Italy’s Sparkling Wine Paradox

BY ERIC GUIDO | DECEMBER 21, 2021

The holidays aren’t coming; they are here. The number one thing on consumers' minds as they look to buy for their wine-loving friends, fill glasses with vinous pleasures through upcoming parties or pair with the elaborate meals that are on the horizon? Sparkling wine. Unfortunately, Italian sparklers, no matter how good they are, face two very big challenges. The first being the uptick in quality of affordable grower NV Champagne, and the second being the incredible success of generic, and often inexpensive, Prosecco. 

The categories of Franciacorta, Trentodoc and, more recently, Alta Langa, fall victim to the first issue, as they strive to create wines that are often seen by the majority of the public as a Champagne alternative. The fact is that there are many producers in Italy that are creating bubbles through metodo classico (méthode champenoise) using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and, to a lesser extent, Pinot Blanc, often with extended bottle aging on the lees, which can easily compare and often outpace the wines produced by their French counterparts. The problem is price, or quality-to-price ratio, and the hundreds of years of branding that the Champagne region has established. A perfect example of this can be witnessed by nearly any wine lover when they open a great bottle of Franciacorta, pour it for friends that know a thing or two about sparkling wine, and watch as they both swoon but then complain about the price of said bottle. The unfortunate reality is that, for producers of metodo classico wines in Italy, the days of good NV Champagne being out of reach for the average consumer are over because of the number of excellent grower Champagnes that are available today. What this means is that, to corner a piece of the market for themselves, the wines of Franciacorta, Trentodoc and Alta Langa have to not only deliver, but overdeliver within their price points. Granted, I’m speaking in very general terms, as a number of wines and wineries from my recent tastings were absolutely stunning, world-class examples from the Extra Dry, to the Brut, to the Brut Nature categories. These wines will stand up to some of the best bubblies from around the world and provide an amazing amount of pleasure, but they are the exception, not the norm. Generally speaking, Franciacorta continues to prove its quality and importance, while Trentodoc comes across as the underdog that’s watching anxiously to take the lead. Last, but not least, Alta Langa is slowly establishing that consumers should be paying more attention to them.