Christmas and New Year are a time of celebration so more sparkling wine will be opened in the next week or two than any other time. You could pay €7.99 for a frizzante Prosecco or €160-190 for Dom Perignon. Or you could just put wine in a soda stream, but be careful as this explosive video shows:
Can you tell the difference though? Many can’t and many prefer the cheaper end of the spectrum. That’s no problem, it just means you save money.
Excise duty on wine is €3.19 a bottle but double that, €6.37, on sparkling, which is stupid if the government is serious about reducing alcohol consumption as sparkling is usually slightly lower in alcohol than still wine. There’s VAT on top pf that too so a sub €10 should be impossible.
Some Prosecco producers make a wine with less fizz, a frizzante as opposed to a spumante and bottle it with string over the cork and that qualifies for the lower tax rate. Why is Champagne so much more expensive? Partly branding costs if truth be told but also production costs are higher. Champagne gets its bubbles from a second fermentation in each individual bottle and then it’s aged and then the dead yeast cells are removed. Prosecco gets its fizz in a tank and is filtered into bottle without ageing.
The results mean Prosecco’s flavour is principally about fruitiness and it’s rarely dry. No wonder people like it, but I find it a bit on the sweet side. A lot of Champagne’s flavour comes from the production process, from the yeast in the bottle which create a biscuit or bready aroma. So decide which you like best, make your choice and pay your money.
Wines Tasted Today
Tesco Finest Bisol Prosecco, €15, reduced from €17.99.
Bisol are one of the most highly regarded Prosecco producers and the family has been making wine in the region since the 16th century. It won a bronze medal at he 2015 International Wine Challenge.
L. Bénard-Pitois Champagne 1er Cru Brut NV, Whelehanswine.ie, €34.95.
A grower Champagne offering terrific value. Money goes on the wine not the advertising budget. Better than most famous names at €45-55.
