Is Prosecco A Christmas Drink?

Prosecco is the perfect drink for celebration, and the festive season is full of celebrations. Breaking up for Christmas, Christmas eve, Christmas day, boxing day, and of course, New Year’s eve.

What better way to celebrate throughout the Christmas period than with Prosecco? Prosecco is perfect all year round, but especially delicious amongst the festivities.

Keep reading to learn more about Prosecco and how it can make the ultimate Christmas drink.

What Is Prosecco?

Prosecco is a delicious sparkling wine from Northeast Italy. It’s the ultimate celebration tipple and is enjoyed all around the world, whether it be on a Friday night or Christmas day.

However, Prosecco can also be made flat (without the fizz) - this type of Prosecco is known as Tranquilo, and Prosecco with low levels of fizz is called Frizzante.

Prosecco is made from glera grapes, and in order for a wine to be classed as Prosecco, it must contain at least 85% of these grapes.

Typically, wines are named after the grapes they’re made from. For example, Pinot Noir is made from the Pinot Noir grape, Chardonnay is made from the Chardonnay grape, and Cabernet Sauvignon is made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.

Alternatively, wine is often named after the region in which they’re produced - for example, Champagne is produced in the Champagne wine region in the northeast of France.

However, Prosecco isn’t made from the Prosecco grape. Prosecco gets its name from the village of Prosecco in the suburb of Trieste.

If you’ve never tried Prosecco, you may be wondering how it tastes. It can be sweet and dry - you just need to know the terms to look out for.

If you prefer a dryer wine, then look for the term ‘extra brut’ - this means that it’s extra dry. For something still dry but a little sweeter, then look for the term ‘Brut’, which simply means dry.

Extra dry Prosecco is sweeter than extra brut - it’s not too sweet and is perfect all year round, especially at Christmas.

Dry prosecco is surprisingly the sweetest Prosecco you can buy, so if you prefer something sweeter, then look for the word ‘dry’ when you’re browsing the shelves of your local supermarket or newsagents.

If you’re looking for a low or zero-sugar Prosecco, then look for Zero Prosecco - this is drier than ‘extra brut’ Prosecco, so it may not be to everybody’s taste.

You may be wondering how Prosecco compares with Champagne - after all, they’re both sparkling wines. They are made using different grapes and are made using a slightly different recipe, but they both result in a similar taste.

Prosecco is typically more affordable than Champagne, but this usually depends on the quality of the wine. Some people prefer Champagne, and others prefer Prosecco - it’s all down to personal choice.

How Can I Make Prosecco More Festive?

Prosecco can make a delicious Christmas drink alone, but there are ways in which you can make your Prosecco more suited to the festive season. From spiced Prosecco to Christmas Prosecco cocktails, keep reading for some Christmassy Prosecco drinks!

Christmas Prosecco Punch

Punch is the perfect drink for parties and gatherings, and it’s relatively easy to make. The festive season is full of parties, social events, and of course, celebration - so a Prosecco punch is the ultimate Christmas drink.

This recipe features healthy and festive ingredients such as cranberry and pomegranate seeds as well as plenty of vodka and Prosecco.

A Christmas Prosecco punch is a great way to use up any leftover alcohol and fruit you have, and the best part is that you can add as much (or as little) alcohol as you like.

Although you can adjust the recipe to your preference (or to use whatever you have leftover!), you’ll need Prosecco, vodka, and orange liqueur. You’ll also need orange juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, as well as cranberries, oranges, and pomegranate seeds.

It’s easy to make - simply mix the juices with the orange liqueur and vodka, and then top the jug with Prosecco.

If you’re preparing this punch in advance, then don’t add the Prosecco until you’re ready to serve as the bubbles will flatten.

Then, garnish the punch with the fruits of your choice - but we recommend cranberries, oranges, and pomegranate seeds.

Spiced Prosecco

You’ve heard of Spiced Rum, but have you ever heard of spiced Prosecco? It’s the perfect tipple to keep you warm on winter evenings, or for when you’re celebrating with friends and family over the Christmas period.

This recipe is a spiced and citrusy syrup that you can add to Prosecco for a festive kick. However, if you want a non-alcoholic option, you can mix this with sparkling water or even lemonade for a refreshing morning or lunchtime drink.

To make the syrup, you’ll need around 300ml of water, 100g of sugar, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom pods, 1 star anise, fresh nutmeg, fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick and a clementine.

Add the ingredients to a saucepan and gently heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, boil the mixture for around 20 minutes until it develops a light consistency - then leave it to cool and strain.

Then, add the syrup to two Champagne flutes and top with Prosecco, garnishing with star anise and a twist of orange peel.

Candy Cane Prosecco

Candy cane Prosecco is the ultimate Christmas Prosecco - after all, what is more festive than candy canes?

To make this delicious drink, you’ll need 150g of caster sugar, 100ml of water, and a few drops of peppermint essence - and of course, Prosecco.

Gently boil the ingredients (bar the Prosecco) on the hob and bubble for around ten minutes until the syrup thickens. Then, leave it to cool before adding to a glass - and top with Prosecco!

You can decorate the glass in a festive manner by adding melted chocolate, a candy cane, or coloured sugar (crushed candy cane will do the trick!).

Clementine Prosecco Cocktail

Clementines are historically associated with Christmas, and were placed in stockings back in the day to represent generosity.

To make this festive Prosecco cocktail, you’ll need 250ml of clementine juice, 150ml of orange liqueur, 2 clementines, and a bottle of Prosecco.

This is one of the easiest Christmas recipes that you can make using Prosecco. All you have to do is mix the orange liqueur and clementine juice in a jug and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Prepare the clementines by slicing them thinly, cutting each slide from the peel to the middle. Once you’ve done this, place them on the glasses for decoration.

When you’re ready to enjoy the drink, pour the Prosecco into the jug and gently stir - and enjoy your festive clementine Prosecco cocktail!

Mulled Wine Prosecco

Mulled wine is delicious, but have you tried mulled wine Prosecco? You’ll simply need 100ml of mulled wine, 150g of caster sugar, and of course, Prosecco.

Pour the sugar and mulled wine into a saucepan and gently boil for around ten minutes until it thickens. To ensure the syrup doesn’t burn, stir regularly.

Leave it to cool and then add to a Champagne flute or your glass of choice - and then top with Prosecco. You can garnish the mulled wine Prosecco with fruit - orange zest usually works best.