If you’re ever been to someone’s home in Italy, than you’re familiar with Prosecco — that wonderful and refreshing sparkling wine that seems to be poured for just about every occasion. The Wall Street Journal both rates it and now endorses it, too …
In their recent article, “The Relaxed, Friendly Charm of Prosecco,” writers Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher detail Prosecco’s rise to fame outside of Italy– from a wine with humble beginnings in terms of popularity in the U.S. to a now explosive product. Prosecco has entered the big leagues.
(WARNING:Â Don’t confuse the canned version of Prosecco, known as “Rich Prosecco,” with the real deal. That’s the stuff that a British company was auctioning 300,000 cans of from a Serbian warehouse. The brochure warned that the Prosecco has a ‘use-by-date’ of May 2009, and the naked, gold-painted Paris Hilton ads say it all.)
Since then, Italy has declared Prosecco uniquely Italian, saying only those drinks made in the Veneto region should have the name, and the European Union is expected to pass this later in the year.
After their own taste tests, The Journal says that Prosecco’s kicked up its game, so the WSJ did, too, with a half page spread in their “Food & Drink” section where they say the drink hasn’t failed to live up to its hype:
” We bagged the wines and popped them open over several nights. And here’s the news: They’re actually better. What a pleasant surprise. We have always enjoyed Prosecco and have recommended it repeatedly, but the average quality is up. The wines taste riper, more focused and a little tarter. They are generally less sweet and they have more obvious hints of minerals. But they retain their very friendly, soft, apple-pear tastes. They remain informal, highly pleasant wines, with fairly low alcohol (usually about 11%) that makes them great as an apertif, a summer quaffer or just a happy-to-be-home sipping wine. And here’s the kicker: They remain inexpensive. Few of the wines we bought cost more than $20 and quite a few cost less than $10.”
Here’s a quick run-down of the WSJ taste test below, or you can read the whole article here. They also suggest drinking Prosecco young and pairing it with light appetizers or meals like sushi or cream sauce dishes. So, order some take-out tonight and grab a bottle of the most enticing choice(s) below:
[Pictured from left: Astoria ‘Cuvee Tenuta Val de Brun’ (Valdobbiadene) Extra Dry, Bartenura Extra Dry, Di Fiore Passionne, Mionetto Brut, Foss Marai Extra Dry]
Mionetto Brut ($9.99) Best of Tasting and Best Value: “Minerals, toast and real fruit tastes, especially apples and pears.”
Bartenura Extra Dry ($15.99) Very Good: “Good fruit, with ripe, white grapes, a touch of brown sugar and complexity that many lack.”
Astoria ‘Cuvee Tenuta Val de Brun’ (Valdobbiadene) Extra Dry 2007 ($19.99) Good/Very Good: “Nutty, mineral nose, with some toasted almonds.”
Bisol ‘Crede’ (Valdobbiadene) Brut 2007 ($22.99) Good/Very Good: “…liked its cleanliness and tastes of mango and lime.”
Col del Sole (Valdobbiadene) Extra Dry ($11.19) Good/Very Good: “Lychee and mangoes– in fact, a bit tutti-frutti, but in a fun way.”
Di Fiore ‘Passionne’ ($9.99) Good/Very Good: “Lively with ripe tastes, nice balancing acidity and a very easy, light finish.”
Foss Marai Extra Dry ($15.99) Good/Very Good: “Fun, with tart, green-apple tastes and a little hint of minerals.”
Desiderio Jeio Brut ($14.99) Good/Very Good: “Ripe lemons with a touch of sweet fruit.”
Why not bring a bottle to your mom and offer her a sparkling toast!
Harriett@snoety.com
