[We were surprised to see that Eric Asimov's column in yesterday's NY Times (A Sip, a Smile, a Cheery Fizz, June 21, 2006) was about Prosecco, since we'd already received Jenny's post about the same wine. If imitation is flattery, then thank you, Eric, for flattering us so!]
Name: Zardetto Prosecco
Grape: Prosecco
Region:Veneto, Italy
Price: $8.99 to $13.99
Prosecco is a perfect, laid back, inexpensive refresher on a hot summer's day. This uncomplicated wine is ideal as an aperitif or as the wine pairing to a lighter meal, such as a garden vegetable salad or light seafood dish.
We are able to enjoy Prosecco for a mere fraction of the cost of Champagne due to the varying winemaking styles and the quality/reputation of the contrasting regions and grapes. While Champagne is the bi-product of a time consuming and difficult winemaking technique that involves a secondary fermentation in the bottle, Prosecco undergoes the secondary fermentation in a large tank. Both of these methods create sparkling or frizzy wines, with the Champagne bubbles being more refined and elegant and the Prosecco bubbles being a bit more straightforward. Often, Prosecco will have a little residual sugar, which is why the wine almost always tastes so good.
And...when peaches are in season you can start with some peach puree at the bottom of your glass...top it with prosecco...bellini! :) Also works well with strawberries.
MMMmmm... I don't think I've ever had prosecco before - but I'm sure I've had something similar (besides champagne which, correct me if I'm wrong, I would consider to be in a different tier entirely)...
Going to pick some up this weekend!!
eric, you definitely should, i'm actually taking two bottles to an outdoor party tonight
. so tasty and perfect for summertime weather. kelly makes some nice suggestions above.
not to devil's advocate, but i far prefer astoria prosecco to Zardetto--it's got a smaller, more plentiful bubble and is slightly less sweet. and (added bonus) it's typically a few bucks cheaper!
at any rate, prosecco --of any variety--seems to be my drug of choice over this last year!
My cousin I drink this all the time in the summer, so much so that we refer to it as the "Pro."
I didn't want to say it either lisa, but Zardetto is my least favorite prosecco you find in the US (although the most easily found). Trader Joe's has a super cheap bottle too, although I don't love that either. I'd suggest to shop around specialty stores and look for something more interesting.
I'm gonna just have to pop by my local bottle shop and see what they've got this evening. Might make for an interesting night! :-)
my favorite budget sparkling wine ("champagne", produced in traditional method but not from the Champagne Region) is Cristalino. Available for $8-$11 at Discovery Wines, Whole Foods and others. You can't do better in this price range. I even prefer it to many other much more expensive bottles, and all my friends love it.
my favourite sparkling wine is:
DEINHARD 'LILA',Germany
(Eric, it's avail.at LCBO for C$12.95)
I'll have to take a look at that one, Leeds!
I think my favourite champagne has simply got to be Veuve Cliquot - but I won't turn down a Moet or Tattinger... For sparkling wine, I will normally go with a Canadian VQA - I used to work for Hillebrand Estates so I'll stick to a Trius Brut but I tend to blend it with fruit...
Man alive, I want a nice bellini now! :-)
Mmmm. I have a bottle of Zardetto chilling in my fridge right now, along with a bottle of organic peach puree from the healthfood store for Bellini goodness - a good alternative to fresh peaches that still turns out a fantastic, light cocktail for a steamy summer night!
be sure to click through to the NYTimes article on prosecco - linked at top of the page.
It is great fun hilarious food writing!
thanks guido,good writing-would have missed that.
Bellinis are good; how about this drink that I had last night:
Cranberge Royale-cranberry vodka, sparkling wine, dash of Goldshlager, dash of cranberry juice. Served in a chilled martini glass.
Wow! that sounds amazing!! I'll have to think on that one! One of our martini glasses was broken by the cleaning lady today so we're short a glass, sadly...
This is a great Italian summertime drink as well.
Sgroppino
1 pint lemon sorbet, softened 5/10 minutes
4 oz vodka
10 oz Prosecco
Whisk together
Serve in flutes
Yesterday we made a quick mango puree, blended with just a tiny bit of orange juice and made mango bellinis... Very tasty, very summery...
Just returned from Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy. Had Prosecco with every fruit imaginable. Favorite was with a splash of Midori, fresh honeydew melon, and a sprig of mint.