Un bicchiere di prosecco perfavore!

The summer sun is finally shining down on this area of the Mediterranean. What could be nicer - after a long day of working, walking around town absorbing in numerous artistic treasures or after a day under the umbrella at the beach - than a cold glass of bubbling prosecco?

Prosecco is the Italian answer to champagne. It is a sparkling wine which is either really sparkling (spumante) or lightly sparkling (frizzante). Prosecco is made in a specific area of the country - the Conegliano/Valdobbiadene area of the Veneto region. The wine here has a protected and designated area of production (DOC and DOCG) label.

The wine comes from late ripening grapes, often of the prosecco or glera variety. An Italian sparkling wine which is quite popular in the United States is Asti Spumante. This wine, however, is quite different from a  prosecco.  It comes from a different region, Piedmont, and it is made from moscato grapes, which makes it much sweeter.

Riva de Milan Wine Estate

On a recent tour in Veneto we went to the prosecco area of Italy, the Valdobbiadene valley just north of Venice. Here we had a wonderful farmhouse lunch at a winery and of course had the opportunity to taste this wine which can be described as aromatic and crisp with flavors such as yellow apple, pear, white apricot and peach.

A spritz cocktail is very popular these days in the trendy outdoor city caffes. To make one just mix half prosecco and half a red bitter liqueur such as Aperol or Campari. Top the glass with a slice of lemon and bit of sparkling mineral or tonic water. Prosecco is also the main ingredient, along with fresh peach puree, in the famous Bellini cocktail which originated at the turn of the century in Venice.

I hope you are enjoying your summer,   Cheers!