Sparkling

Sparkling wine from Italy, Australia and beyond — Prosecco, Asti, sparkling rosé and Moscato.

The Distinction That Matters: Sweet or Dry

Sparkling wines look identical on a shelf and taste nothing alike. This is the one thing worth getting right before you buy.

• Prosecco — dry. Green apple and pear, crisp. The correct base for an Aperol Spritz, a Bellini or a mimosa.
• Asti — sweet. Made from Moscato grapes, usually around 7% ABV. A dessert and celebration wine, and too sweet to mix.
• Sparkling rosé — usually between the two. Berry-led, lightly dry.
• Sparkling Moscato — sweet and low in alcohol; the party bottle.

If someone asks for "champagne" for a toast and you hand them Asti, half the room will find it too sweet. Prosecco is the safer default.

How to Serve It

Serve very cold — 6 to 8°C. That means at least three hours in the ref, or twenty minutes in a bucket of ice and water, which chills far faster than ice alone.

Open it carefully: hold the cork, turn the bottle rather than the cork, and let it sigh rather than pop. Pour in two stages so the foam settles.

How to Make a Spritz

Three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, one splash of soda, over plenty of ice in a large wine glass. Orange slice. That is the whole recipe.

Food Pairing

• Dry sparkling — oysters, seafood, fried food, charcuterie. The bubbles and acidity cut through fat.
• Sweet sparkling — leche flan, cakes, fresh mango, and blue cheese.

For adults of legal drinking age only. Please enjoy responsibly.