I always start my dinner parties with a glass of sparkling wine. There is nothing like it to lighten the mood and whet the appetite. It makes a great aperitif (before dinner drink), but I wouldn’t mind drinking it with the main course, providing it’s not a heavy red meat, or sipping the night away long after dinner is done.
And what brunch would be complete without a mimosa? For me, hold the juice. Tantalizing bubbles can tickle the nose, cheer you up or instantly set the mood for a romantic evening. In fact, I can’t think of a bad time to drink a sparkler.
But the idea of spending $40 for basic Champagne or hundreds for a Tête de Cuvée (the top bottling from a producer (i.e. Moet and Chandon’s tête is Dom Perignon) makes me tremble. Champagne has become expensive by reputation; the high demand and allure the Champagne companies have expertly constructed through advertising and legislation to protect their name has spiked its prices.
To say a wine is a “Champagne” means that it must come from a region in the northeast of France close to Belgium and made only from three grape varieties: the black Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and the white Chardonnay. Champagne must also be made according to the Méthode Champenois, a long and careful process by which a still wine is first created in a barrel, then turned into sparkling wine in the bottle by adding yeast and sugar.###
The combination of prime real estate (the figurative “Fifth Avenue along Central Park” in the wine world), expensive methods of production and allure that the Champagne industry has worked so tirelessly to maintain, ensures that much of the wine is far out of reach or so expensive that it is consumed only on rare celebrations.
In order to quench my thirst for sparkling wine without breaking the bank, I always turn to Prosecco. Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine made in the Veneto region in northeast Italy. It is made mostly from the Prosecco grapes, but small amounts of Pinot Bianco, Bianchetta and Verdiso are allowed.
Instead of the Méthode Champenois—also known as the “traditional method”—the wine is made using the charmat method, which captures the carbon dioxide that wine makes as a byproduct in large tanks instead of the individual bottles as in Champagne. This adds up to a light, dry, usually spumante (fully-sparkling as in Champagne as opposed to some which are frizzante, only lightly sparkling) wine that is rarely complex, but is usually refreshing, fun and quaffable. The best Proseccos are made from are from a small part of the region known as Valdobbiadene (Val-do-bi-ad-en-ay), but good examples can be found throughout the region.###
If you’re the adventurous type, Prosecco is a great base for a summer cocktail. I encourage experimentation, but try mixing some fresh strawberries, lime and mint with cane sugar and add Prosecco. I also enjoy Prosecco with a bit of Campari or San Bitter, a bittersweet Italian aperitif. Prosecco and Limoncello, the Italian digestif from the breathtaking Amalfi coast, seem to be made for each other and the summer. Use three parts Prosecco for one part Limoncello garnish with a cape gooseberry or lemon wedge for a simple and refined drink.
Prosescco can be refreshing after a long and arduous day. I used to work as a sommelier/bartender for private events at Mario Batali’s wine store off of Union Square Park, the Italian Wine Merchants. During the events I would sample every bottle before serving it to make sure that it was free of faults. After trying thirty or forty bottles of usually, heavy and expensive red wine, me and my palate would both get incredibly tired. To perk us up, a colleague suggested drinking a bit of Prosescco. Not only did I wake up a bit, but also my palate felt refreshed and ready to tackle anything. Since then, I have always had a love for this curious beverage.
Always keep a bottle or two of Zardetto Prosecco ($9) in the fridge. It is cheap, reliable, delicious and can be found almost anywhere. Some of my other favorites include Col Vetoraz ($15), Mionetto Brut Spumante ($12) and Nino Franco Prosecco “Rustico” ($12).
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