🍷 Col fondo
Prosecco that finishes fermenting in the bottle and is not cleared of its sediment, so it is slightly cloudy.
Col fondo is an old style of Prosecco. The Italian name means 'with the bottom', that is, with sediment. The wine goes through its second fermentation in the bottle, and the yeast sediment is not removed. So col fondo is slightly cloudy, with a pale deposit at the bottom of the bottle.
Ordinary Prosecco is made by the Charmat method: the second fermentation takes place in a large closed tank, then the wine is filtered and bottled. Col fondo is how farmers in the Veneto hills made wine before tanks existed. Small producers make it again today, and labels may also say sui lieviti, 'on the yeast'.
Col fondo usually tastes dry, with bready and fruity notes and soft bubbles. Before serving you can stand the bottle upright so the sediment settles, or swirl it in if you prefer. In style it resembles pet-nat, but pet-nat has a single fermentation, while col fondo has a second one.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Col fondo → made in → 🗺️ Italian wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Prosecco
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Italian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Prosecco, 🍷 Pét-nat
Frequently asked questions
What is col fondo Prosecco?
It is Prosecco that finishes fermenting in the bottle and keeps its yeast sediment, so it is slightly cloudy.
How is col fondo different from regular Prosecco?
Regular Prosecco has its second fermentation in a tank and is filtered, while col fondo ferments in the bottle and keeps the sediment.
Is the sediment in col fondo a fault?
No, it is spent yeast and normal for this style. You can leave it at the bottom or mix it in.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Italian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grape varieties, appellations.
- 🍷 Pét-nat — A sparkling wine bottled before fermentation ends, so the bubbles form in the bottle.
Similar
🍷 Bellini · 🍷 Spritz · 🍷 Frizzante · 🍷 Extra dry · 🍷 Spumante · 🍷 Abboccato
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.