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Thinking about Italian Sparkling Wine? Think Prosecco.
Corelle Anderson
Classic Wines
Prosecco is a kind of white grape developed in the Veneto region of Italy , and also gives its name to the sparkling wine made from the grape. The grape is produce in the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene wine-growing regions north of Treviso . Its late development has led to its use in dry sparkling and semi-sparkling wines, with their trait acidic aftertaste.
Like other sparkling wines, Prosecco is served cool. Generally it is served straight, but it also shows in several mixed drinks. It was the initial main ingredient in the Bellini cocktail, and it can also change champagne in other cocktails such as the Mimosa. Prosecco also features in the Italian mixed drink Sgroppino along with vodka and lemon sorbet. The Italian Prosecco should not be mistaken with Dalmatian Prosecco, which is in fact called Proek, and made out of dried grapes. Some premium quality chocolate companies sell chocolate packed together with miniature bottles of Prosecco.
Straw-colored Prosecco , with its tinge of citrus, melon, lemon, almonds, and honey, is a perfect summer wine. It is fresh and pure with small bubbles and teams up well with seafood - especially calamari and crabmeat, salads, and even all but the heaviest pastas. Most Prosecco is at its greatest when drunken within three years of its vintage, but the highest-quality Prosecco can be aged for up to seven years.
Venetians believe Prosecco an ideal apperitivo or ombrette. Prosecco is also appetizing when matched up with fresh peach juice to make Venice 's most well-known cocktail, the Bellini. Prosecco is very reasonable when compared to her French or California sparkling cousins and is becoming more widely available in wine stores and restaurants in the United States .
One of the fantastic things about Prosecco is its price, which only in the rarest bottling climbs above $20. This makes it a great budget alternative to Champagne , and at its finest, Prosecco can even have some of the complexities of Champagne . One must be careful, however, not to ask too much of a $12 sparkling wine.
The name "Prosecco" is now protected under European law and can be used only for the wine made from the Prosecco grape in the Conegliano/Valdobbiadene region. The Italian Prosecco should not be confused with Dalmatian Prosecco, which is a special sweet wine (similar to sherry), made out of dried grapes.
Article submitted Thursday, August 28, 2008
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