August 13th is National Prosecco Day (every day is according to my wife – Ed) – but what do you know about the favourite sparkling wine of harrassed mums everywhere?
A sparkling white wine that has much of the appeal of champagne but is much more affordable, prosecco has become very popular in recent years. There’s even a National Day for it, founded, we should think, by companies that sell it.
Practically unknown outside Italy borders before the beginning of the 21st century, the wine actually has a very long history, likely dating back to 200 BC when the Romans first referred to this regional white wine as “Puccino”.
Made from grapes grown in the vineyards of the Prosecco region in northeastern Italy, this wine is similar to Champagne in that it must be grown in that particular region in order to be labeled with the name. Its origins are likely the vineyards of a village by that name near Trieste, Italy, which shares a border with Slovenia.
Proseccos are usually made in the Spumante fashion, as a sparkling wine, or as a Frizzante, which is a semi-sparkling product. A very small amount is made as Tranquillo, without any bubbles at all, but these versions are rarely exported outside Italy.
Grapes
Bubbly and light, this wine has a much shorter fermentation process than champagne, from one month to nine months, which makes it less expensive.
The Glera grape that it comes from (and must form 85% of the wine) is cultivated in many places including Brazil, Argentina, Romania, and Australia, who produce their own version, though they can’t call them prosecco.
The wine became popular in the 1940s as an ingredient in the Bellini, born in Venice at Harry’s Bar. This delicious blend of fresh white peach juice topped with Prosecco is still popular, but prosecco can of course be drunk on its own, and in fact its sales now surpass those of champages.
The wine has at least four levels of sweetness; from dry to sweet, wine bottles are usually labeled as Brut, Extra Dry, Dry or Demi-Sec.
Some of the popular cocktails made using prosecco include:
- Cranberry Pomegranate Prosecco Cocktail
- Prosecco Mimosa
- Sparkling Raspberry Martini with Prosecco
- Pink Gin Fizz
Here’s a simple cocktail recipe for you to enjoy on National Prosecco Day, August 13th.
The pretty, popular Aperol Spritz gets a dark, sultry update with a one-ingredient substitute: Cynar, an Italian bitter liqueur made from 13 plants and herbs, including artichoke
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
MAKES: 1
Ingredients
- 3 parts dry prosecco
- 2 parts Cynar
- 1 splash club soda
- 1 lemon wheel, for garnish
- 2 Castelvetrano olives, for garnish
Method
Fill a wine glass with some ice. Add Cynar, then prosecco. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lemon wheel and two olives per glass. Drink!
See also: Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe for Jamaica Independence Day
