‘Tis The Season for Sparkling Wine

BY ERIC GUIDO | DECEMBER 12, 2024

It’s that time of year when we come together, reflect on the last 12 months, spend time with loved ones and enjoy some delicious sparkling wines. I’m not just talking about a celebratory quaff or New Year's Eve traditions. Sparkling wine is hands down the number one category for gift-giving in the wine market. Whether it’s easygoing Prosecco or high-profile Champagne, retailers reload over and over again through the month of December to keep up with demand.

For my sparkling wine needs, I often look to Italy for its combination of quality, diversity and (in many cases) relative value. Italian winemakers from across the boot have a deep-rooted love of Champagne, which led to the creation of categories that aim to replicate the qualities of their favorite celebratory beverage. Franciacorta, Trentodoc and Alta Langa use the same varieties as Champagne and similar production methods. Each is also representative of a unique terroir. Readers can find a breakdown of the individual terroirs by region in my December 2022 article, "Italy's Love Affair with Sparkling Wine." Beyond that, the Prosecco category has never been stronger and still represents impressive value in the marketplace. The number of wines submitted for this sparkling report grows every year, with new and interesting projects popping up throughout Italy. But Italian sparkling wine is not without its challenges.

Many Italian producers make decent sparkling wines but price them on par with Champagne, creating an environment in which consumers may disregard the category entirely. For Franciacorta, Alta Langa and, to a lesser degree, Trentodoc, this does more harm than good. Granted, several producers continue to deliver exceptional wines that warrant their tariffs, such as Ferrari (Trentodoc), Ettore Germano (Alta Langa), Mirabella, Ca' Del Bosco, Bellavista, Camilucci, Uberti and Corte Aura (Franciacorta), but the fact remains that the majority of wine produced in these regions is just passable for the price. Many times have I brought a Franciacorta to an event and served it to fellow wine-lovers, only to be met with comments such as, “It’s good but too expensive,” or “I like it, but can do better for the price,” and “I would drink this if I didn’t have to pay for it.”

With that said, the ever-evolving category of Prosecco continues to overdeliver. The fact remains that consumers can purchase premium-label and single-vineyard Proseccos for a fraction of the price of the aforementioned categories. Proseccos are crafted using the Charmat, or tank method, where sugar is added to the fermenting juice in stainless steel tanks to start fermentation and generate carbon dioxide. Franciacorta, Trentodoc and Alta Langa all use Metodo Classico (méthode champenoise), followed by extended aging in bottle, which brings out further complexity through maturity and contact with the lees. It’s a more expensive and time-consuming process, but the results can compete with Champagne when done right. Lovers of Metodo Classico can also look beyond the broader sparkling wine categories to individual estates. Winemakers throughout Italy are experimenting with sparkling wine. Some have been doing so for decades. Garofoli, in Marche, is a perfect example. When I visited Garofoli in 2022, I was presented with several eye-opening, well-aged examples of Verdicchio produced using Metodo Classico. I can give equal praise to sparkling Nebbiolo in Piedmont or even Sangiovese vinified as Blanc de Noir.

Finally, we cannot ignore ​​Lambrusco, one of the world’s most diverse food-pairing wines. For many years, consumers equated Lambrusco with easily slurpable semi-sweet (Amabile) to sticky-sweet (Dolce) wines. However, over the past two decades, approaches have expanded to offer wines of significant complexity with more savory profiles. There’s a lot to like in this category today, especially from the drier (Secco) style. These are deep, rich, lively wines made from a variety of grapes hailing from unique terroirs surrounding the cities of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Readers who have yet to experience what Lambrusco is capable of today are in for a real treat. 

A Rehashing of Terms

For those new to the terminology of sparkling wine, understanding the different sweetness levels can be confusing. Terms like "Brut" and "Extra Dry" might seem contradictory, but the balance of sugar and acidity plays a crucial role. For instance, despite containing up to 12 grams per liter of residual sugar, a Brut Champagne can often taste quite dry due to its high acidity. Similarly, an Extra Dry Prosecco, with 12-17 grams of residual sugar, can be surprisingly balanced and enjoyable.

Brut Nature, Pas Dosé and Zero Dosage: Less than 3 grams per liter of residual sugar

Extra Brut: Between 0-6 grams per liter of residual sugar

Brut: Less than 12 grams per liter of residual sugar

Extra Dry: Between 12-17 grams per liter of residual sugar

Dry: Between 17-32 grams per liter of residual sugar

Demi-Sec: Between 32-50 grams per liter of residual sugar

I tasted the wines for this article in November and December 2024 during my travels through Italy and in our New York City office.

© 2024, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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