The Insider's Guide to Prosecco

Friday, September 11, 2026

Prosecco

Prosecco is a sparkling wine that has found great appeal in most of the Western world.

All wines called Prosecco must come from the Prosecco Region of NE Italy and be made with Glera Grapes following the DOC rules of that region. It is made using the “Charmat” or Tank method where the secondary fermentation that causes the bottles is done in large tanks rather than in the bottle like Champagne is made.

Most Prosecco that you get in the store is DOC rated and typically costs $15-$20. However, if you look for the designation DOCG, you are assured of getting a higher quality and more expressive version of this sparkling wine. The heart of prosecco is the region between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. This is similar to the “black rooster” wines of Chianti indicating that those wines come from the “Classico” region of Chianti. These Proseccos may be listed as Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG (a focused growing area between the two towns producing very concentrated flavors), Asolo Prosecco Superiore (another hillside town across the river from Conegliano-Valdobbiadenne also rated DOCG), and two other ratings Superiore Rive indicating the grapes came from one of 43 listed single communes, and Superiore di Cartizze indicating a small 265 acre vineyard considered the finest terroir for producing Prosecco. 

These DOCG Proseccos are not hard to find and sometimes can be less expensive than the grocery store Proseccos like La Marca and Monetto.  Total Wine sells Valdo Prosecco Valdobbiadenne Superior DOCG for $17.99, and Borassca Prosecco DOCG for $16.99. Costco sells their Kirkland Brand Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG for $12. These are true value bargains for those of us who really love Prosecco. And like its more expensive cousin, Champagne, it goes with almost everything from Popcorn to scallops.