Brighten up your gatherings, all year long, with Prosecco

By Gary Grunner

Prosecco is the sparkling wine of the moment. After all, why shouldn’t it be?

It’s light and refreshing; it mixes well to make interesting cocktails and pairs well with many different cuisines; and it can be enjoyed just as well on its own as an aperitif.  I personally enjoy drinking Prosecco throughout an entire meal: it enhances all the flavors of the food and is just a fun wine to enjoy with friends and family.

The most famous cocktail made from Prosecco is the Bellini. The Bellini was born in Harry’s Bar of Venice, Italy around 1948. It was named after the fifteenth-century Venetian painter, Giovanni Bellini, for the similarity the cocktail’s bright color bore to the vestments of a Saint in one of the Italian master’s paintings. Harry’s bar, which was opened in 1931 by Giuseppe Cipriani, became famous for being one of Ernest Hemingway’s and Orson Welles’s favorite watering holes. To this day, locals and tourists cram into the original Harry’s to enjoy a Bellini in its home of origin—even though it is now served in restaurants all around the world.  The Bellini, a combination of ice cold sparkling Prosecco and fresh white peach juice or fresh Peach puree (both can be found all year long in your local supermarket!), is both quite easy to make and stands as a drink with which to impress your friends and guests.

The Spritz, another drink that is consumed throughout Italy during Happy Hour or before dinner, is made by mixing chilled Prosecco with a dash of a bitter liquor such as Apperol or Campari (sometimes, the drink is flourished with a slice of fruit). This new drink has become popular with Prosecco enthusiasts of all ages and is usually consumed with some finger foods or snacks.

The following is a primer on Prosecco to help get you more familiar with this great sparkling white wine from Italy.

Prosecco  101

Veneto—(VEHN-eh-toe): Veneto is one of 20 wine-producing regions of Italy.  Located in the northeast, it borders Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and the Adriatic Sea. Veneto takes its name from its capital, Venice, once one of the most powerful sea nations in all history. There are three distinct wine zones in Veneto: the Verona area, famous for Soave, Valpolicella, Amarone, and Bardolino; the Euganean hills between Vicenza and Padua, where table wines are made; and the areas of Treviso and Conegliano, which lie about 40 miles due north of Venice. The latter are best known for excellent varie­tal wines, especially Tocai, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Prosecco production of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene is located in the province of Treviso.

Prosecco—(pro-SEHK-coh): A white grape variety, which flourishes in Treviso, located in the northeast region of Veneto, used to make dry still and sparkling wines. Also known as Glera and Serprina.

Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (pro-SEHK-coh  dee  val-doh-bee-AH-deh-neh): A DOCG (2009) sparkling wine (spumante) made from predominantly Prosecco grapes, with a maximum of 15 percent of other authorized grapes (Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera Lunga, Pinot Noir, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio). It can be made into a dry, semi-dry, or sweet sparkling wine.

Categories and Forecasts

Category

Prosecco, part of the category of sparkling wines, is in third place (worldwide), behind French Champagne, and Spanish Cava. Just beneath Prosecco, in fourth place, is Asti (a spumante).

Prosecco, Forecast To Outperform Champagne In 2012

April 5, 2011: (AGI) Venice – Prosecco is getting ready to outperform Champagne in 2012 as leader in number of bottles produced. The announcement was made by the Veneto Region Councillors for Promotion Marino Finozzi and for Agriculture Franco Manzato during the inauguration of Vinitaly, at the Verona Trade Fair. The progress made by Prosecco in the competition with the French-made Champagne is clear-cut and persisting, as its average annual production is  around 320 million bottles.

In 2011, roughly 286 million bottles of Prosecco will be placed on the market.  By 2012, a projected 353 million bottles will be present.  Forcasts for Prosecco’s exceeding 400 million bottles marketed worldwide by 2013 are widely accepted.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Regulations

DOCG Regulations

• Region: Veneto
• Province: Treviso
• Communes of Production: 15
• Subzones: Cartizze
• Denominazione (Bianco):
• Varieties:
• Minimum Alcohol:
• Sweetness Levels:
• Additional Requirements:
• Minimum Planting Density: 2,500 vines per hectare
• Maximum Yields:
• DOCG Established: 2009
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco (Tranquillo)
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Frizzante
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Spumante Superiore
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Spumante Superiore with mention of “Rive”
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Spumante Superiore di Cartizze
• Minimum 85% Glera (Prosecco)
• Maximum 15% combined Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera Lunga
• Maximum 15% combined Pinot Nero (vinified as a white wine), Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio (for Spumante wines only)
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco: 10.5%
• Spumante Superiore: 11%
• Spumante di Cartizze: 11.5%
• Frizzante: Secco to Amabile
• Spumante Superiore: all traditional levels except Extra Brut and Dolce
• Wines labeled with “Rive” must be hand-harvested and indicate a vintage.
• Frizzante wines may undergo second fermentation in the bottle; this must be indicated on the label as “rifermentazione in bottiglia.”
• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco: 13.5 tons/ha
• Spumante Superiore with mention of “Rive”: 13 tons/ha
• Spumante Superiore di Cartizze: 12 tons/ha

Description, Recommended Foods, Cheeses, and Cocktails

Description:

Pale greenish-straw in color. It has a fresh and fruity aroma of acacia blossoms, almonds, anise, green apples, apricots, bread dough, citrus, lemon-lime, melon, peaches, pears, and wild flowers. Light, dry, well-balanced, and very clean tasting with a lingering, crispy aftertaste.

Food Pairings:

Prosecco, due to its fruit and fine level of acidity, is one of the most versatile sparkling wines. Before dinner as an apéritif (to this day it still happens to be the most sought-after apéritif in Italy), it pairs wonderfully with and appetizer of warm goat cheese served with crostini and wild mushrooms. Prosecco is just as fine after dinner with custards, light fruit tarts and even sorbet. However, perhaps Prosecco’s greatest virtue is its ability to pair with a variety of dishes throughout a meal, transforming a seemingly ordinary meal into an occasion!  But, be forewarned: Prosecco’s aftertaste begs for another glass…

Suggested pairings include salmon; salads with a touch of sweetness (for example, salads of beets and oranges with a vinaigrette); pork with fruit glazes; light, chilled summer soups; spicy or salty oriental cuisine; light olive oil-dressed spaghetti over a dish caramelized onions; and even your favorite comfort foods—Prosecco and cheeseburgers anyone?

It is a great sparkling wine that pairs with all types of international dishes such as sushi, Mexican, Chinese, Tia, BBQ, and anything with spice.  I’m in the habit of drinking it with all different types of take-out food: when I am too busy to cook, Prosecco helps elevate every meal I manage to put together on a whim!

Cheeses:

Prosecco pairs very well with the following selection of fine cheeses: Asiago, Asin, Bagozzo, Blue-veined cheeses, Fontina, Grana, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino, Pressato, and Ricotta (*Cheese pairings taken from Italian Wine and Cheese Made Simple, available at Amazon.com).

Cocktails:

• Bellini: Prosecco  with white peach purée.
• Spritz: Prosecco with a dash of Bitter liquor( Apperol or Campari) and a slice of fruit
• Wine Cocktail: Chilled Prosecco and a splash of white wine

As always, do not forget to have fun while pairing Prosecco with your favorite foods. If you are a chef or restaurant owner, don’t forget to feature Prosecco as it keeps customers coming back and is always great for your bottom line.