Celebrate National Prosecco Week with the World Wine Guys!
By Becky Ellis
Celebrate National Prosecco Week July 19 – 25! Prosecco is a flavorful Italian bubbly that is just waiting to pop into your life in the most sparkling way! What better way to begin enjoying this lovely bubbly than with the World Wine Guys. Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen are well respected in the wine world as wine and food writers and television personalities. They obviously love wine and were happy to share their adoration of Prosecco with us during this special week of bubbly celebration. So let’s get started celebrating National Prosecco Week – it’s going to be great fun!
With so many bubbly wines available in the market today, why choose Prosecco? The World Wine Guys are happy to answer that question:
“The beauty of Prosecco is that it truly offers something for everyone. From the dry “Brut” to the sweeter “Extra Dry,” there is a range of taste profiles to suit all palates. There is also a variety of wine houses from some of the largest, such as La Marca and Mionetto to smaller, less familiar brands like Torresella and Masottina. The introduction of Rosé Prosecco this year is living up to the anticipation: with the rise in popularity of both Prosecco and Rosé this is one of the most exciting wine trends to come along in ages.”
Fortunately for us this bubbly is readily available in the United States and is a very good value – a bottle can often be found for $15 or less. This is especially welcome news in the summer when we gather with friends and need more than a bottle or two in the fridge.
Once we have our bottle in hand, we will want to properly chill it. The Wine Guys came up with a creative way to remember how to serve prosecco and other wines properly chilled. They call it the “20/20” rule. When serving white wines (prosecco included), remove the bottle from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving. When serving red wines that can benefit from a little chill (such as Gamay or Cabernet Franc) place bottle in the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving. Genius!
On a beautiful sunny afternoon during National Prosecco Week we delighted in a prosecco tasting with the World Wine Guys. The prosecco we tasted range from dry (DOC Brut) to subtly sweet (Extra Dry). They recommended tasting the dry brut prosecco first, followed by the sweeter extra dry. They explained that if we tasted the sweet first, it would make the dry prosecco taste a bit “off”. So that’s the order in which we tasted our prosecco.
Valdo Marca Oro Prosecco DOC Brut is the perfect prosecco to begin a tasting. A delightful apéritif. Crisp and refreshing with lots of fun bubbles dancing in the glass. We began with a toast to our health “Alla vostra salute”. The World Wine Guys let us know we did not have to swirl the glass before sniffing the aroma of the wine because it would disturb the bubbles.
Our next taste was Villa Sandi II Fresco Prosecco DOC Brut . Notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom on the nose with hints of fresh pear. As the wine was poured the World Wine Guys explained that it had a ” fine perlage” which they defined as having a nice collar of bubbles at the top of the glass.
Of course we were curious about what foods to serve with our prosecco and Mike and Jeff were happy to oblige:
“The Brut Proseccos in this tasting, Valdo Prosecco DOC Brut Marca Oro and Villa Sandi Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut Il Fresco, both lend themselves to savory brunch dishes like omelettes and frittatas. The effervescence and acidity of both hold up to the fattiness of eggs and cheese. Mionetto Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry Millesimato 2019 has a touch of sweetness that is ideal with salads that include summer fruit such as strawberries or peaches or with cheese platters that include blue and triple creme.”
We were excited to taste Torresella Prosecco DOC Rosé. Pleasant flavors of strawberry and raspberry. We all agreed this is the perfect summer sipper! It is interesting to note, as Mike and Jeff explained, that the main grape in prosecco is Galera (85% is required) and that the remaining 15% of the grapes in Prosecco Rosé are often Pinot Nero (Italian term that we know as pinot noir).
Masottina Conegliano Prosecco DOC Rosé is a fun way to celebrate National Prosecco Week with pink bubbles! Very aromatic with red berry on the nose. When you think of pink bubbly, think about pairing it with summer seafood dishes.
La Marca Prosecco DOC. Crisp with flavors of green apple and lemon meringue. This bubbly delightfully pairs with creamy desserts such as crème brûlée and pound cake with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.
Our final tasting was Prosecco, Mionetto Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato. Well balanced and refreshing with notes of citrus, honey, raspberries and a hint of pink grapefruit. The Mionetto website recommends serving this lovely rosé with grilled fish, seafood and risotto.
Visit the World Wine Guys website to see their very entertaining and informative television segments on how to enjoy wine from around the world, along with wine and food pairings, an introduction to their fabulous wine books, cookbooks, plus so much more!
Are you ready to join the World Wine Guys in celebration of National Prosecco Week? Cheers to a bubbly fun celebration!