Let’s talk bubbles. 

What makes a bottle of wine "Prosecco" 

Prosecco is one of the most popular sparkling wine varieties. It originates from Veneto, Italy. In order to be considered a Prosecco by law, it must be made with at least 85% Glera grapes, which are only found in certain regions of the country, such as Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia where SYLTBAR is produced at the winery San Simone, which has invested of 107 years in organic production. SYLTBAR goes above the minimum requirement and uses 100% Glera grapes for its Prosecco. 

Sugar Added Prosecco

Prosecco wines range from sweet to extra dry, based primarily upon the amount of residual sugar left after the wine production process. However, in the case of some mass produced wine companies, additional sugar may be added to the wine in order to enhance the flavor without the need for extra fermentation time — and as a money saver. However, that sweetness is not a natural characteristic. A naturally produced Prosecco, like that of SYLTBAR, should be fruity, but not sweet. 

Mass-Produced Prosecco vs Winery Prosecco

An example of these big box wine brands is Ruffino Prosecco. Although the brand started off as a small, family-owned winery in Tuscany, the founding cousins dreamt up a wide-spread marketing plan that would make Ruffino Prosecco reach the mouths, and hearts, of international wine drinkers, especially here in the United States. Through the years, the company grew and eventually was purchased by a large corporation, Constellation Brands, and is now one of the most recognized brands of Prosecco and other Tuscany Table Wines. You’ve probably seen Ruffino Prosecco on the wine list of just about every restaurant you’ve been to, right? Right. But let’s back up a bit… We mentioned earlier that Prosecco is created using the at least 85% Glera grape, which can only be found in certain regions. Ruffino is based in Tuscany, which is one not of the regions where this grape can be grown. This means that they are not producing the wine themselves. Instead, they are purchasing grapes from these Glera grape-growing regions and having factories produce the wines to distribute to their customers all over the world. 

Premium Prosecco 

At SYLTBAR, we believe in quality over quantity. Our wine bottles all present the name of our winery, San Simone, for the very reason that we do produce our wines with the grapes from our vineyard, right here in Friuli, which allows us to not only control the quality of the grapes used in production, but also gives us the opportunity to protect the environment and stay true to our commitment to nature. Many brands skip the vineyard step and use large corporations to produce the wines to save costs — this is not the SYLTBAR way. We are very selective with our distribution, which is why you do not see SYLTBAR in every restaurant, retailer, or even every state. 

Full transparency is something we pride ourselves on at SYLTBAR. We make our wine’s calorie, carbohydrate, and sugar content readily available on our website for customers. This is not a standard practice for many other wine brands that do not list these nutritional facts on their website. 

SYLTBAR vs Ruffino Prosecco Calories

The University of Miami Diabetes Research Institute tested SYLTBAR Premium Prosecco and Sparkling Rose against 80 other well-known brands, such as Ruffino Prosecco, and compare the sugar content contained in each of the wines. The study showed that the glucose, fructose and sucrose levels in SYLTBAR were all much lower than other brands, and so is the overall total sugar content. The research conducted found that Ruffino Prosecco nutrition is quite different from SYLTBAR. While a 6 ounce glass of Mr SYLTBAR Prosecco is only 49 calories, while the average calorie count for other Proseccos, like Ruffino Prosecco, is 120 per glass. The glucose levels are also remarkably different: SYLTBAR Prosecco coming in at 166mg/100ml versus Ruffino Prosecco at 703mg/100ml. 

SYLTBAR vs Ruffino Prosecco Nutrition 

There is also a difference in alcohol percentage. SYLTBAR Prosecco is 11.5%, while Ruffino Prosecco is 11%. It’s not much of a difference, but it’s definitely worth noting! This is because of our wine’s longer fermentation time. As far as we know, SYLTBAR Prosecco is the only Prosecco aside from Nino Franco Prosecco that has 11.5% alcohol content. Another interesting comparison between SYLTBAR Prosecco and Ruffino Prosecco nutrition is the fact that SYLTBAR is a vegan wine, and Ruffino is not. Mass produced wine companies that skip out on long fermentation time in the tank often use egg white, gelatin or fish bladder as clarifiers to stabilize the wine before distribution. SYLTBAR wines remain in the tanks long enough to stabilize on their own, negating the need to use animal byproduct. 

Next time you’re in the mood for a glass of bubbly, which Prosecco will you choose? SYLTBAR can be your Happy, Healthy, Daily Juice — without worrying about calories or sugar. Cheers to that! Be smarter, and enjoy life with less calories.