Give Up Prosecco to Save Your Teeth? British Claim Riles Italy
One, Prof. Damien Walmsley, the scientific adviser for the British Dental Association, said, “Prosecco offers a triple whammy of carbonation, sweetness
and alcohol, which can put your teeth at risk, leading to sensitivity and enamel erosion.”
With “about one teaspoon of sugar per flute” and its acidity, he said, prosecco, like colas, “can present a clear and present danger to oral health.”
The British media also quoted Dr. Mervyn Druian of the London Centre for Cosmetic
Dentistry, who later admitted in a telephone interview to being a bit perplexed.
Luca Zaia, president of Veneto, the region that is Italy’s largest prosecco producer,
said, “It’s nonsense — like saying that Sacher torte causes a tummy ache.”
“The notion that prosecco takes away your smile makes me laugh,” he added, noting
that his region was full of “prosecco-drinking ultra-centenarians without a cavity.”
But in a conciliatory note, he added, “The British are our friends; they show it not just as prosecco consumers,
but also as visitors to the prosecco territories” in Veneto.
K., you’ll sell less fish and chips, but I’ll sell less prosecco to one country and you’ll sell less to 27 countries.”
In a few years, Britain has become Italy’s biggest prosecco client, spending 366 million euros, or about $434 million, on the
sparkling wine in 2016, according to the Italian agricultural lobby Coldiretti, a 33 percent increase over the previous year.
