Party Planning: Prosecco or Champagne?
So this year’s holiday is going to be much calmer, quieter and let’s face it: smaller and perhaps solo. But if you are looking to brighten up the holiday with some bubbles, you may ask, which ones? Perhaps this very brief overview can help.
Champagne is a French sparkling white wine that only comes from the Champagne region 160 km east of Paris with only five wine producing districts. Strict laws protecting this liquid mean that anything made outside of this region is sparkling wine and can not use the name. Even the words “Champagne method” has been outlawed in the EU since 1994. (ok…) It is characterized by its fine bubbles, dry and yeasty notes(like a croissant!) and ranges in the prices of 20-45 euros or 35-50 dollars stateside. If you like a dry finish, go for “Brut”, but if you want something sweeter you can go for “Sec”(dry) or Demi-Sec(half-dry), It can be enjoyed at the beginning of the meal or throughout - because really once its opened, better to finish it in company or buy a smaller bottle. There are some brands that always stand out: Piper-Heidsieck, Veuve-Cliquot, G.H. Mumm and Pommery. Dom Perignon, Lanson, Pol Roger and Perrier-Jouet are also lovely - but tend to be at a much higher price point. So if the holidays are slim perhaps go for the Italian counterpart: Prosecco!
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling white wine that comes from grapes spanning nine provinces in Veneto and Fruili-Venezia-Giulia regions, so a much larger cultivation of grapes then Champagne. Because the fermentation of the wine occurs in the tank and not in the individual bottles like Champagne, the production time is shorter and the price is much lower. It is a bit sweeter than Champagne, and not as dry. For 4-9 euros or 6-15 dollars, you can have a very nice bottle. Prosecco is also great for cocktails - Spritz, French 75, Kir royale - most bars are not using high-end champagne when they mix your drink, trust me. Costco has a great prosecco, and here in Rome I usually go for Zonin or Carpene-Malvolti. Let’s be honest - I usually go for the one that is on sale!
Whatever you choose - I do recommend that you eat something when enjoying this beverage. There is nothing worse than a bubble-induced hangover, so pair it with a carbohydrate of your choice and enjoy. Happy Holidays!