Cut-price bubbly that out sparkles champers

As it overtakes champagne as the UK’s favourite fizz, our wine expert’s guide to picking a perfect prosecco . . .

RESIDENTS and tourists in Venice have for years delighted in their local, laid-back fizz. But here in Britain prosecco has long been seen as the second choice to champagne.

Now, however, it seems our tastes are taking an Italian turn. According to industry figures released this month, we’ve developed such a taste for prosecco that last year UK sales overtook those of champagne for the first time — £181.8 million compared with £141.3 million.

It’s been a long time coming. Prosecco may have found its way over here 30-odd years ago, but it was barely known beyond well-travelled wine lovers. One UK wine importer, David Gleave from Liberty Wines, tried to sell it in the late Eighties: ‘I thought: “This is delicious — I’m sure people will buy it.” They didn’t.’

Sales bubbled along rather slowly, and by 2009 we were still only consuming just over two million bottles a year.

Five years on, that’s leapt to a massive 28 million — with most of the increase coming since 2012.

So what’s behind the remarkable rise of this once humble sparkling wine? Quite simply, it’s word of mouth. The prosecco revolution was set against a backdrop of celebratory occasions — the Jubilee, the Olympic Games and a Royal Wedding — where cheap bubbles were called for.

Suddenly, supermarkets began to see their sales soar and started clearing space on the shelves: it was time to take this loveable sparkling wine seriously.

Until then, there had been only two types of bubbles to choose from.

First, France’s most famous sparkling export — champagne, from a region in northern France which sells nine million bottles in Britain each year.

MADE from a blend of three classic ‘champagne’ grapes — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier — it gets its bubbles from a second fermentation in the bottle.

It’s then aged for at least 18 months in cellars, longer for ‘vintage’ champagnes.

The second is Spain’s sparkling equivalent — Cava. Most is made in Catalonia in the north- east using the Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarello grapes (although one of the classic champagne grapes, Chardonnay, can also be used).

Cava isn’t usually aged for as long in the producers’ cellars before being sold compared with champagne, making it cheaper (17 million bottles are sold in the UK each year).

As for the flavours, cava tends to be more fruity and ripe than the comparatively richer, more complex flavours of champagne.

But the new kid on the block, prosecco, is very different to both of these, not least because it’s made in a different country.

To be classified as prosecco, it must come from a particular area in north- eastern Italy, spanning the Veneto and Friuli regions. It’s made from different grapes — one called Glera must make up at least 85 per cent of the blend. And it gets its bubbles from a second fermentation in a tank rather than in the bottle, which gives it a softer fizz.

In fact, compared with the more complex flavours of champagne and cava, prosecco is, quite literally, the softer option. It’s relatively light, at around 11 per cent alcohol (champagne and cava are normally closer to 12 per cent), with frothy bubbles and simple fruit flavours, wrapped up with a touch of sweetness.

Of course, there’s another very important factor that makes it really attractive: the price. Unlike champagne and cava, which is already in a bottle for that second bubble-inducing fermentation, the tank method of producing prosecco bubbles keeps production costs down — especially compared with champagne.

No long years of ageing in dark cellars required; producers can make up a batch of prosecco in a matter of months rather than years. Which is a good thing, because prosecco is best when it’s young and most is produced as non-vintage, meaning it won’t have a stated year on the label. If you see a bottle with an old vintage, it might be interesting but more likely it’ll be past its best.

So, with everyone reaching for a glass or few of prosecco, are we going to run out of this no-fuss fruity fizz fit for any occasion?

That might have been the case had the area where prosecco comes from not undergone significant changes in 2009. European wine laws protect what can be labelled as prosecco under DOC — meaning Denominazione di Origine Controllata — regulations (similar to the ones that decree champagne must come from a certain region of France).

But in 2009 the area allowed to produce wine under the prosecco DOC name was expanded significantly and increased controls were introduced in an effort to ensure the quality of what was produced wasn’t compromised.

At the same time, the original DOC region — between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and around the town of Asolo — was upgraded to the smarter DOCG status ( Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). If you see ‘Prosecco Superiore’ or any of these town names on the label, you’re likely to get a better quality of wine — and pay a higher price (currently, DOC quality wines range from £6 to £10, with DOCG quality wines from £7 to £15).

There’s even a kind of ‘grand cru’ prosecco, from the steep hills surrounding the town of Cartizze. Here, a small number of vineyards are harvested by hand and the wine produced commands the highest prices.

NOT many of the one million bottles produced each year find their way on to our shelves, as most is consumed in Italy. Tesco recently introduced a limited- edition Finest ‘ Cartizze’ wine at £14.99, one of the most expensive in the range. (It was good, but I’d rather have two bottles of DOCG).

You don’t have to pay much to get a great prosecco — all freshness, froth and simple fruit — but there are some that fall flat. Pick the wrong one and you could get something nosewrinklingly unpleasant.

So which bottles should you pop in your basket? Below are the pick of my favourites . . .