What is frizzante wine?

Frizzante is an Italian word meaning sparkling or fizzy, and therefore frizzante wine is wine containing bubbles, but it is not a sparkling wine as such. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? It’s not really, keep reading and you’ll see just how simple it is, and just how good those wines are.

Frizzante wines are light, refreshing, very fruity and are usually reminiscent of flowers such as jasmine and white fruit, such as pears, etc. They usually have a low alcohol content and tend to be rather sweet, making them very pleasant and easy to drink.

This is all due to the wine-making process used in Italy. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature, which is what allows dissolved carbon dioxide to remain in the wine to produce those small bubbles.

We are now going to see how these wines are different from sparkling wines, whether Cava, Champagne, Crémant, etc.

•    They have a low alcohol content, usually between 5 and 10 degrees, whereas sparkling wines can have up to 15 degrees.

•    They do not undergo a double fermentation process, and they are always young wines, meaning that the flavour and taste and smell of flowers and fruit is always very strong.

•    The internal pressure is lower, never exceeding three bars. That is why they are bottled in narrower bottles and they can be sealed with a either cork or twist cap.

•    The bubbles are fine and are released gradually, which is why they do not produce foam when they are opened.

•    They do not contain tirage liqueur, which is a mixture of wine and sugar that is usually added when part of the drink is lost when straining off the yeast.

•    They usually include some fruit juice.

Frizzante wines are best served cold at around 5ºC, and they are therefore ideal for summer, pairing well with salad, simple fish dishes, sushi and even fruit desserts. They are usually white and rosé, but there are also some reds, so what are you waiting for? Discover them in our wine selection.