizzante sparkling wines have fewer bubbles and are more like still wine.
- Spumante – Another Italian sparkling wine term that refers to the sparkling quality of the wine. Compared to
- Metodo Classico – This term simply means the wine’s made using the traditional method of making sparkling wine. Again, winemakers in France’s Champagne region call this the “methode traditionnelle.” In Italy, it’s simply called “metodo classico.”
Recommended Wines & Tasting Notes
Asti Acquesi ($16.99 Suggested Retail Price)
So again, Asti means this sparkling wine comes from Italy’s Asti region. It’s also a specific type of sparkling wine known as Asti. Made with moscato bianco grapes, this particular sparkling wine is definitely one of the sweeter ones I have tried in the past few months. But that’s what makes this wine a perfect dessert wine. Here, the flavors range from black licorice and caramel to vanilla and orange zest.
Cesarini Sforza Metodo Classico Rose ($31 SRP)
Made by Cesarini Sforza winery in the Trento/Trentino region of Italy, this crisp, dry, sparkling rose illustrates the wide range of sparkling wines from Italy. Made with 85% chardonnay grapes and 15% pinot noir, the flavors here range from subtle hints of fresh strawberries and raspberries to soft rose notes and a dash of sea salt and black pepper. A truly delightful, understated sparkling wine.
2018 Altemasi Trentodoc Millesimato Brut ($31 SRP)
This vintage sparkling wine (which simply means the grapes used to make this wine come from one particular year, which is 2018 in this case) from the same region (Trento) can more than hold its own with many great, brut Champagnes from France. Made entirely with chardonnay grapes grown near the foothills of Italy’s towering Dolomite mountains, this particular sparkling wine’s the driest of the three recommended this week. Its chalky, mineral-like finish also includes hints of toasted almonds, dried lemons and roasted apricots. A real gem that shines a light on the outstanding sparkling wines being made in Italy.
Cheers!
Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s Weekend section every Thursday.
