Did you know Italy makes more styles of sparkling wine than any other country? When writing my sparkling wine cocktail book, I included nine styles of sparkling Italian wines before I ran out of room. It’s true that Italians cherish the dolce vita, a sweet life full of little celebrations and surprises. But Italian wine and food are meant to go together.
Sparkling wines like Prosecco, Moscato, and Lambrusco are so beloved because their natural acidity enhances all sorts of foods, whether you’re eating grilled shrimp, Margherita pizza, or a rich plate of prosciutto. A sip of bubbly gets your palate ready for the next bite. And while effervescent wine elevates your meal, just uncorking sparkling wine does the same for everyone’s spirits. A bottle of bubbly is always a good idea, so come along as we share five of our favorite Italian sparkling wines, what to expect, and what to eat with it.
Prosecco
Prosecco is easy to love: the lightly sparkling wine made across Italy is always welcome, even at breakfast. The best Prosecco wines come from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, especially around the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
Prosecco starts with Glera grapes, pale green grapes with delicate aromas that are made into a base wine. Then the wine is fermented in a covered tank to preserve the wine’s soft aromas and flavors of green pear, almond, and honeysuckle. Both dry and slightly sweet styles compliment prosciutto di San Daniele, egg dishes, white cheeses, fried zucchini, shrimp, and fresh green salads.
Franciacorta
Italy’s most serious sparkling wine is Franciacorta from Lombardía, a cool northern Italian region bordering the Italian Alps. Franciacorta is the Italian sparkler that drinks the most, like Champagne. It’s made by the same traditional method, with a second fermentation in the bottle, and Franciacorta uses two of the same grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir). Pinot Bianco and a local white grape called Erbamat round out the blend.
The chilly climate means all the grapes retain ripping acidity at harvest and create a crisp, effervescent wine with fine bubbles and notes of citrus, almond, and toast. Brut Franciacorta is the most popular, but it’s also made in off-dry styles with a hint of sweetness. Pair Franciacorta with tortellini in warm hen broth, Parmigiano-Reggiano, white fish, fried calamari, arancini, cured ham, or really anything you like.
Moscato
So, do you still remember the first time you tasted Moscato? The first sip of sparkling Moscato is like a sweet sonnet: an explosion of peach, orange, tropical melon, and orange blossom. Maybe that’s why the golden wine has inspired so much excitement in both ancient Romans and modern day hip hop artists.
As much as we love both pink and pale Moscato, the real showstopper is Moscato d’Asti, a delicate, gently sparkling wine from Piedmont that stuns with its exquisite balance. A good Moscato d’Asti is like drinking a cloud, making you long for another sip. Enjoy Moscato with a ham and cheese croissant, quiche, sliced mango, peaches, white cherries, and blue cheese.
Lambrusco
It just makes sense that the sparkling wine of Emilia-Romagna would be a lusty red Italian sparkling wine like Lambrusco. The north-central Italian region is home to some of the most flavorful foods: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar, tortellini, and prosciutto di Parma. Lambrusco is an ancient family of grapes with second names like Grasparossa and Sorbara; they all share flavors of blackberry, cherry, and sweet violet.
Lambrusco’s sweetest style–dolce— made a big splash in the US in the 70s and 80s. Many people thought Lambrusco was just a sweet, soda-pop wine. But when high-end Italian restaurants in the US embraced the bone-dry seco style, a new generation started taking Lambrusco seriously. Your favorite style just may be the amabile, which strikes the perfect balance between dry and sweet, especially if you’re eating a pizza with salami, cheese, or any pork dish.
Brachetto
It turns out Italy’s Piedmont region is home to another unforgettable sparkling wine: the ruby red sparkler called Brachetto d’Acqui. This ancient grape was beloved by Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and her two powerful partners: emperor Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, a Roman general. They were all seduced by Brachetto’s vivid magenta color and strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, and rose petal aromas and flavors. Brachetto shines with pizza with figs, prosciutto, and blue cheese, mixed berries, meringue, tangy lemon, and dark chocolate desserts.
Doesn’t Italy make some fantastic fizz? We hope this article on sparkling wines from Italy has you eager to create an Italian wine and food experience at home. For more ideas, check out these guides to Italian white wines, Italian wine regions, and Italian wine types.