Prosecco Hysteria

Prosecco Hysteria

Why does everyone love Prosecco?

I’m sure you’ve noticed it – the Prosecco Hysteria. Over the past few years (spring and summer especially), Prosecco seems to be the favourite Italian word on everyone’s lips. There seems to be a new activity to embrace oneself in after a long day at work; “Let’s go out for Prosecco!” when it used to be “Let’s go out for a beer/glass of wine”. And I’m sure you have noticed all the bottomless brunch places literally “popping up” with Prosecco as the main attraction to call for customers.

Sparkling wine has always been associated with celebration and success. Prosecco has been produced since the Roman time if not before - that’s incredible given how it’s being made. As most people would know, Prosecco is not made the same way as Champagne/Franciacorta/English sparkling wine/Cava, which are all made through the traditional method where the second fermentation happens in the bottle. Instead it is being made through the tank method meaning the second fermentation occurs in a big tank. The production method results in a product that is cheaper and less complex than its opponents such as Champagne. The former being one of the key reasons as to why Prosecco has become so approachable and loved by consumers all over the world.

A second reason for its success quite funnily seems to be the actual name itself. Prosecco – who doesn’t love saying the word? It’s associated with cheery fun, party, glitter, sun – and this is what people very often look for when grabbing a drink of course. There have been studies made on why some wines tend to take off more than others although they’re not more special or interesting. One key factor here is the heritage and history behind it, one is of course what we’re being exposed to (thus distributors have a large role to play here in terms of what you can get hold of in your local shop/bar) but the final reason tends to be the name itself. Prosecco, Gavi di Gavi, Chablis and Frappato are all good examples of the latter. We’re simply drawn to them on the wine shelf because they sound fun. So well done to all those ancient wine makers who (probably) totally unconsciously selected those names for their dear produce.

In general, I always suggest people to try different types of wines based on their budget but realise that a few extra quid on something can give you way more in return. The problem when it comes to sparkling wines seem to be that people will go for a cheap Prosecco or spend a bit more on Champagne. However, they will rarely go for the mid-range of a Cava or an English sparkling wine or even spend a bit more on these to get something out of the ordinary. This is a shame but also something I believe is changing – luckily for the industry! Because although there is a time and place for Prosecco, there is also so much more out there on offer.

For more info and history about sparkling wines check out Laura’s post here.

We currently don't stock Prosecco, but you can always order a bottle of Champagne Henriot instead. We deliver free! 

Blog posted by Sofia - Follow her on Instagram

 

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