Frizzante e frizziantino

Stavo dormendo su un bancale di lambro quando il post di Vitaly mi desto'

I just found a pair of definitions at

Frizzante: typical development of CO2 due to natural secondary fermentation in the bottle, at the expenses of residual sugar. Frizzantino: wine with a certain amount of CO2, generally due to an incomplete fermentation before bottling.

Looks like the difference is WHEN the fermentation happens, and if it is complete or not. Therefore frizzantino should have more residual sugar, giving it more sweetness and softness.

"Vilco" wrote in news:4345a1c7$0$29559$ snipped-for-privacy@reader1.news.tin.it:

It would seem from the definitions that Frizzantino is a flaw while Frizzante is a desired and planned effect.

Furthermore, "frizzante" is the legal Italian designation of a slightly sparkling wine (1 to 2.5 bar, iirc) within the EU, equal to Perlwein (in German) or vin perlant (in French, again iirc).

M.

No, "-ino" is a diminutive with no pejorative connotations, it just means that it is frizzante but not quite as much...

To summarize:

Mousseux = Sparkling = Spumante (5-6 atm) Crémant = (3.6 atm) (in Franciacorta, "satèn") Semi-sparkling = Pétillant = Frizzante (1-2 atm) Slightly sparkling = Perlant = Frizzantino

Cheers

Mike and Michael, Most instructive discussion! I understand that the definition has to do with the pressure in the headspace, but I wonder how in practical terms that is determined. Does the winemaker simply compute from the amount of RS prior to bottling (but that wouldn't work for non-dry sparklers), or is there an actual pressure measurement that takes place after bottling?

Mark Lipton

Caution. The winemaker computes it from the sugar content of the "liqueur de tirage" which is added prior to the second fermentation in bottle (méthode traditionelle) or tank (méthode charmat or cuve close). All of the sugar ferments. The RS of the finished product, however, is determined by addition of "liqueur de dosage" after disgorging (champagne method) or prior to bottling (tank method).

M.

Which explains why sugarbeet is so important (France is the world's largest producer) ;-)))

Interesting to look at the tastes of different markets. Back in the time of the czars, special extra sweet batches of Champagne were shipped to that part of the world. I wonder if there is some form of localization today, US batches for example having different dosage than products made for European or Asian consumption. I am sure LVMH has that down pat.

Not sure about that, but Moët's standard Brut (BSA) in Europe ist "Brut Impérial". In the USA the "White Star" (probably extra-dry) is the number one in sales.

Not that that would answer your question, of course.

M.