Organic Prosecco – A Guide to Organic Prosecco
Prosecco is the number one sparkling wine sold in the world by volume and a very popular wine in the UK. Made from the Glera grape in northeast Italy, Prosecco is known for its light bubbles and tasty fruity flavours. This Guide to Organic Prosecco has all you need to know about organic Prosecco, a much-loved tipple.
If you’ve ever wondered what sets Prosecco apart from Champagne or other sparkling wines, this guide is for you! We’ll explain how Prosecco is made, where it comes from, and answer other popular questions about this fun sparkling wine. We’ll also provide recommendations for organic Prosecco as well.
Here’s what we’ll cover (note you can click on these links to be taken to these topics in the blog post):
- Prosecco: Where does it come from and how is it made
- Is Prosecco a wine or Champagne? Is Prosecco just cheap Champagne?
- Is Prosecco dry or sweet? How many calories are in Prosecco?
- What is the lowest calorie Prosecco and what is ‘skinny Prosecco’?
- What foods go well with Prosecco? How long does Prosecco last once opened?
- What’s different about organic Prosecco? What’s so special about organic Prosecco?
- Our Organic Prosecco Recommendations
Where does Prosecco come from? How is Prosecco made?
Prosecco is a sparkling wine made in northeast Italy in the regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giuli. Prosecco can be a DOC or DOCG, which means there are specific rules outlining how it must be made. Prosecco is made from Glera grape, a white grape that produces light- to medium-bodied wines with fruity flavours. It’s produced using the tank method, which means fermentation of the sparkling wine occurs in large sealed tanks (usually stainless steel). For other sparkling wines, like Champagne or Franciacorta wines, on the other hand, the second fermentation takes place in the bottle.
Compared to other sparkling wines, Prosecco is lower in alcohol, about 11 to 12% ABV. It should be delicately aromatic, hinting at yellow apple, pear, white peach and apricot. Unlike Champagne, which is appreciated for its rich taste and complex secondary aromas, most Proseccos are intended to be consumed and enjoyed as a young wine.
The styles of Prosecco DOC referred to on the label act as a guide to the degree of sparkle:
Frizzante – lightly sparkling, bubble fades fairly quickly but much easy enjoyment to be had!
Spumante – longer-lasting sparkle and considered the more ‘classic’ style.
Is Prosecco a wine or Champagne? Is Prosecco just cheap Champagne?
Prosecco is a sparkling wine and not a Champagne. Champagne is also a sparkling wine, but it’s made in a specific region in France, with different grapes, and in a different way. Thus, Prosecco is a sparkling wine that’s different to Champagne (find out more about our organic Champagnes here).
Some have asked where it’s ‘just cheap Champagne’ and our quick answer is no! Many people might think that because Prosecco is produced on a larger scale and generally cheaper. However, we’ve stocked some outstanding quality organic Proseccos for quite some time now that our customers just love. Both Champagne and Prosecco are fabulous sparkling wines that deserve to be enjoyed and celebrated.
Is Prosecco dry or sweet? How many calories are in Prosecco?
The answer to this is that you can have both a dry or sweet Prosecco. Generally, Prosecco is slightly sweeter than other sparkling wines, and there are three sweetness levels for Prosecco:
- Brut: 0–12 g/L of residual sugar = the least sweet Prosecco
- Extra Dry/Brut: With 12–17 g/L of residual sugar = medium sweet Proseccos
- Dry: With 17–32 g/L of residual sugar = the ‘sweetest’ Proseccos, confusingly!
So, if you’re after something with less sugar and carbs, look for ‘Brut’ on the labels. Most of our organic Proseccos fall into the ‘Brut’ (=driest) or Extra Brut categories. When it comes to calories, there are about 80-90 calories in a standard glass (125ml) of Prosecco, slightly more than a chocolate digestive biscuit. Like Champagne, the levels of residual sugar in the Prosecco will determine the exact number of calories.
If you’re looking for a quality Brut (=driest Prosecco), Giol’s gold medal-winning Organic Prosecco Frizzante is one of our favourites.
£13.50
What is the lowest calorie Prosecco and what is ‘skinny’ Prosecco?
If you’re after the lowest calorie Prosecco, choose something that’s labelled ‘Brut’ as this will have the lowest levels of residual sugar and carbs. Lately there’s been talk of ‘skinny Prosecco’ among more health-conscious communities, and this is basically Prosecco that has lower sugar levels. So if you’re after a ‘skinny’ Prosecco, chose something that’s Brut or Extra Brut. To put things in perspective, however, a standard can of a sugary soft drink (330ml – almost three times the size of standard Prosecco serving), has about 40 grams of sugar in the entire can.
