Italy has a long and rich tradition of winemaking, which is why it should not come as a surprise that the country is the world’s largest producer of wine! Grape vines have been cultivated for millenia in Italy where each region produces their own unique wine.
One of the most popular Italian wines is Prosecco. This gorgeous sparkling wine is the perfect drink to have for any special celebratory event, or to make any occasion a special one. While it’s one of the most popular Italian beverages, not much is known about it.
Here is everything you need to know about Prosecco.
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine that originates from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions of north eastern Italy. This easy to drink sparkling wine is made exclusively from white Glera grapes, however, denomination rules allow up to 15% of the wine to be made by a mix of other grape varieties such as Perera, Glera Lunga and Chardonnay. On the nose, Prosecco offers a sweet and almost floral bouquet and has a refreshing fruity flavour.
While Prosecco is generally sparkling white wine, you can also enjoy sparkling rosé wine such as the Bottega Prosecco Rosé Gold Spumante Brut we serve at AQUA Forte. However, unlike the other Proseccos, this is made from Pinot Noir grapes which gives its rosy hue.
Throughout the centuries, there has been a fixture in Italy’s culinary history and that is wine. Veneto was an important white wine producing region as the montane area promoted vine growing with several beautiful vineyards scattered around. The region was also a favoured holiday destination by the aristocrats who spent time in their country villas enjoying the pleasant climate and beautiful scenery. Over the years, as the region produced more white wines, Prosecco also emerged and it quickly became a beloved beverage amongst the visiting aristocrats.
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Similar to Champagne, Prosecco is a product that is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). This means that Prosecco must only be produced in this specific region in Italy. To ensure each Prosecco produced maintains the same quality, you will often see the acronyms DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) or DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) on the bottle. The difference between the two is that DOCG wines must pass a stricter taste test, but both guarantee premium-quality wines.
Moreover, when describing Prosecco, there are two different styles to this wine: frizzante and spumante. While both are used when describing sparkling wine, the two differ in their level of effervescence (the amount and strength of the bubbles). Wines labelled as frizzante are only gently sparkling, while spumante are fizzier and are more sparkling.
Prosecco is a beverage that can be enjoyed at any time of the day, but it is generally best served as an apéritif before the start of your meal. Offering a light, refreshing and crisp flavour, the sparkling wine will cleanse your palate and prepare it for the rest of your authentic Italian meal. Prosecco can be enjoyed throughout your meal, especially with vegetarian dishes or even as an alternative option to a dessert wine should you desire, and it also goes very well in cocktails such as Aperol or Campari Spritz.
Our Carpaccio Di Zucchini E Barbabietola pairs perfectly with a glass of Bottega Prosecco DOC Spumante Brut. This appetizer is prepared with zucchini and beetroot carpaccio and served with yogurt mint and pistachio crumbs, and the refreshing fruity notes of the Prosecco complement the richness of the yoghurt and the herbal notes of the vegetables.
Whether you’re ordering a bottle of Prosecco for a celebration, or you’re enjoying a glass of bubbly while indulging in a scrumptious lunch, one thing is for certain, Prosecco is sure to make your authentic Italian dining experience much more enjoyable!
Visit AQUA Forte to try our collection of Prosecco and other exquisite Italian wines. Call us on +94912231725 to reserve your table . today
