What is prosecco?DOC, DOCG and Asolo explained, and the two we pour at Fiena, King's Cross

Prosecco is an Italian white wine from a large area covering nine provinces in two north-eastern regions, the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It takes its name from the village of Prosecco, near Trieste. The first known written mention of the name comes from an Englishman, Fynes Moryson, who travelled through northern Italy in 1593 and listed "Prosecho" among the most famous wines of Italy. The spelling "prosecco" first appears in print in 1754.

The main grape used to be called prosecco too, but in 2009 Italy renamed it Glera, so that "Prosecco" became purely a protected place name, a geographical indication, rather than the name of a grape. The rules allow up to 15% of other permitted grapes in the blend. Most prosecco is sparkling (spumante) or lightly sparkling (frizzante), and a still version exists but is rarely exported. Background from Wikipedia's prosecco page.

• Prosecco DOC is the big designation, covering the wide area and mostly grown on low-lying plains.
• Prosecco Superiore DOCG is the top tier. There are two small DOCG zones, both in the province of Treviso and divided by the River Piave: Conegliano Valdobbiadene, whose hills became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, and the smaller Asolo. DOCG prosecco is grown only on hillside vineyards, where the slopes mean most of the work, including the harvest, is done by hand.
• Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG took its current name in 2014; before that it was known as Colli Asolani.

Champagne gets its sparkle from a second fermentation inside each bottle. Most prosecco is made with the tank method, also called the Charmat–Martinotti method, where the second fermentation happens in large stainless-steel tanks. It keeps the wine fresh and fruity and is one reason prosecco costs less than Champagne. Prosecco is usually best drunk young, and its flavour is often described as crisp, with notes of apple, pear and white peach. On the label, "Brut" is the driest of the common styles, then "Extra Dry", then "Dry", which, confusingly, is the sweetest of the three.

On our drinks menu, under prosecco and sparkling, you'll find:

• Prosecco: fresh and fruity, light-bodied. An easy glass to start the evening.
• Prosecco Axilu DOCG Asolo: from the Asolo hills, a fresh and fruity, medium-bodied dry sparkling wine with apple and floral aromas and fine bubbles. A step up for a celebration.

Prosecco also goes into four of our cocktails: the Aperol spritz, Campari spritz and Limoncello spritz (each with soda water) and the Hugo spritz with elderflower syrup and fresh mint, plus the French 47, with gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. See our posts on aperitivo hour on Judd Street, the Campari spritz and the French 47.

Guests often mention the drinks alongside the food. Normof, who came for pizza with their partner, added: Wine was good, too. (Normof, Google review) And another guest found The food and drinks were delicious and beautifully presented (Google review).

Prosecco's light bubbles and fresh acidity suit salty and fried food. From our main menu, try it with the Baby calamari with tartar sauce, the Arancini, the Capesante (pan-fried scallops in a lemon butter sauce) or a Margherita pizza. See our posts on capesante, arancini and the Margherita. Planning a party? See celebrations at Fiena.

“the cocktails were delicious”

Yasmeen, Google review, 2026