<p class="wysiwyg-text-align-center"><b>Sparkling Wines from Italy for Every Occasion</b></p>

<p>BY ERIC GUIDO |&nbsp;DECEMBER 14, 2023</p><p>Italy does a fantastic
job covering all the bases and nearly always at reasonable prices. The Franciacorta,
Trentodoc and Alta Langa categories can provide excellent Champagne
alternatives. The wines are made using Metodo Classico or Metodo Ancestrale
(both méthode champenoise) and a similar set of varieties, with Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir making up the bulk of production. However, there’s also a lot to be
said about the surge in the quality of modern-day Prosecco. While it’s still
easy to find a slurpable and affordable Prosecco that will please most palates,
this region is exploding with new terroir-driven wines and drier styles.
Finally, looking beyond these big categories, it isn’t rare to find an amazing
Metodo Classico from producers throughout Italy. This report is littered with wines
that turned my head over the last few months.&nbsp;I have also included a few
wines from Slovenia, which borders Friuli in Italy’s northeast.</p><p><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1702564969398-Sparkling+Wine+2023+Cover.jpg"></p><p>One pitfall I’ve started
to recognize is winemakers attempting to take advantage of the zero-dosage (pas
dosé) trend. Much of the world has fallen out of love with the idea of residual
sugar in wines, and many great estates in both Champagne and Italy have had triumphs
with the category. Still, making a successful zero dosage is much more
complicated than just not adding sugar. I have found this to be a big problem
within Franciacorta and Trentodoc. Producers such as Mirabella and Ca’ del
Bosco have done a fabulous job with the category, yet many others simply fall
flat. It pays to recognize that many of the greatest sparkling wines in the
world find their ideal balance with a well-measured dosage. Ultimately, these
are growing pains more than anything else. Zero Dosage in these regions is
about as useless a selling point as the Satèn category, which seldom delivers elevated
quality level.&nbsp;<br></p>

<p>Overall, this report is a
selection of sparkling wines that are easy to recommend for their combination
of quality and value. The surge in new sparkling wines from all over Italy has motivated
many of the Franciacorta and Trentodoc producers to push themselves further,
which is a positive sign.</p>

<p>All wines for this
article were tasted in our offices in New York City and on the road in Italy
through November and December 2023.</p><p><i>© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.</i></p><p></p><p></p><hr><p><br></p><p><b>You Might Also Enjoy</b></p><p><span><span><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/italy-s-love-affair-with-sparkling-wine-dec-2022">Italy's Love Affair with Sparkling Wine</a>, Eric Guido, December 2022</span><br></span></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/italy-s-sparkling-wine-paradox-dec-2021">Italy’s Sparkling Wine Paradox</a>, Eric Guido, December 2021<br></p><p></p><div><div></div></div><p></p><div><div><div><div><div><p><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/italy-s-sparkling-advantage-prosecco-and-franciacorta-dec-2020">Italy’s Sparkling Advantage: Prosecco and Franciacorta</a>, Eric Guido, December 2020<br></p></div></div></div></div></div>

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