On a recent night out at The Weighbridge Brewhouse, down near the Outlet Centre, one of my dining companions and myself decided to have a glass of Prosecco. Which gave me the perfect opportunity to do this post, No 4 Prosecco, in my series Swindon in 50 drinks.
The Prosecco served in The Weighbridge is from Berry Bros and Rudd – see image below. And it wasn’t a bad drop I have to say.
They also serve a rather nice Berry Bros and Good Ordinary Claret – of which I’m rather fond.
Two glasses of Prosecco at The Weighbridge in Swindon – aren’t those glasses gorgeous?
The Rise and Rise of Prosecco
It’s interesting how, in recent years, Prosecco has blown the Spanish Cava out of the wine rack when we’re looking for a more wallet-friendly celebration drink than Champagne. Something I wrote about in this piece: https://swindonian.me/2018/05/16/the-prosecco-party/
‘Prosecco, like it’s big sister, Champagne, takes its name from its place of origin. In this case the village of Prosecco, a suburb of Trieste. Even if you knew that you may not know that, as this Vine Pair blog all about the stuff points out, ‘the name ‘prosecco’ is actually Slovenian, from prozek, or “path through the woods.” Prior to being called Prosecco, the region was known as Puccino. Today, Prosecco production extends beyond the small village, but that’s where it all began.
DOC and DOCG
DOCG and DOC are quality classifications. Italian wine law states that DOCG – Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantia – is the highest quality designation.
DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata – is an Italian assurance of quality for wine and food. To get this label a product must stick to the quality assurance rules and the location defined in the rules. Since 2009 Prosecco has had to have at least DOC accreditation.
The difference between Champagne, Cava and Prosecco
For the full lowdown on the above read this blog here: https://www.myrecipes.com/extracrispy/whats-the-difference-between-prosecco-champagne-and-cava but the key thing to remember is that for a sparkling wine to call itself Champagne it HAS to be made in the Champagne region of France with the Méthode Champenoise – thought to be the invention of a monk by the name of Dom Perignon. And later refined by the widow (veuve) Cliquot. Two names that remain the most famed of all the Champagne houses. I’ll drink to that!
Unlike Champagne, which is fermented in giant metal vats, Prosecco is fermented in the bottle in a process called the charmat method.
And on that note, there’s little else to say other than Cin Cin, Salut, Cheers and Salud!
