Prosecco: Embrace The Bubbles on National Prosecco Day!

Pop open a bottle of bubbles on National Prosecco Day.

Prosecco ~ There are so many reasons to love this luscious bubbly wine and what better day to celebrate it than August 13, 2020, National Prosecco Day! Encore Ceola, the CEO of Freixenet Mionetto USA, Enore Ceola explains it best…Prosecco is  “An everyday pleasure to reward yourself, without breaking the bank.” This is the day to raise a toast to the remaining sunny days of summer with bright and bubbly wine!

This lovely sparkling wine is made in nine provinces in Italy – the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco. The predominant Prosecco grape is Glera.  Prosecco is often made using the Charmat–Martinotti method, in which the secondary fermentation takes place in large stainless steel tanks rather than in the wine bottle (Méthode champenoise). This helps to keep the price of production lower and thus we can enjoy Prosecco without spending a fortune.

The inexpensive price point, along with delightful bubbles and layers of fruity flavors make this sparkling wine perfect for mixing summer cocktails.Let’s begin our cocktail hour with  il Prosecco – the perfect bubbly cocktail mixer. Designed by Mionetto with a younger image in mind, for light, informal, social drinking. The palate is crisp and dry with a soft, smooth finish and flavors of honey and apricot. Enjoy il Prosecco with fresh mango puree in this bellini recipe:

Fresh Mango Bellinis

Recipe by Becky Ellis

Mango Puree:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 fresh mangos, peeled and pitted, cut into chunks

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add mango chunks. Simmer over medium-low heat until mangos are soft, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place mango in blender and blend until smooth. Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mango Bellinis

For each Bellini: Place 2 tablespoons chilled mango puree in a champagne flute. Fill flute with chilled Mionetto il Prosecco. Gently stir cocktail and garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a slice of fresh mango on top.

And don’t forget the pink bubbly! Rosé Italian Sparkling Wine has just been approved to use the name Prosecco by  by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies’ National Wine Committee. Food and Wine Magazine recently shared an update on this rather elaborate approval process.  It is not on our grocery shelves quite yet, but there are several lovely Italian Sparkling  Rosés that we can enjoy while we are waiting for the Rosé Prosecco. Mionetto  Rosé is so pretty pink in the glass. It is a lovely topper for this Fresh Peach Blossom Fizz Cocktail:

Fresh Peach Blossom Fizz Cocktail

Recipe by Becky Ellis

Makes 2 -3 cocktails

• 1 large fresh peach, peeled and pitted
• 2 ounces Ketel One Botanical Peach and Orange Blossom Vodka
• 1 ounce peach schnapps
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• Minonetto Rosé to top cocktail
• 1 cup ice

Place all ingredients except ice and Mionetto in a blender. Blend. Add ice and blend until ice is crushed. Pour peach purée mixture into champagne flutes. Top with chilled Mionetto Rosé.

If you love the peachy, pear and apple flavors and a lively finish, try Bolla Prosecco. Enjoy it as an aperitif.

If you’ve tried Prosecco in an “Aperol Spritz” chances are you are already hooked on this refreshing aperitivo, but if you haven’t, National Prosecco Day is the day to try it!

Aperol (a bit lighter and sweeter) and Campari (more ruby red color and a bit stronger) are both Italian bitters.

Here’s the recipe:

• 3 parts Prosecco or any sparkling wine
• 2 parts Aperol or Campari
• 1 part club soda
• Top with a slice of fresh orange.

There are some proseccos that you may want to purchase just because the bottle is so decorative and pretty. Cavicchioli 1928 Prosecco DOC Spumante Extra Dry is one example these fancy bottles. Fresh and delicate, white peach, almond and candied lemon peel flavors. It is a delightful aperitif as well as a very nice bubbly addition to Bellinis and other fizzy drinks.  Their Rosé Modena DOC Spumante Extra Dry is in such a pretty bottle, at a surprisingly affordable price, you may be tempted to purchase a case.

How will you be enjoying Prosecco on National Prosecco Day? Will you choose traditional Prosecco or a pretty pink Rosé?