🍷 Frizzante

Frizzante is the Italian term for a lightly sparkling wine. It corresponds to the EU category of semi-sparkling wine (Regulation 1308/2013, Annex VII Part II, point 8): a wine with a total alcoholic strength of at least 9% vol before fermentation and an actual alcoholic strength of at least 7% vol, with an excess pressure from carbon dioxide in solution of 1 to 2.5 bar at 20 °C in closed containers of 60 litres or less. If the gas is wholly or partly added, the category is aerated semi-sparkling wine. For comparison, sparkling wine needs at least 3 bar and quality sparkling wine at least 3.5 bar.

Italian Law 238/2016 allows frizzante to be made foamy in the bottle or in closed pressure-resistant tanks, using grape must, partially fermented must, new wine still in fermentation, concentrated must or rectified concentrated must. On the label and the closure, two signs matter: aerated frizzante cannot carry a designation of origin or geographical indication, and the mushroom cork is reserved for spumante, except for traditional frizzante wines with a PDO or PGI, whose label must then show the word “frizzante” in letters at least 5 mm high.