Prosecco – 12 Things Most People Don’t Know
By Lee E Brannon
12 Things You Never Knew About Prosecco
Prosecco is taking the wine world by storm and has been doing so for the last 10 years. Is there any sign of sales slowing down? Most definitely not! In fact, over the last 3 or 4 years sales of this amazing Italian sparkler have been increasing even faster year on year. Northern Italian vineyards just can’t grow enough of those Glera grapes.
But, whilst we can all see the immense popularity of Prosecco, with new brands appearing on supermarket shelves, in off licences and in online shops almost daily, so it would seem, how much do we wine drinkers actually know about the origins of Prosecco, how it’s made and even what it is? Well, this article aims to answer these questions and more by introducing you, the reader and dedicated wine enthusiast, to 12 things you never knew about Prosecco. All of the facts covered below will enable you to WOW your friends and party guests when you next find yourself pouring glasses of bubbly. So, without further ado, let’s get started:
1) A glass of Prosecco has fewer calories than a glass of wine
It’s true! Your average glass of red wine has around 125 calories and a glass of Prosecco has only about 90 calories. So, if you need to watch your calorie intake but you don’t want to knock wine on the head altogether, switch to Prosecco.
2) An occasional glass of Prosecco is actually good for your health
A number of health studies have been carried out into the potential benefits of drinking a moderate amount of sparkling wine with surprising results. These studies suggest that sparkling wine can actually help your heart by improving blood circulation through the alteration of how your blood vessels work. The polyphenols in the wine, which are antioxidants, increase the availability of nitric oxide in the blood which also helps control blood pressure. The polyphenols come from the grapes that the wine is made with and are also present in other fruits and vegetables. But, and make sure to remember this one, they are also present in chocolate! Before you get too excited, though, we must also remember “Everything in moderation”.
3) The origins of Prosecco
We all know it’s Italian, but where does it come from? The answer to this question is Northern Italy, specifically the nine provinces of Veneto and Fruili Venezia Giulia.
4) Drinking Prosecco lessens your risk of waking with a hangover
There are obvious limitations here, mind you! The point is that, unless you’re drinking a very sweet, budget Prosecco, sparkling wines are much less likely to leave you with a hangover after a few glasses. It’s generally lower in alcohol than most still wines but the fizz brings the feeling of indulgence in spades!
5) It’s less expensive than Champagne
OK, this one’s probably obvious to anyone who’s ever bought Prosecco and Champagne but the point is, that even though there’s a significant price difference between the two products, that indulgent feeling is most definitely still there. Many wine drinkers who are not wild about Champagne, and in fact many dedicated Champagne drinkers, would say that Prosecco has a broader appeal due to its lightness and fruitiness when compared with traditional Champagnes.
6) Differentiating Prosecco brands
As mentioned previously, most brands of Prosecco are made using Glera grapes exclusively. The particular qualities of a brand of Prosecco depend upon where those grapes were grown. Glera grapes grown on the lower slopes of a hillside have very different characteristics from those grown on the higher slopes in more minerally soil. Some brands also blend in small amounts of other grape varieties to introduce required tastes and bouquets.
7) A popping cork can fly at speeds of up to 25mph
Prosecco corks are very light and are highly unlikely to cause damage to the ceiling or the wall, but you do need to make sure no-one has their face in the expected trajectory of the cork and you should definitely aim away from your Mum’s best china!
8) There’s an Italian town named “Prosecco”
The name “Prosecco” is derived from the Italian village of Prosecco which is near Trieste in north-eastern Italy. Prosecco was first mentioned way back in the 16th century and the grapes used to make it were originally called “Prosecco” grapes. Nowadays these grapes are known as “Glera” grapes.
9) Not all Prosecco is sparkling
There are 3 different levels of bubbliness for Prosecco: Spumante, which is the most effervescent, Frizzante, which has a more gentle fizz and Tranquillo, which is a still Prosecco.
10) Prosecco is a genuine rival to Champagne
In 2013, global sales of Prosecco overtook those of Champagne for the first time. Prosecco outsold Champagne by 307 million bottles to 304 million and officially became the World’s favourite sparkler.
11) Bellini cocktails were originally made with Prosecco
Although many wine bar and restaurant recipes contain Champagne as the main sparkler in a Bellini, these popular cocktails were originally made with Prosecco and the balance now seems to be swinging in favour of Prosecco once more as it’s a less expensive and more widely appealing bottle of fizz.
12) The UK consumes more Prosecco than Italy
UK wine consumers drink almost 2.5 times the amount of Prosecco that the Italians drink. We also pay twice as much per litre. It goes without saying that the Prosecco market in the UK is huge!
So, there you have it. Go forth and amaze your friends with your newly acquired knowledge regarding Prosecco. It certainly seems that there are an awful lot of people talking about it at the moment!
Find out even more about Prosecco on the Premier Estates Wine website where you can buy a case or just a single bottle of our award winning Prosecco with free delivery.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lee_E_Brannon/2049518
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