ITALY’S MAGNIFICENT METODO CLASSICOS
When you think of Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco is likely the first that comes to mind. The buzzy bubbly from the northeast has certainly won hearts around the world. But dive a bit deeper into the category, and you’ll discover the country’s range of excellent bottle-fermented sparklers made from both native and international grapes.
These bottlings are produced using the traditional method, known as metodo classico in Italy. Yeast and sugar are added to still wine, which is bottled with a crown cap. The yeast then ferments the sugar into alcohol, creating bubbles that contain naturally occurring carbon dioxide.
The wine then rests on the spent yeast, known as lees, which often imparts sensations of bread crust or brioche before the yeast is removed through a process known as disgorgement. In contrast to sparkling wines that are produced through the Charmat method, like Prosecco, where bubbles are formed in pressurized steel tanks, bottle-fermented sparklers typically boast greater depth, complexity and longevity.
Until the 1990s, metodo classico was made mainly in Northern Italy, specifically in Piedmont, around the town of Trento in Trentino, and in Oltrepò Pavese and Franciacorta in Lombardy. With some notable exceptions, quality often underwhelmed and most of the production remained in the country.
Today, there’s an array of stunning sparklers made from a wide range of grape varieties available in the U.S. From lively and linear to complex and elegant, there’s so much to celebrate
