What Is Prosecco—and How Is It Made?

Learn what makes this Italian sparkling wine special.

Celebrations call for plenty of sparkle—so it's no surprise that sparkling wines like Prosecco tend to be popular for the holidays, graduations, weddings, and anything else that sparks joy. But sparkling wines go by many names—Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava are the most common, but you'll also see sparklers called Crémant, Sekt, Lambrusco, Franciacorta, and more.

Related: Everything You Need to Know to Buy Champagne

So what sets Prosecco apart from all these other sparkling wines? And how should you choose the best sparkler the next time you raise a glass? Here's everything you need to know about Prosecco.

What Is Prosecco?

Prosecco is a sparkling wine that's produced in a special region of Italy, not too far from Venice. Just like sparkling wines have to be produced in the Champagne region, following the traditional Champagne method to be able to call themselves Champagne, all Prosecco wines have to be produced using wines from the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia parts of Italy. They also use a specific type of grape, Glera, which must make up at least 85 percent of the wine, with Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio grapes added for the remaining 15 percent.

Just like Champagnes, Prosecco wines can be dry or sweet, though even the driest versions of Prosecco tend to be a little bit sweeter than their French counterparts.

Get to know the dryness labels.

You'd probably think "Extra Dry" prosecco is the driest version, but that's not the case—Extra Brut is what you'll want if you prefer a drier sparkling wine. Here's the list of labels, from driest to sweetest.

Extra Brut (the very driest)

Brut (slightly sweeter)

Extra Dry (even sweeter)

Dry (sweet)

How Is Prosecco Made?

For Prosecco and other sparkling wines, the process starts similar to any other wine—grapes are fermented to produce wine. To produce the signature bubbles, the wine is taken through a second, high-pressure fermentation process that forces carbon dioxide bubbles into the wine and creates that effervescent fizz.

Related: 5 Delicious, Affordable Sparkling Wines That Aren't Champagne or Prosecco

But each type of sparkling wine uses a different process to create the bubbles. For sparkling wines (like Champagne) that use the traditional method, the second fermentation process takes place in the bottle. For Prosecco, which uses the Charmat method, the secondary fermentation is done in a tank, then bottled when it's ready.

The Charmat method produces a clean, yet fruitier sparkling wine than the traditional method, and is less labor-intensive to follow. That's a big reason why Proseccos are more inexpensive than Champagnes and other sparkling wines that follow the traditional method.

How to Drink Prosecco

Prosecco should be enjoyed chilled, like other sparkling wines, and makes a great addition to some fun and festive champagne cocktails. Your regular fridge temperature should get your Prosecco perfectly chilled to a temp in the low 40-degree range—or go ahead and put it in an ice bucket filled halfway with ice and water.

Related: You've Been Serving Champagne All Wrong—Here's How to Do It Right

And while flutes have been in vogue for sparkling wines, using a regular white wine glass will actually let you enjoy more flavor and aroma from your Prosecco. Meanwhile, keep those Roaring 1920s-style coupes for serving regular cocktails, and don't bother serving your sparkling wine from that. The wide mouth lets the Prosecco go flat faster.

How to Store Prosecco

Prosecco isn't the kind of wine that's meant to hang out in your wine cellar. Generally, you'll want to enjoy your bottle within a year of buying it. And you'll definitely want to store your bottle on its side, to allow the wine to touch the cork. If the cork dries out, it could allow all those beautiful bubbles to escape, and your wine to spoil.

If you didn't quite finish your bottle of sparkling wine, there are ways to prevent it from going flat while you store it in the fridge. (Just don't plan to keep it in there long—you may want to use up that leftover Prosecco for next-day Bellinis or mimosas for brunch, or keep it for a max of three days.)

When we tested a few different methods of storing sparkling wines, we found several strategies that worked, including placing a refrigerated spoon in the top of the bottle, using specially designed hermetic corks meant for sparkling wine, or even just covering the top with an old wine cork or plastic wrap and rubber bands.

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