Prosecco

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of sparkling wine from Italy, generally produced using Glera grapes, recognized for its fruity flavors and effervescent quality that appeals to many occasions
2. This Italian sparkling wine, often enjoyed as an appetizer, features light, fruity notes and is associated with celebrations and joyful gatherings
3. An Italian sparkling wine known for its light, fruity taste and bubbly texture, typically served during celebrations or social events

Etymology: The name belongs to a village, not a grape. Prosecco is a small place in the hills northeast of Trieste, in what is now Italy's Friuli Venezia Giulia region, close to the Slovenian border. The wine took its name from that locality, and the grape variety grown there and in nearby areas of the Veneto came to be called by the same name. Because the wine was named after a place, its name works like "Champagne" or "Chianti," where a geographic name stands in for the product itself. The Italian name is borrowed directly into English, and it carries no hidden meaning beyond the place it points to. Readers sometimes assume a sparkling wine's name must describe its bubbles, but this one is simply the name of a hillside village, so the word has no sense of "fizz" built into it.