​​Meet Frizzante, Sparkling Wine's Mellow Cousin

As the weather continues to warm up, you may start looking for something quaffable for your next gathering. Consider a style of wine that is mildly bubbly on the palate, but has distinctly less effervescence than Champagne, prosecco, or cava: frizzante.

First, let's demystify the term Champagne, as opposed to prosecco or cava which are simply about location. Champagne hails from France, whereas prosecco finds its home in Italy and cava in Spain ("cava" actually translates to wine cellar, where these sparkling drinks were originally stored). Next, we can nerd out and talk about bubble strength to distinguish spumante wines (which is essentially a term for Italian sparkling wines) from frizzante. Winemakers measure bubble strength in bars, which is a scale of atmospheric pressure. Spumante wines like Champagne, prosecco, and cava average 5–6 bars, while frizzante wines ring in at about 1.5–2 bars. The resulting frizzante wines are supremely easy to drink, more airy, have a lighter mouthfeel, and usually have less alcohol by volume (ABV) to boot. This makes for a great choice for those being more mindful about alcohol consumption.

These gentle drinks are approachable even for those who traditionally shy away from sparkling wines and make the perfect summer companions for casual entertaining. Another bonus is that they are usually lighter on the wallet as well. Frizzante also happily plays the part in a variety of summer cocktail spritzes, like the trendy Hugo.

This pleasant, bubbly tipple pairs well with a range of foods, from crisp summer salads to charcuterie boards and even desserts — whether more fruity or chocolate-forward. Experts agree that you should opt for light bubbles at brunch, as they lift but don't overwhelm dishes like creamy eggs or fluffy pancakes. Later in the day, frizzante is a natural choice for happy hour when paired with salty snacks like flavored popcorn or nuts. It also readily moves right through dinner and beyond, with everything from pizza to noodle dishes. It is just as enjoyable when sitting around the pool as it is while on a picnic. Some winemakers even put out frizzante with a distinct fruit-specific flavor profile for the ultimate warm weather party beverage.