Wine is meant to be enjoyed and few wines are more enjoyable during these hot summer months than Prosecco. Italy’s answer to Champagne, Prosecco is a sparkling white wine that has just recently burst upon the American wine scene. Like any trend, there are some producers of Prosecco who have capitalized on the sudden popularity of the wine and mass produce garbage and peddle it to the market. Don’t let that deter you from drinking Prosecco. A little knowledge is all you need to uncover a world of delightful, affordable Italian sparkling wines.Italian wines are traditionally named after the region where they are produced. Just as we refer to tomatoes grown in South Jersey as “Jersey Tomatoes”, so to do the Italians refer to their wines by the location of their farm. However Prosecco is a little different.
Prosecco is the name of the white grape variety that produces Prosecco wine. Under European law, only wines made from Prosecco grapes grown in the Conegliano or Valdobbiadene region of Veneto can be sold as Prosecco. That doesn’t mean that some unscrupulous producers don’t cheat and mislabel their product. So, when shopping for Prosecco, look for the words “Prosecco di Conegliano – Valdobbiadene”, “Prosecco di Conegliano” or “Prosecco di Valdobbiadene” on the label.
By buying only Prosecco wines that are labeled as being from these regions, you are greatly improving the odds of purchasing an enjoyable sparkling white wine. Although it should be noted that wine is a living, natural creation and as such, there are no guarantees. So don’t let one bad bottle of wine spoil your attitude towards that wine.
Now that we have successfully navigated our way through the Prosecco aisle at the local liquor store and avoided buying poorly made wine masquerading as Prosecco, it’s time to enjoy the quality bottle of wine you have purchased. One of the best ways to enjoy wine is to know what you are drinking. So, before you open that bottle of Prosecco made in the Conegliano or Valdobbiadene region of Veneto, let me tell you a little about this delicious, refreshing, sparkling wine.
Prosecco, unlike Champage, is young and fresh. Best consumed within the first three years of production, Prosecco is dry and sparkling and very vibrant. There is no “dusty bitterness” that often accompanies Champagne. In fact, some Prosecco even tastes sweet and even a dry Prosecco has overtones of lemon, melon, almonds or honey.
In Venice, Prosecco is served strictly as an appertivo to be consumed before dinner in order to awaken your taste buds. It was in Venice that Prosecco was first combined with fresh peach juice to create the Bellini cocktail, the signature drink of the Venetians. Due to the popularity of the Bellini, many other Prosecco based cocktails have been invented. The Puccini features Prosecco wine and the juice of fresh tangerines. The Mimosa features Prosecco wine and the juice of fresh blood oranges. The Sgroppino features Prosecco wine, vodka and lemon sorbetto.
For the record, it should be noted that the original Prosecco cocktail, the Bellini was invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice and was named after a Renaissance painter, not the opera composer. Giuseppe Cipriani, the head bartender at Harry’s, saw the pinkish color of the cocktail and was reminded of a toga in a painting by Giovanni Bellini. This cocktail, and the bar that invented it, was popular with such luminaries as Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis and Orson Wells.
Although Prosecco based cocktails are extremely popular, don’t limit yourself to just Posecco cocktails. While Prosecco is great for mixing, it is made for sipping on its own, accompanying seafood or antipasto or as an appertivo. Now that you know what to look for when you shop and what to taste for when you drink, the time has come to actually enjoy your wine. After all, that’s what wine is there for!
