sparkling wine

“DO Cava is much more than Corpinnat.” DO Cava president Javier Pagés, February 2019.

Despite being almost exactly between Jura, Savoie, Burgundy and Beaujolais, Bugey remains one of France's most overlooked appellations. Yet this small region, situated in the southern foothills of the Jura mountains offers a compelling range of underrated wines. As we expand our vinous horizons beyond familiar territories, Bugey presents a perfect case study in how wine continually rewards the curious and open-minded explorer. 

Ciro Pirone is the Director of Italian Wines for Horizon Beverage Group and will be teaching the next online Italian Wine Scholar course beginning in February. In under 30 minutes Ciro gives us the fascinating history of Italian sparkling wine production, and discusses key points on the spumante wines of Alta Langa. We also learn about the main grapes and styles of Lambrusco, and learn important distinctions between Asti DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG. 

Glera is the principal grape of Prosecco sparkling wine. Originally the grape was known as Prosecco (more precisely Prosecco Tondo). The variety has an unclear origin and an even more complicated ampelographic history due to the fact that several distinct varieties have been called “Prosecco-something” in northeast Italy since the 18th century. The grape is late-ripening and prone to both fungal diseases and water stress. It is widely planted in the province of Treviso.