Prosecco, the sparkling wine from the Veneto region of Northern Italy, has become extremely popular all around the world. Prosecco is popular for two main reasons: its price and its easy drinkability. Vivino has reviewed data from the past year to determine which Prosecco wines are the most popular among our community of 27 million.
The Most Popular Prosecco Wines
Because Vivino is used by more than 27 million wine lovers around the world to review wines, we’ve analyzed our data to pull out the most trending Prosecco wines right now. Here are the 10 most-scanned Prosecco wines on Vivino for 2017 so far, along with their average ratings based on thousands of consumer opinions:
- La Marca Prosecco – 3.8 Stars
- Casa Vinicola Zonin Prosecco – 3.5 Stars
- Valdo Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore Marca Oro – 3.6 Stars
- Carpenè Malvolti Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene Extra Dry – 3.7 Stars
- La Gioiosa et Amorosa Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore – 3.6 Stars
- Ruffino Prosecco – – 3.7 Stars
- Mionetto Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore – 3.6 Stars
- Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Prestige Collection Brut – 3.6 Stars
- Gancia Prosecco – 3.5 Stars
- Mionetto Prosecco Treviso Brut – 3.6 Stars
Styles of Prosecco
Prosecco comes in three styles which are categorized by the amount of bubbles they contain. Technically, this is the amount of gas pressure within the bottle. The three styles are:
- Prosecco spumante: The most common style. This is the one most of us find at the store and enjoy. It contains around three atmospheres of pressure within the bottle (44psi, to compare with a traditional Champagne’s six atmospheres or about 100psi).
- Prosecco frizzante: Less sparkling and just slightly fizzy. It has less than two point five atmospheres of pressure (or about <36psi).
- Prosecco tranquillo: The still Prosecco wine style. Yes, it does exist—but it is rarely seen outside of Italy.
Sweetness of Prosecco
Prosecco ranges from dry to sweet and is labeled as such based on the on the amount of residual sugar. Look for these labels on the bottle to find a selection that matches the level of sweetness you’re after.
- Brut: The driest style of Prosecco which has 0-12 grams of residual sugar per liter.
- Extra Dry: Between 12-17 grams of sugar per liter, resulting in a smoother style.
- Dry: The sweetest type of Prosecco (surprisingly) with 17-32 grams of residual sugar per liter.
Quality of Prosecco
Prosecco wines come as either DOC (Controlled Denomination of Origin) or DOCG (Guaranteed Controlled Denomination of Origin) depending on the geographical area in which the grapes are cultivated. They are classified as follows:
- Prosecco DOC:
- Prosecco di Treviso
- Trieste
- Prosecco DOCG
- Asolo (or Colli Asolani)
- Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore (Rive, Superiore di Cartizze)
DOCG Proseccos come from smaller production areas and are often considered of superior quality.
Popularity of Prosecco
Since 2013, there have been more bottles of Prosecco sold globally (307 million in 2013) than bottles of Champagne (304 million in 2013) according to the Italian Sparkling Wine Observatory (OVSE). And the gap has grown: Prosecco is now the best-selling fizz in all the biggest sparkling wine markets outside of France, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
The British are the biggest demographic of Prosecco drinkers in the world, while the French drink more than 45 percent of their own Champagne bubbles. UK consumers spend more than £350m a year on Prosecco, which is over £100m more than what is spent on Champagne in the country (source: telegraph.co.uk).
In the US, Nielsen data shows that Prosecco accounts for 15 percent of all sparkling wine sales.
Affordability of Prosecco
Prosecco wine is much more affordable than French Champagne. In the US, for example, Champagne prices average $52 per 750ml, while a bottle of Prosecco is sold on average for $12 (source: nielsen.com).
The main reason for this price difference is the method of production. Champagne must be made using the “Méthode Traditionnelle” (sometimes referred to as “Méthode Champenoise”) meaning that the fermentation giving the wine its bubbles is run inside the bottles themselves. Prosecco, however, is made in the “Charmat method” with a second fermentation in-tank, which is much more efficient and economic overall.
Still, there are even cheaper alternatives to Champagne made using the same method of fermentation in-bottle. The French Crémants, Spanish Cavas, or even some New World sparkling wines struggle to compete in price with Proseccos.
Prosecco Tastes Great
The Charmat production process brings along another advantage: you get closer flavors to those of the grapes without any influence from aging on lees or the contact with oak. Prosecco wine tastes like the Glera grapes it is primarily made from, which makes it quite approachable to many palates.
The typical refreshing notes of lemon, apple, flowers, and honey found in Prosecco make for an enjoyable drink for many occasions.
