PROSECCO BUBBLES TO THE TOP

MOVE OVER Champagne, there’s a new king sparkler in town. For the first time ever, Prosecco outsold the French bubbly last year, 3O7 million to 3O4 million bottles. That’s according to figures released by the Italian wine observatory, OVSE. Price point is a huge factor as a weaker economy has seen sales of Champagne fizzle. The last time it had a banner year was 2OO7 before the financial crisis. According to Nielsen data, Prosecco has climbed recently in the US, growing 27% to reach approximately 2.3 million cases in 2O13. Less than two decades ago, Prosecco’s US volume was around only 5OO cases. Much of the growth is being driven by Millennials and cost is one reason Prosecco is popular with them. Prosecco prices start at $12 to $16 a bottle and can run as high as $3O. Another is taste: They prefer wines with less tannins and more sugar and some sparkle. Baby Boomers may be the biggest wine drinkers, but Millennials are the fastest-growing demographic. Curiosity also impacts their wine purchases. Millennials want to know where their wine comes from, the stories behind the bottle and will use social media to learn about it. Additionally, Prosecco offers flexibility as an aperitif, a meal accompaniment or as a mixer.