The short answer
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine made mainly from the Glera grape in northeast Italy, in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Most of it gets its bubbles from a second fermentation in large pressure tanks, which keeps the fresh green apple, pear and floral notes front and center. It comes in white and rosé, from bone-dry Brut Nature to the softer Extra Dry and Dry.
Somebody at brunch is about to call your mimosa “Champagne.” It isn’t, and by the end of this page you’ll know exactly why, without making it weird.
Champagne is a place. So is Prosecco. Both names are protected, both come with rules, and both tell you a surprising amount about what’s in the glass, once you know how to read them. The catch is that the most useful word on the label is the one Americans tend to misread. We’ll get to “dry.” It’s a whole thing.
What is Prosecco made of?
Mostly Glera, a white grape with a light body, bright acidity and an easy, fruity character. The rules require at least 85% Glera. The remaining 15% can come from a short list of permitted grapes, including local Italian varieties and Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero (vinified as a white wine).
The rosé has its own recipe: 85 to 90% Glera plus 10 to 15% Pinot Nero, which Americans know as Pinot Noir, made as a red wine. That small splash of red is where the color comes from. What grapes are used in Prosecco?
Where does Prosecco come from?
The name comes from Prosecco, a village near Trieste, at the eastern end of the wine region. Until 2009 the grape was also called Prosecco. That year, when the current Prosecco DOC and DOCG rules took effect, the grape’s name officially became Glera, so that “Prosecco” would mean only the place-protected wine, the same way Champagne does.
The wine region covers nine provinces in northeast Italy: Treviso, Venezia, Vicenza, Padova and Belluno in the Veneto, and Pordenone, Udine, Gorizia and Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It’s a broad, mostly gentle landscape between the Alps and the Adriatic, which suits a grape prized for freshness.
Inside that area sit two smaller, hillier zones with stricter rules: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG and Asolo Prosecco DOCG. Where is Prosecco made?
What do DOC and DOCG mean on the label?
Both are Italian quality designations. They guarantee where the grapes were grown and how the wine was made.
- DOC is the large main area. Most of the Prosecco on American shelves is DOC.
- DOCG (Superiore) comes from the two hill zones, with lower permitted yields and stricter production rules.
DOCG isn’t a promise that you’ll prefer the wine, any more than a corner office promises a better lunch. It tells you about origin and rules. Taste is still your call. DOC vs DOCG, explained
How does Prosecco get its bubbles?
Most of it is spumante, fully sparkling. The bubbles come from a second fermentation in large pressure-resistant tanks, known as the Martinotti or Charmat method. Prosecco DOC rules require at least 30 days in the tank (60 for the rosé). Yeast turns a little more sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and because the tank is sealed, the bubbles stay in the wine until it’s bottled.
Champagne uses the traditional method: the second fermentation happens inside each individual bottle, and the wine then rests on its spent yeast, the lees, often for years. Non-vintage Champagne must age at least 15 months, 12 of them on the lees. That’s where Champagne’s toasty, bready character comes from. The tank method protects the opposite, the fresh fruit and flowers of the grape. It also takes far less time in the cellar, which is one reason a good bottle of Prosecco costs less.
You’ll also find frizzante (semi-sparkling) and tranquillo (still) versions in Italy, though they’re rare in the US. The Charmat method, step by step · Every type of Prosecco
Is Prosecco sweet or dry? The word that misleads everyone
Here’s the part that trips up even confident wine drinkers. Sparkling Prosecco comes in six sweetness levels, from driest to sweetest:
- Brut Nature
- Extra Brut
- Brut
- Extra Dry
- Dry
- Demi-sec
Read that again: Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut, and “Dry” is sweeter still. In English, “extra dry” sounds like the most serious bottle on the shelf. On a sparkling wine label, it’s the friendlier, softer one.
That’s not a trick on you. It’s an old wine-trade naming habit that never got updated for the rest of us. The practical rule: if you like your wine crisp, look for Brut. If you like a little roundness, Extra Dry is your bottle. Is Prosecco dry or sweet? · Every sweetness level, explained
What is Prosecco rosé?
The pink version: Glera with 10 to 15% Pinot Nero, always fully sparkling, and always a vintage wine, so the label must show the harvest year with the word “Millesimato.” It’s made only in the drier styles, from Brut Nature to Extra Dry.
