Prosecco
Prosecco is sparkling wine from Italy, made from the glera grape. The bubbles form not in the bottle but in a sealed tank. The question of how much alcohol prosecco contains is easy to answer: usually 11 percent. Check the label carefully, though, because extra dry isn't drier than brut. It's actually a little sweeter.
Sparkling wines by type
Prosecco isn't the only sparkling wine on the shelf. Read on to learn more about the other sparkling wines and where their carbonation comes from.
Champagne
The French sparkling wine. It gets its carbonation in the bottle, so it tastes more like bread and yeast than prosecco.
About Champagne →Cava
The Spanish sparkling wine. Like champagne, it ages in the bottle for about nine months.
About Cava →
Crémant
Sparkling wine from France, but from outside the Champagne region. The label uses the same words.
About Crémant →
Lambrusco
The red sparkling wine from Italy. The counterpart to the white and rosé bottles on this page.
About Lambrusco →One grape, and a second fermentation in a tank
Prosecco comes from northern Italy and is made from a single white grape, glera. It grows mainly on the hills of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The soil there is fertile and the climate mild, which suits glera. The heart of the region lies north of Venice, around the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. The hills between them are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are considered the birthplace of prosecco. A small part of this area is called Cartizze, and it is the grand cru. The label will say DOC or DOCG. DOC means a protected designation of origin, while DOCG means a protected and guaranteed designation of origin. Rosé prosecco also contains pinot noir in addition to glera.
The biggest difference from champagne and cava is how the bubbles are created. After harvest, the grapes are gently pressed and fermented into still wine. The wine then goes into a large, sealed tank with yeast and a little sugar, following the Charmat method. The pressure that builds creates the fine bubbles. The wine is then filtered and bottled under pressure to keep it fresh. So the second fermentation takes place in a tank. For champagne and cava, it happens in the bottle, where cava is aged for about nine months. Using a tank is easier and faster, and produces a fruity fizz. You can taste the difference, too. Prosecco tastes lively and fruity, with a slight sweetness, and is often a little less dry than champagne.
In brief
Six bottles, from dry to sweet
The word on the label tells you something about the sugar, and that’s often where the confusion starts. With sparkling wine, extra dry isn’t drier than brut, but a little sweeter. So, from dry to sweet, extra dry comes after brut. These six bottles are listed from dry to sweet.
Zonin Prosecco Brut
A festive, off-dry prosecco with soft bubbles and fruity notes of pear, melon, and lime. It’s the driest of the bunch and the safest choice for an aperitif.
Canti Prosecco Millesimato
Millesimato means that the wine comes from a single vintage. Dry and light in flavor, with friendly bubbles and fresh fruit.
Bottega Prosecco Gold
The iconic gold bottle, here in a small 20 cl size. Floral and fruity, with apple, pear, and citrus.
Masottina Contrada Granda
Made from glera grapes from Conegliano Valdobbiadene. In the glass, you’ll find green apple, apricot, and acacia. This bottle really shows the difference. This producer’s brut has 10 grams of residual sugar per liter, while this extra dry has 14 grams.
Canti Prosecco Rosé
The rosé version, and proof that prosecco rosé isn’t made from glera alone. It also contains pinot noir. Delicate in flavor, with soft bubbles, red fruit, and a hint of almond.
Canti Prosecco Ice
The sweetest of the bunch, with a lightly sweet taste. Pour it into large, round wine glasses filled with ice, and add mint and blackberries.
You’ll also see brut, extra dry, and demi-sec on champagne, where the bubbles develop in the bottle.
Lively, slightly sweet, and fruity
Apple, pear, and citrus
Prosecco has a light, fruity aroma. One bottle might smell of pear, melon, and lime; another, of apple, pear, and citrus. If it comes from Conegliano Valdobbiadene, you’ll also find notes of green apple, apricot, and acacia.
Soft bubbles
Fine, soft bubbles and a lively, fruity flavor with a hint of sweetness. Prosecco is usually a little less dry than champagne, so it’s easy to drink on its own, too.
From brut to demi-sec
The label tells you how much sugar is in your glass. From dry to sweet, the scale goes from brut nature and extra brut through brut and extra dry to sec, demi-sec, and doux.
This is the flavor profile of an average brut. Extra dry is one step sweeter, while demi-sec is considerably sweeter.
How to pour prosecco
Prosecco is best enjoyed young and well chilled. There’s no need to open it with a pop.
Chill it first
Put the bottle in the fridge for at least four hours, or chill it for half an hour in a cooler with cold water and ice. In a hurry? Add a few tablespoons of salt to the ice water. It’ll be ready in ten minutes.
The right glass →Open without a pop
If there’s a muselet around the cork, the wire cage with the tab, loosen it first. Hold the bottle at an angle, around 45 degrees, and turn the bottle instead of the cork. The pressure will then gently push the cork out, and all you’ll hear is a sigh.
From dry to sweet →In a spritz
The proportions are always the same: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts flavoring, such as Aperol or limoncello, and 1 part sparkling water. Fill a large wine glass with ice, pour in that order, stir briefly, and add a slice of orange or lemon.
To the cocktails →Cocktails with prosecco
Every spritz is made with prosecco, and the proportions are always the same: 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts flavoring, and 1 part sparkling water. The Bellini and the Sgroppino both come from Venice and the surrounding area.
Bellini
Peach purée at the bottom of the glass, then pour the prosecco over it very slowly. Created at Harry's Bar in Venice.
Aperol Spritz
First add ice to the glass, then Aperol and prosecco, and finally sparkling water. Stir briefly and add a slice of orange.
Hugo Spritz
Elderflower syrup with prosecco and sparkling water, with mint, a squeezed wedge of lime, and ice.
Sgroppino
Whisk the lemon sorbet until smooth, add vodka and prosecco, and serve immediately.The right glass for prosecco
Pour prosecco on its own into a flute or another champagne glass, so you can keep watching the bubbles. For a spritz, choose a large wine glass filled with ice. Below are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
What people often ask us about prosecco
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or send us a message.
To the cocktail recipes →Is Extra Dry drier than Brut?
What's the difference between prosecco, champagne and cava?
Which grape is prosecco made from?
What percentage of alcohol is in prosecco?
What do millesimato, superiore and DOCG mean on the label?
Which glass should you use for prosecco?
How do you open a bottle of prosecco without a pop?
Buy Prosecco
Want the bottle delivered straight to your home? Order Prosecco online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 30.
Prices as of November 5, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you won't pay anything extra. No 18, no alcohol.
