Tiny Bubbles :: Prosecco vs. Champagne

What size are the bubbles, you ask? What frequency? What does it all mean? At the 2008 WineFest, held at Mohegan Sun in January, this was a topic that dominated the first special tastings. While the second morning was dedicated to the more traditional, or at least best known, bubbly varietal - French Champagne- the true revelations came on Saturday with the Italian variation known as Prosecco.

Both moderators had this to agree upon about their special wines: the smaller the bubbles, the better the brew. Enore Ceola, representing the Veneto winery of Mionetto introduced the historical aspects of his company's offerings, some of which date back to the days of ancient Rome when this sparkling wine was, along with virgins and early Christians, a common offering at Roman parties.

Anthony Giglio, presenting the "crowned kings of Champagne" said it a different way. His product only dates to the seventeenth century when the monk Dom Perignon, cellarmaster of the Abbey of Hautvillers, improved the process, particularly in creating a method for keeping the corks from popping dangerously and becoming lethal weapons.

First, to help you decide for yourself, a few straightforward facts on these two different bubbling wines. All Champagne, by definition, must come from vineyards in the Champagne region of France. This is a small region comprising three districts which include the towns of Reims, Troyes, Charleville-Mezier and Chalons. No other sparking wines- French or otherwise- can call themselves Champagnes, although in some countries (the U.S. being one of them) it can be noted as "Champagne-style." More and more however, you'll see it labeled as "spumante," "Sekt" or, as most often seen with American versions "methode Champenoise."

Most champagnes are non-vintage, meaning they consist of a blend of wine from various years; these make up 75-80 percent of the output. They have a distinctive style, based on the house creating them. Ros? (or pink) champagne is created in one of three ways. The 'skin contact' method is used with red grapes, by allowing the juice to come in contact with the skin for a few days. The Saign?e, or bleeding, method involves removing some of the juice of red grapes early in the fermentation process, allowing the remainder to become red wine and using the "bled" juice as ros?. Finally, the 'blending' method involves simply adding a small amount of red still wine to the cuvee, or mix, although this practice is becoming rare as it's seen as a bit simple and crass.

Vintage champagne is made from the best grapes from a single harvest when those grapes are considered to be much better than average. These wines must contain at least 80% of the cuvee, although the balance can come from wine harvested in prior years. It should also be aged at least three years before it is released to the public for drinking. All Champagne is aged in the bottle in which you buy it.

Prosecco is different. In Italy it is considered an "everyday drink." Unlike most Champagne it does not improve with aging and should really be consumed within six months of the time it's purchased, or within a year at any rate. It tends to be dryer than many Champagnes, but the technique for Prosecco is often applied to other wines, some of which we tasted, and the broader definition of Prosecco still applies here. In Venice, Italy, this would be the basic drink of the day while a fine Grappa might suffice for an aperitif or digestive at the end of a meal.

While vintage Champagne production is very limited and even the more common non-vintage is produced in a decent quantity, Prosecco is created at about 3.2 million cases each year. It makes you wonder why we're familiar with one and not the other, doesn't it? There's a simple answer: until recently Prosecco didn't have much of a hold on the US marketplace. That's changing, however- Prosecco's time has come. (But drink up and buy more - don't wait for a special occasion!)

Obviously price is something to consider when purchasing your celebration wines. Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Vintage 1999, Epernay, for example, normally sells for about $175 a bottle. While broad and airy in texture with hints of berry, citrus and coffee in its aroma, it has a bright acidity about it, perhaps too much so for some palates. Although my Editor loves it, I wasn't particularly impressed with it at the tasting.

A bottle of Champagne Krug Grand Cuvee, non-vintage, Reims, an excellent deep, rich, and complex wine with definite tastes of ginger and coconut in the mix sells for $200 a bottle. It had an endless finish that lingered and preserved its flavors in the mouth and the nose for quite a while. I would have to call it superb.

At $75 a bottle, the Ruinart Blanc de Blanc, Reims (also one of my editor's favorites) was also superb, and based on the other two wines, a bargain at that price. Apple and honey flavors predominated and the sense of the wine in the mouth was opulent, filling every cavity in the mouth before plunging into the gullet. It's made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. Ruinart's Rose, Reims was dryer and- I thought- an excellent sparkling wine to serve with a dinner's main course. It was heavier; more likely to stand up to meats and strong vegetable flavors.

Mionetto, the company hosting the Prosecco tasting, offered six different sparkling Italian wines for us. Two of them were from their "il" line of wines. The first of them, "Il" Prosecco is made from 100% Marca Treviglana grapes. The wine is 10.5% alcohol, very redolent of mixed citrus fruits with very light bubbles which concentrate into two or three steady streams of perking up through the glass. It seemed to be an excellent sipping wine, refreshing and steadily drinkable, unvaried in its flavors. It sells for about $10 a bottle.

The second "Il" wine was a sparkling Moscato, made from 100% Muscat grapes from the Veneto region. At only 7% alcohol content it is an excellent, fruity wine with which to finish an evening - with or without dessert. It's retail price is about $11.

Their Prosecco Brut, at 11% alcohol content is also made from 100% Veneto Prosecco grapes. It's flavor was intense. Extremely dry it should be a perfect accompaniment to food with its delicate blend of apple, honey, maple and licorice flavors. Wine Enthusiast has given this particular Prosecco 89 points, yet the cost is only around $12. This Prosecco, often used in mixed drinks in Venice, makes a superb Bellini, the drink created at Harry's Bar. A mixture of this wine and white peach puree, the sample we had was superb.

Mionetto also makes a wine called Sergio Extra Dry which is a blend of 70% Prosecco Valdobbiadene (the vineyard town grape varietal) and 30% other wines, including some Chardonnay. They blend in grapes from the regions oldest vines, unique to the Veneto, and create something extra special. Wine Enthusiast voted this one 92 points and it retails- when you can find it- at about $20-25 a bottle. Very much in the Champagne style, it had herbal scents, including a definitive rosemary. The recipe for this wine dates back to 1887.

They also do a ros?, "MO", extra dry. A blend of Raboso, Cabernet, Merlot and Lagrein Grapes create the peach pink color and the delicate aroma. It even boasts a hint of roses on the nose. A best bet for a meal centered around shellfish, it retails for $25. The bottle we tasted was definitely infused with a sense of fresh strawberries.

Out on the convention floor where the walk-around tasting was taking place, I tried one more Prosecco, a "best buy" at 90 points from the Dec. 2003 Wine Enthusiast lists. Canella Prosecco di Conegliano DOC. It was light- lighter than all of the Mionetto wines- and buttery in texture in spite of the bubbles, which weren't as delicate as Mionetto's and almost had the taste of clotted cream, that British delicacy so eagerly devoured by American tourists. It sells for $15, or thereabout. A totally different take on Prosecco, it added a great deal to the portrait of this wine.

It turns out that it's a matter of taste, really. Good Prosecco, inexpensive and very drinkable, right for any occasion (including breakfast), is the option for you if sparkling wine is something you enjoy at all times. Vintage Champagne is the better choice for some special, celebratory night with a loved one. Both are the right way to go in your bubbly. Neither should disappoint, unless you don't like the sensation of bubbles on the lip or under the nose.

In which case, it's back to grape juice.