Aldi's new still Prosecco highlights a little-noticed feature of many mass-market wines: their high sugar levels. Plus: what I've been drinking this week
Aldi is by far the largest wine retailer in Germany ( where I live ). The wines are mostly very cheap (average price 2.84 Euro / Litre and very modest). Yet Aldi is a very clever at marketing. There is always a Master of Wine or Master Sommelier willing to rate their wines highly and praise them in glowing terms. My friends rave about how incredible Aldi Champagne (at 17,99 Euro). Hard to believe, but Aldi is able to put Barolo, Brunello and Amarone on the shelf at comparably low prices around Christmas time. How can you resist)
This is a very nice piece (and thanks for the mention), but it glosses over the personal-taste element. Some people, as you acknowledge, have a much sweeter taste than others. I know wine lovers who adore Sauternes and wine lovers who are sniffy about anything sweeter than an Ultra-Brut fizz. And neither is 'wrong'.
It is likely that some of those experts who applauded the sweet Lambruscos that you disliked are simply genetically or culturally calibrated differently to you. They may enjoy the desserts that you prefer not to eat. I *get* this. I have friends with very different sweetness thresholds.
Of course, this does not mean that Aldi's still Prosecco is good (I haven't tasted it), but there's no reason why a version of that wine - A Glera that hasn't been through the Charmat process; an Italian equivalent of a Coteaux Champenois Chardonnay - should not be a nicely balanced off-dry wine that will please people who enjoy that style.
I don't drink Prosecco very often, but I am a senior judge at the annual 5 Stars competition in Verona at which we have to judge a lot of them. Some - not always the DOCGs - are first class, as are some of the sweeter Lambruscos
Interesting piece and I have a lot of sympathy with your palate. Still, zooming out, wine is quite an outlier vs. other staple drinks (G&T, spritz, juice, cocktails) on its insistence on being *bone* dry. 16g of sugar is nothing compared to tonic water or juice drinks. The idea that dry = good is a relatively recent phenomenon even in wine when you look at the precedence of Port, sherry and historical dosage levels in Champagne. Sweetness in wine can be done well or badly. I’ve nothing against it.
As well as Andy's excellent posts ,may I suggest you take a look at Brian Elliott's MidWeek Wines website and twice weekly posts that have been going for ten years and was a real help when I started on the same journey as you.
I have tried Aldi’s still Prosecco.It is an abomination.Fortunately it was at a tasting and I was able to spit it out.It reminds me of “Sweet Nothings” without any interest whatsoever.
Yes - although they’re actually exactly the same as those for champagne, which I assume they were modelled on, ie brut 0-12g, extra-dry 12-17g, sec 17-32, not getting to “Demi-sec” until 32-50g/l… A reflection of early twentieth-century tastes, I think!
Yes of course, but have you ever seen an extra-dry Champagne style on the market? I suppose they must exist but I can't remember seeing one in the flesh. Whereas I have certainly seen some demi-secs.
Aldi is by far the largest wine retailer in Germany ( where I live ). The wines are mostly very cheap (average price 2.84 Euro / Litre and very modest). Yet Aldi is a very clever at marketing. There is always a Master of Wine or Master Sommelier willing to rate their wines highly and praise them in glowing terms. My friends rave about how incredible Aldi Champagne (at 17,99 Euro). Hard to believe, but Aldi is able to put Barolo, Brunello and Amarone on the shelf at comparably low prices around Christmas time. How can you resist)
This is a very nice piece (and thanks for the mention), but it glosses over the personal-taste element. Some people, as you acknowledge, have a much sweeter taste than others. I know wine lovers who adore Sauternes and wine lovers who are sniffy about anything sweeter than an Ultra-Brut fizz. And neither is 'wrong'.
It is likely that some of those experts who applauded the sweet Lambruscos that you disliked are simply genetically or culturally calibrated differently to you. They may enjoy the desserts that you prefer not to eat. I *get* this. I have friends with very different sweetness thresholds.
Of course, this does not mean that Aldi's still Prosecco is good (I haven't tasted it), but there's no reason why a version of that wine - A Glera that hasn't been through the Charmat process; an Italian equivalent of a Coteaux Champenois Chardonnay - should not be a nicely balanced off-dry wine that will please people who enjoy that style.
I don't drink Prosecco very often, but I am a senior judge at the annual 5 Stars competition in Verona at which we have to judge a lot of them. Some - not always the DOCGs - are first class, as are some of the sweeter Lambruscos
Thanks Robert. I’m prepared to accept that still Glera could be ok; on Lambrusco, we’ll just have to agree to differ…
Appassimento is also a process where the grapes are dried to concentrate the sugars in order bring out complexities in wine
Interesting piece and I have a lot of sympathy with your palate. Still, zooming out, wine is quite an outlier vs. other staple drinks (G&T, spritz, juice, cocktails) on its insistence on being *bone* dry. 16g of sugar is nothing compared to tonic water or juice drinks. The idea that dry = good is a relatively recent phenomenon even in wine when you look at the precedence of Port, sherry and historical dosage levels in Champagne. Sweetness in wine can be done well or badly. I’ve nothing against it.
I’m only just beginning to learn about wine, and posts like this, and your Substack in general, have been invaluable, thank you so much!
Oh good - I’m so glad to hear it!
Hello Anna,
As well as Andy's excellent posts ,may I suggest you take a look at Brian Elliott's MidWeek Wines website and twice weekly posts that have been going for ten years and was a real help when I started on the same journey as you.
Thanks Paul, I didn’t know this site, so appreciate this tip very much.
I have tried Aldi’s still Prosecco.It is an abomination.Fortunately it was at a tasting and I was able to spit it out.It reminds me of “Sweet Nothings” without any interest whatsoever.
Glad to have this confirmed!
Whoever came up with those Prosecco categories (extra-dry, specifically) was a genius!
Yes - although they’re actually exactly the same as those for champagne, which I assume they were modelled on, ie brut 0-12g, extra-dry 12-17g, sec 17-32, not getting to “Demi-sec” until 32-50g/l… A reflection of early twentieth-century tastes, I think!
Yes of course, but have you ever seen an extra-dry Champagne style on the market? I suppose they must exist but I can't remember seeing one in the flesh. Whereas I have certainly seen some demi-secs.