One sip and I am transported to the North-Eastern Italian hillside. Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. might be a bubbly dessert wine like Champagne, but it couldn’t be more different. For centuries, the Italians have been using the Glera Grape for sweet wine, and it is said to be almost, if not as old, as the French Champagne grapes like pinot bianco and pinot meunier. And though the French wine prides itself on its’ secondary fermentation process, the pride of Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. lies in the vineyard.
Glera Grapes were not originally cultivated as a sparkling wine, there are still, tranquillo versions of Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. available for those not interested in the sparkling variety. No, the genius of this grape didn’t fully develop until commercial production was possible in the early 1900’s with stainless steel barrels. To this day, “the process is referred to as the Martinotti method…, though outside of Italy it is known as the Charmat method, after the final inventor, Eugène Charmat.”
Since the sparkle was born out of modern technology, the process of making this sweet dry versions of the wine is very affordable, with the pricier bubbly still being under $60 for a handcrafted bottle. But it’s the geography of the grapes that make the wine rare (only 265 acres in Cartizze) and perfect for the holidays.
Glera grapes are the parent to my favorite grapes, Manzoni grapes, which are used to make Cabernet Sauvignon with their black cherry flavors. They can actually grow in many locations, but the unique structure of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene hillside, soil, and climate are what give Glera grapes the residual sugar and flavor we’ve come to love.
The best of these hillsides are on the steepest, highest, and most expensive land in the Italian Alps: Cartizze, Barolo, and Barbaresco. Here, the delicate herbal, floral, and fruit flavors of the grapes are the brightest and most flavorful. And each grape bunch has to be tended and picked by hand due to the incline of each vine row. Without this inconvenient location, these grapes taste mild and much like other grapes.
Cartizze is located just 30 miles from Venice where Recioto della Valpolicella versions are made, and let me tell you, this is one special holiday tradition my husband and I can agree on. Who doesn’t want to travel via tastebuds?
Credit: https://www.winemag.com/2015/09/24/the-superiority-of-prosecco-superiore/
Perhaps the love and tender care is what makes the Italian bubbly wine taste so sweet or maybe it’s that each vineyard has deep family roots and traditional method. I like to think the magic lies in the combination of the hills and the habitat created by each family for their own unique grape variety.
I had the pleasure of tasting from two of the most prestigious and oldest Cartizze family vineyards: the Ruggeri family vineyards and the Marsura family vineyards.
Marsuret’s Cartizze Superiore di Valdobbiadene, Dry D.O.C.G., we enjoyed with melon wrapped in prosciutto and as its’ own course. In Italy, Prosecco is commonly enjoyed as a palate cleanser before a meal. Though we did this, it was more because it was so good we didn’t want any part of the bouquet to be lost! It is amazing on its’own, but I did find the stone fruit flavor to be intensified with food.
Le Colture’s Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G. Spumante Superiore di Cartizze has the most amazing aroma with roses, fruit, and a hint of sage. After enjoying a refreshing glass on its’ own and with mini raspberry cheesecakes, I’d like to try this one with scallops. The family of sparkling wine producers, suggests this as the perfect companion to a special dessert, making this an ideal holiday celebration wine.
And as a small note, I opened this outside since the pressure builds even more after a journey from Italy–the cork has a festive pop!
The Conegliano Valdobbiadene Academy suggests asparagus, fennel, mushrooms, scallops, soft and blue cheeses for these types of wines, but generally speaking, food pairing with vin santo is “best served with fresh and delicate fruits, vegetables and desserts.” Or if you’re hosting an Emilia Romagna style brunch, you can be true to the original Peach Bellini, invented in Venice with Prosecco Superiore –NOT champagne.
I created an infographic with some of my suggestions for these wines for your holiday table. This wine is as amazing with a weekday meal as it is bubbly with a low sweetness level and artisan for a special occasion, especially since Prosecco Superiore contains very little added sugars in the process (called “dosage”). This is the distinguishing brut nature of sparkling wine labeled metodo classico as opposed to champagne.
After the grapes of the veneto and lombardy region are harvested in the fall, this sparkling wine brings in the winter holidays flawlessly as if you’re taking in the breathtaking views outside the windows of say…. Hotel de Brunello di Montalcino
I almost always go for Prosecco over Champagne now. It’s a little sweeter, which I like.
That’s great! Thanks!
It’s pretty perfect in my book! Thanks for commenting and tell your wife she has good taste.