Since we’ve been on a bit of a sparkling wine kick around
here, let’s take a look at another star of the world of inexpensive bubbles:
Prosecco, the official sparkling wine of brunches from sea to shining sea. When
you run across cocktails like mimosas, kir royales, or bellinis, odds are that
the sparkler used to fizz the drink up will be Prosecco. So, what is the stuff?
Kir Royale...because Prosecco makes you happy. |
First off, as you probably already know, Prosecco is an
Italian sparkling wine. As with most Italian wines, “Prosecco” does not refer
to the grape that the wine is made from. Prosecco is actually a village in the
growing region where the grape is said to have originated. The Prosecco DOC is
the term for the actual growing region, which encompasses parts of the Veneto
and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia regions.
Prosecco is not the name of a grape, at least not anymore. The
primary grape varietal used to make Prosecco is called Glera. The grape itself
was known as both Prosecco and Glera until 2009, when Italy officially started
using Glera as the sole name of the grape to avoid confusion. Other grapes can be included in the mix, such
as Pinot Grigio, but there must be at least 85% Glera.
Prosecco comes in three varieties: spumante, meaning sparkling -- the most common version; frizzante, meaning semi-sparkling; and tranquillo, meaning a still wine – which
you’ll rarely see outside of the Veneto. There are also designations for levels
of sweetness, which are a bit counterintuitive. Brut is the most dry and the most common; Extra dry, which is slightly sweeter; and Dry, which is the sweetest.
Most Prosecco you will commonly encounter will be labeled “Prosecco
DOC” – meaning that the grapes are all from the growing region. The higher
quality stuff will be labeled “Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG”
– which I will let you explore at your leisure.
The wine is produced slightly differently from other
sparkling wines. Rather than the Methode Champenoise (known as Metodo Classico in Italy) style, where
the wine is carbonated in bottle through secondary fermentation, Prosecco is
carbonated in stainless steel tanks and bottled under pressure, which is known
as the Charmat process or Metodo Italiano.
This method allows for a less expensive production.
Prosecco is relatively low in alcohol – usually around
11-12%, which is why it’s so popular for brunches. It’s usually drunk as an
aperitif or, as I mentioned before (and will mention again in a bit), used as a
cocktail mixer. Like most Italian wines of any stripe, it’s exceptionally food
friendly – and can be broken open with almost anything. It really shines with
bacon, believe it or not. Prosecco tends to be relatively inexpensive. Most
bottles will run between $10-20. Serve it well chilled.
I recently came into a few bottles for sampling from Kelly
at Colangelo. All of these are Prosecco DOC versions:
Mionetto Brut Prosecco
DOC – This prosecco had a distinct yeasty aroma when first cracked. Along
with the yeast, there were flavors of apples and pears on the palate. This was
one of the least carbonated Prosecco that I’ve had the chance to try. While
listed as “spumante” – it seemed much more in the “frizzante” range. The
overall effect was that of drinking a very dry, slightly bubbly hard cider. On
its own, it was not my favorite Prosecco. It did make a nice accompaniment to
some roasted vegetable “paninis” (we didn’t have the right bread, but we did
have some whole wheat naan – worked well enough!) that we put together with
assorted items from our CSA share and basil pesto from our patio container
garden. Side note: Mionetto is the largest exporter of Prosecco.
Jeio Brut Prosecco
DOC – Vvery different character with this bottle. Considerably more
carbonated than the Monetto, it also didn’t have those particular yeast
characteristics. Instead, this one sported a much more delicate, floral nose to
go along with a fresh flavor of green apples and a touch of lemony citrus. The
finish is dry and crisp. We had this alongside some leftover Minestrone soup
and some flavored pita chips and it paired nicely. I think it would be a
fantastic brunch bottle. I declare this one officially tasty.
La Gioiosa Prosecco
DOC Treviso – The “DOC Treviso” means that the grapes are sourced from
around the village of Treviso, Of the three, this is the one I liked the feel
of the best. I thought it had the right amount of sparkle and a certain richness
to the flavor that I enjoyed. There’s a refreshing lemon bite at first sip,
which quickly calms down into some nice key lime pie flavors. The bubbles keep
the train moving across the palate, and the finish is long and lemony. I had
this one as an aperitif over a couple of days. (A sparkling wine stopper makes
a great stocking stuffer!) Super pleasant for sipping and conversation. Another
point in its favor – the bottle looks pretty darned cool.
As I mentioned, Prosecco works well on its own, but the brut
versions work exceptionally well as a mixer. For your next brunch or party,
here are some Prosecco cocktails you can try:
- Mimosa – fill a sparkling wine flute halfway with Prosecco. Fill with orange juice.
- Kir Royale – add ½ oz. of crème de cassis (I prefer Chambord) to a wine flute. Fill with Prosecco. For an extra fancy presentation, add a few fresh raspberries and watch ‘em float around.
- Bellini – add a couple of ounces of peach puree or peach nectar to a flute. Top up with Prosecco.
- Sorrento Sparkle – add a shot of chilled limoncello liqueur to a flute. Top up with Prosecco.
Saluti!