Pink doesn’t mean sweet. A rosé labeled Brut is every bit as crisp as a white one. What is Prosecco rosé? · How is it made?
What does Prosecco taste like?
Fresh, fruity and lively. Green apple, pear, melon and white flowers are the classic notes, with citrus in some bottles. The rosé adds hints of strawberry and raspberry. The bubbles are lighter and frothier than Champagne’s, and the finish is clean rather than toasty.
You don’t need to name six fruits to enjoy it. The useful question is simpler: do you want it crisp or a little softer? What does Prosecco taste like?
Is Prosecco the same as Champagne?
No. They’re different wines from different countries, made from different grapes in different ways.
| Prosecco | Champagne | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Northeast Italy | Champagne region, France |
| Main grape | Glera | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier |
| How the bubbles happen | Second fermentation in large tanks | Second fermentation in each bottle (traditional method) |
| Typical character | Fresh fruit and flowers, light and frothy | Toasty, bready, fine and persistent |
| Usual price | Lower | Higher |
Is Prosecco just cheap Champagne?
No more than a great margarita is cheap Champagne. It costs less mainly because the tank method is faster and the region is larger, not because it’s a lesser version of something else. Champagne is built around time and toast. Prosecco is built around freshness and fruit. Pick the one that suits the moment, and the food. Prosecco vs Champagne in detail
How do Americans drink Prosecco?
In quantity. The United States is Prosecco DOC’s biggest export market, taking almost a quarter of its exports in the first nine months of 2025. The region made 667 million bottles that year. Here it’s poured mostly at brunch, at celebrations, and increasingly on any Tuesday that needs one.
- On its own: well chilled, around 43 to 46°F (6 to 8°C). A white wine glass shows off the aromas better than a narrow flute, though nobody will judge you for the flute.
- In a mimosa: sparkling wine and orange juice, equal parts or two to one.
- In an Aperol Spritz: three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, a splash of soda, lots of ice, a slice of orange.
- In a Bellini: Venice’s own classic, with white peach purée.
- With food: it loves salty, fried and fresh. Fries, sushi, prosciutto, popcorn, and most of a brunch menu.
How should it be served? · Prosecco in cocktails · What food pairs well with Prosecco?
How to choose a bottle
The label does most of the work. Check three things:
- The designation: the words Prosecco DOC on the label, plus the official strip on the neck of the bottle.
- The sweetness word: crisp or softer, now that you know Extra Dry isn’t the driest.
- White or rosé: a rosé will also show its vintage year.
Then drink it young. This is a wine made for freshness, not for cellaring until a special occasion that keeps getting postponed.
For a worked example, take Bella Principessa. Both of its current wines, Bella Principessa Prosecco DOC and Bella Principessa Prosecco DOC Rosé, are Brut and made in Treviso, with the sweetness level printed right on the label. Same designation, same sweetness, two expressions, so the choice comes down to white or pink. Bella Principessa Prosecco DOC · Bella Principessa Prosecco DOC Rosé
Quick questions
What is so special about Prosecco? It’s one of the few sparkling wines built entirely around freshness: a grape and a method chosen to keep fruit and flowers in the glass, at a price that makes it an everyday pleasure rather than an event.
Is Prosecco a wine? Yes. It’s a sparkling wine (and occasionally a semi-sparkling or still one), not a liquor and not a style of Champagne.
Can you buy Prosecco in a can? Not the real thing. The rules allow Prosecco DOC to be sold only in glass bottles, so a canned “Prosecco” isn’t the protected wine.
How long does it last once it’s open? A day or two with a good stopper in the fridge. Keeping it fresh
How should I store unopened bottles? Somewhere cool, dark and steady, and don’t wait years. How to store Prosecco
How many calories are in a glass? About 108 in a 4.2 ounce (125 mL) glass at 12% alcohol, by one independent estimate; the wine and the pour change the number. Calories in Prosecco
Is it gluten-free or vegan? It depends on the producer.
How do I know a bottle is authentic? Check the designation and the official neck strip. How to check your bottle
More questions, grouped by topic: Prosecco questions, answered
Sources
Prosecco DOC consortium: types of Prosecco · Prosecco DOC production regulations · Prosecco DOC consortium: history · Champagne AOC rules factsheet (CIVC) · Prosecco DOC 2025 results (consortium)