If you’re after a drier/ Brut Prosecco (=dry and the least amount of residual sugars), Giol’s DOC Prosecco Spumante Rosé Brut is made from 90% traditional Glera grapes and 10% Pinot Noir, giving the colour and delicious red fruit flavours.
What foods go well with organic Prosecco? How long does Prosecco last once opened?
An amazing thing about Prosecco is that it’s quite a food friendly wine. It can be enjoyed with a range of starters, like charcuterie and antipasti, fried foods and a range of nuts and nibbles. It can also be enjoyed alongside main courses, both vegetarian and non. Think chicken or tofu salads, fish tacos, scampi, fish and chips, a range of vegetable dishes, spring rolls, Asian dishes and curries … the list could go on and on! Prosecco is also a good match for creamier cheeses like Brie and Camembert. A sweeter Prosecco could also be a good match for desserts like sponge cakes or even sweet popcorn … yum!
Sadly, once a bottle of Prosecco – or indeed any other sparkling wine – has been opened, it’s not long before the bubbles starts to go. You can of course still drink a flat bottle of bubbly, and it should last for up to seven days refrigerated. To preserve the bubbles, there are a few good stoppers out there, like the highly-rated Bubbly Bung Champagne Stopper for £8.99. A little pricier but firm favourite amongst wine connoisseurs is the Vacu Vin Champagne Saver & Server.
What is different about organic Prosecco?
Now it’s time to talk about organic Prosecco specifically. Organic Prosecco is made from grapes grown organically. This means that no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilisers are used on organic vineyards. When the Prosecco is made, only permitted additives may be used, and the amount of sulphur dioxides or sulphites is also limited.
Does Prosecco have sulphites? Does all Prosecco have sulphites?
Prosecco is considered a sparkling wine, and under EU/UK regulations it is permitted to have a certain amount of sulphites/sulfites. The permitted levels are slightly more than for dry red wines and about the same as for whites and rosés. All organic Prosecco, however, must be made with less sulphites. Choosing organic Prosecco therefore means that you will never get an overly sulphured wine and in general sulphur levels will be lower. If you’d like to try or are looking for a Prosecco without any added sulphites at all, then we’d recommend Giol’s Prosecco Frizzante Sur Lie No Added Sulphur.
£13.75
Is organic Prosecco better for you? Does organic Prosecco give you a hangover?
That’s a tough question. Common sense suggests that choosing to drink organic wines and Prosecco is likely better for your health. For starters, you’re exposing yourself to less sulphites and artificial chemicals, which may cause unwanted reactions in the body. However, as always, sensible wine consumption is the healthiest choice.
Does organic Prosecco give you a hangover? Another difficult question. Some of our customers do report feeling better the next day after drinking organic wines or no sulphur added wines or low sulphur added wines. But while there are plenty of stories about feeling better or the ‘no’ hangover, sadly the science just doesn’t agree. Sensible drinking and wine consumption is the way to go to avoid getting a hangover.
Are there any good organic Prosecco? Our organic Prosecco recommendations
Yes, there certainly are good organic Proseccos! We sell a range of organic Proseccos and Frizzantes from forward-thinking organic winemakers Giol and Mont’Albano. We’ve been working with these Veneto winemakers for a long time, and they truly know their craft. If you’re new to organic Prosecco, here are some we’d recommend trying.
Lightly fizzy with light green fruit, the Mont’albano Prosecco Frizzante is an incredibly good value Prosecco.
£12.99
If you’re after a drier, lower calorie Prosecco, Giol’s Prosecco Spumante is an Extra Brut Prosecco with attractive pear-like fruits and hints of melted butter.
£13.99
Our Wild Thing Prosecco is also a top choice and for every bottle sold a donation is made to the Born Free Foundation.
£13.99
Note, Giol also make excellent lightly sparking Frizzantes from other grapes, such as their Perla Frizzante, which makes an excellent aperitif.
£11.25
Having a party or gathering? Giol’s Prosecco Spumante Brut Magnum is a fantastic quality magnum (=1.5 litres) of Prosecco, and great showpiece for parties and weddings!
£31.00
If you’d like to explore some of the Giol range, we also recommend our ‘Giol Six’ Mixed Case, which has two of Giol’s Excellent Proseccos and two bottles of their Perla Frizzantes.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Guide to Organic Prosecco. Don’t hesitate to be in touch if you’re still wondering about which Prosecco may be right for you.
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