Italian term (frizzare = to sparkle, to foam) for a sparkling wine, which corresponds to the French pétillant or the German semi-sparkling wine or secco. The name is not origin-protected and is also used by other countries. Compared to spumante = sparkling wine (3 to 6 bar), a frizzante has a lower overpressure of 1 to 2.5 bar. It is usually produced using the Méthode charmat (tank fermentation, Italian Metodo charmat, Metodo martinotti), or by means of transvasation or impregnation. However, there are also bottle-fermented frizzante.
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The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena