classification. With this designation,
only wine produced in the towns of
Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in
the province of Treviso can be called
Prosecco.
Prosecco
is
produced
using
the Charmat method. A second
fermentation takes place in large
stainless steel vats by pumping in
additional yeast and sugar. The yeast
attacks the sugar, creating alcohol
and carbon dioxide that become the
bubbles. The method is not new—
Asti Spumante is made the same way
though Asti is far sweeter. It takes
only 6 weeks to make which helps
account for the price. Champagne,
where the second fermentation takes
place in the bottle and then racked
(we have all seen the riddlers turn the
bottles daily), takes a year to make
non-vintage, longer for vintage.
The production of prosecco also
involves the use of less expensive
indigenous grapes to make the
bubbly. It is a light wine, low alcohol,
but unlike champagne won't age well
(the English like their champagne
HYLAND
