Sparkling wine: toast to the new year with a wonderful midnight cork

Are you thinking about New Year's Eve but you still don't know what to toast this great event with?

We at Spaghetti & Mandolino know what's right for you, buckle up and discover our suggestions for a toast with bows!

Sparkling wine: origins and territory

What are the origins of sparkling wine? The sparkling wine was born in 1850 thanks to Carlo Gancia, a merchant specialized in wines who decided to experiment with the so-called “champenoise method” with grapes from the Piedmontese territory, namely white Moscato.

It is also surprising to discover that sparkling wine has an ancient tradition. In fact, this seems to date back to Roman times, who are also considered to be the real inventors of sparkling wine.

But the historical references do not end here, because we discover that sparkling wine also appears in the Bible. If we consider literary tradition, we cannot but consider illustrious figures such as Virgil, Propezio, and Lucan who have spent a few words just to talk about sparkling wine.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, then after the barbarian invasions, vines began to be cultivated only in monasteries as wine is produced for the sole purpose of being consumed during religious services.

The production of sparkling wine did not stop even during the Renaissance period, when Giovanvittorio Sedermi published a treatise on the cultivation of vines.

The production of sparkling wine in Italy is located a little throughout the peninsula. In particular, the regions that produce sparkling wine are: Veneto (where we find Durello), but also Abruzzo (with Montepulciano), Tuscany (producer of Pomino doc), Lombardy (where you can find Franciacorta docg), but also in Sicily (where Etna doc is made). Calabria, Campania, Marche, Molise, Liguria, Trentino-Alto Adige, Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta are also lands rich in vines that produce sparkling wine.

You should know that not all wines are transformable into sparkling wine. In fact, for wine to be sparkling wine, special criteria of latitude, harvest techniques, and vinification of the musts must be respected.

The wine is made sparkling using different methods, including the classic one and the Charmat or Martinotti.

With the classic method, sparkling wine is made according to very precise criteria. In this case, the wine is put in contact with second-fermentation yeasts and this is precisely why it takes on scents that can range from bread to croissant, but it can also have a delicate vanilla scent.

On the other hand, if you follow the Charmat method, contact with the yeasts is minimal and therefore they will not influence the production of sparkling wine.

Prosecco: origins and territory

Prosecco is a wine that has very ancient origins and its history is directly connected to that of the areas where its roots lie.

Prosecco is a grape variety cultivated mainly in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where it is made with a skill and a technique that is handed down from generation to generation.

The origins of prosecco seem to date back to Roman colonization. Virgilio, passing through TriVeneto, writes “look how the wild vine, the Lambrusca, has covered the cave here and there with its clusters.” Prosecco originates from a grape that is not officially from the TriVeneto region, but seems to have been imported from other territories.

The most prestigious prosecco production areas are between Conegliano-Valdobbiadene and Asolo. In these territories it is in fact referred to as “DOCG”.

DOCG stands for 'Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin'. In this way, you can be sure that the wine is produced in specific regions, with particular methods and that it meets quality standards.

Unlike sparkling wine obtained with the traditional method, to obtain prosecco you must follow the Charmat method. It is with this procedure that the famous bubbles come to light!

The Charmat method is different from the traditional one in that the second fermentation takes place in a bottle instead of in a barrel.

Prosecco, with the passage of time, deteriorates. Typically, the most vintage prosecco can reach a maximum of 3 years of age. After that, it will begin to lose its aroma and freshness.

Difference between prosecco and sparkling wine

Prosecco and sparkling wine are first of all produced with different grapes in different places.

What they have in common is that both are bubbles, so they undergo a second fermentation to capture carbon dioxide inside the bottle. It is precisely this process that causes the famous bubbles to be created!

The characteristics that sparkling wine and prosecco have in common are certainly the fact that they are perfect for any great occasion, such as New Year's Eve.

We recommend prosecco especially for your dinner and for the finish with a bang you go to sparkling wine and I recommend that it be served cold! Didn't you have time to cool it down? Discover our 4 methods to cool sparkling wine in less than 30 minutes!