Natural Merchants - Organic Wine News

Prosecco is an Italian white sparkling wine made from whites grapes of the same name. It's a refreshing, fruit-persistent bubbly wine that is a unique and less costly alternative to traditional champagne. The name Prosecco is derived from the northern Italian village of Prosecco (Trieste), where the grape is believed to have originated. Prosecco is one of the oldest wine grapes in Italy, with production of the sparkling wine dating back to Roman times.

The grape is grown mainly in the Veneto region of Italy, traditionally in an area near Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north of Treviso. The name "Prosecco" can only be applied to wine that is made from a variety of white grapes of the same name. The wine comes in semi-sparkling (frizzante), or fully sparkling (spumante) and often labeled as "Extra dry" or "Brut." A Brut Prosecco is one that is very dry and less sweet, with less than 16 grams of sugar per liter. An Extra Dry Prosecco has 12-20 grams of sugar per liter, still dry with a hint of sweetness or slightly sweet.

Prosecco is a wine meant to be enjoyed young, while it's still light and refreshing, within a year to 18 months of bottling. At under $15/bottle, it's not a wine to be saved only for major celebrations, but a fun wine to be enjoyed with a variety of foods and occasions.

Prosecco's effervescent bubbly characteristic is produced during a secondary fermentation using the "Italian Charmat" or tank method, which differs from the classic champagne method as the fermentation takes place in an enclosed tank instead of in the bottle. The idea was perfected by an Italian man named Eugene Charmat in the 1900s. He discovered that fermenting the grapes using a large, pressurized stainless steel tank (autoclave), coated on the inside with a vitrified glaze, creates wines resistant to attack by wine and sulfuric acids.

Carbonation occurs naturally due to the decomposition of the grape sugar by yeasts resulting in a sparkling wine where the natural fragrances of the grapes are better preserved. Traditional Prosecco had strings hand-tied over and around the cork to prevent the carbonation from prematurely lifting it.

The wine's color is pale straw-yellow with greenish tinges. The nose has a delicate, fruity, characteristic, and the taste iswell-orchestrated, palatable and pleasant. With its crisp taste and essences of apple, pear and peach, the wine is very palatable to American tastes and easy to drink. Prosecco is ideal as an aperitif, with a snack, or served with cold first courses including seafood and light pasta dishes. It is a perfect, refreshing sparkling beverage as well as a fantastic option for holiday toasts, cocktails and special occasions.

Prosecco has long been used for specialty cocktails including the famous "Belini" created by Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy somewhere between 1934 and 1948. The cocktail combines traditional Prosecco with peach puree, and remains one of this Italian region's most popular cocktails. Prosecco is also often used as a base for a variety of sparkling punches, perfect for larger parties and celebrations.

Many Italian vineyards have a long-standing history of Prosecco production, run by multi-generational growers.
For example, the Pizzolato family has been working in the Italian agriculture sector for more than five generations, while living in harmony with nature and the environment by producing certified organic grapes. La Cantina Pizzolato estate is located in the rich and flourishing countryside in the north of Treviso, Italy and the vineyards are situated on the plains and hillsides, in the Veneto region.The estate covers an area of 58 hectares and it also collaborates with five other producers which contribute certified organic grapes grown on area of 48 hectares.

The winery produces a variety of Prosecco wines, including their popular Prosecco Veneto, a gold medal winner in the 2008 Denver International Wine Competition.

Please contact Pilar for ordering information at pilar@naturalmerchants.com.