Join The Prosecco Revolution

Sales of Prosecco in the UK have skyrocketed over the past ten years. In 2019 more than 110 million bottles were imported from Italy, a jump from just 4 million in 2009.

But while you’ll be hard-pushed to find a Belle who hasn’t enjoyed a glass of this sparkling wine, how much do we actually know about it?

What makes a Prosecco? How do varieties differ? How can it be enjoyed? And how do we pick a good one?

Belle About Town joined a Prosecco DOC masterclass with The Wine Tipster Neil Phillips to delve deeper into this most delicious of drinks.

Neil is the UK Ambassador for Prosecco DOC (what a job!), attending major trade and consumer events on their behalf, and expanding knowledge of Prosecco DOC wines through wine club tastings, media tastings and presentations. If there’s anything worth knowing about Prosecco – this man knows it.

Having ordered some sushi and pizza, and been provided with an avocado and some creamy Grana Padano, we were ready to begin. Four bottles of Prosecco had been chilling in the fridge – and we were tipped off to bring one out an hour ahead of the class as many Proseccos are actually best enjoyed slightly less chilled than is habit. Try it – you might be surprised at how refreshing an almost-room temperature Prosecco is.

Neil told us that the vines from which Prosecco wine is produced should belong exclusively to the area of north east Italy lying between the Dolomites and the Adriatic Sea. Prosecco DOC is unique because of a particular interaction between climate, soil and winemaking tradition. But did you know that it actualy comes from the Glera grape variety? You do now. All Prosecco must contain a minimum of 85% Glera.

And did you know that detergent residue leads to less bubbles in your drink? Rinse glasses with water, then rinse again, for the perfect pour.

Neil told us: “How to enjoy Prosecco is a very subjective experience. Try different varieties and try them with different foods, you might be surprised at how versatile it is.

“Prosecco can be enjoyed with so many different foods. Try a tapas-style Aperitivo hour and see what you enjoy most.

“Aperitivo hour is something I really think we should be seeing a lot more of in the UK.”

So do we, Neil, so do we.

Prosecco goes well with all the great traditional Italian dishes, of course. Its versatile character matches perfectly to explore new culinary horizons of the international cuisine. With its moderate alcoholic strength, Prosecco DOC can be used for aperitifs, as an accompaniment to a meal, and in deliciously refreshing cocktails (for some ideas – scroll down!).

We started our evening with a glass of Torresella – an Extra Dry from the eastern part of the Province of Venice. Enjoyed with Grana Padano this wine really brought out the creamy nuttiness of the cheese.

Next up was the Brut (the driest classification of Proseccos) Montelvini, paired with avocado. A family vineyard that has grown into one of the most successful exporters, Montelvini is a success story of Italian wines, and one sip of this aromatic drink tells you why. It’s delicate, but as Neil explains its smooth finish we felt we finally understood this most elusive of flavours.

Our Masottina was paired with sushi and was dry with less aroma than the previous two wines. A perfect pairing for a healthier and fresher meal.

Then came the Cabert – the pièce de résistance with a piece’a pizza (sorrynotsorry). Prosecco and pizza may be a mainstay of a girls’ night out, but there’s so much more to Prosecco DOC than we realised. There are spumanti varieties, still varieties (tranquilo – consisting of 100% Glera), frizzanti which comes just between the two, and – you heard it here first folks – from early next year there will be a rosé  Prosecco for the first time.

Neil tells us it has taken several years for the technical side to be approved (grape types and all that jazz) but rosé grapes are currently filling the vines of the Prosecco region ready to be harvested in the autumn. The drink should arrive on UK shores by February and we for one can’t wait.

So there you have it, Prosecco isn’t just a one-trick-pony it’s a truly divine and delicious drink with incredible versatility. We blush at all the times we have simply ordered ‘the Prosecco’ without even a glance at what varieties were on offer. An hour and a half trip through the world of this wonderful wine, with our oh-so-charming and knowledgeable host, has opened up a whole new host of options when it comes to ordering some bubbles.

Let’s hope that once we’re all out and dining in restaurants again the sommeliers will catch on too and offer more options on Prosecco, not just host one and hope it pleases all. From tapas to teatime treats, Aperitivo hour to toasts and celebrations, Prosecco is more than a cork-popping plonk, it’s a story in itself.

Looking for some mixology inspiration? Look no further – Prosecco DOC have offered us these delcious summer drink recipes:

PROSECCO DOC “Prosecco Pimm’s”

There are people who only enjoy refreshing cocktails during the warmer months, and there are people who do not give up! We strive to find reasons to celebrate with an ice-cold drink even when the outside temperature suggests you should wrap your hands around a warm glass of mulled wine in front of the fire.

This is a must-try cocktail made with two of our favourite things – Prosecco DOC and Pimm’s. Both are the quintessential representations of the “get together” drink. The Prosecco DOC for Italians and the Pimm’s for the British.  Combine them together with seasonal pomegranate and the perfect autumn effect cocktail is achieved!

INGREDIENTS

• 75 ml of Prosecco DOC
• 25 ml of Pimm’s
• 10 ml of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice
• A splash of soda
• Pomegranate seeds to garnish
• Ice cubes

Serve in large Prosecco glasses.

You can mix this cocktail directly into the glass.

Fill the glass with ice cubes and add teaspoon of pomegranate seeds.

Pour the Pimm’s, pomegranate juice into the glass and stir well. Now add the soda water and the Prosecco DOC. Stir gently to avoid losing all the lovely bubbles.

PROSECCO DOC “Cherry and Prosecco spritz”

Nothing sets the right mood for a dinner party better than a good old spritz aperitif. A bubbly Prosecco DOC cocktail in your hand and even the most shy of us will turn into the ultimate Italian charmer.

A good spritz is made from a very good Prosecco DOC, ice cubes and a “bitter” or spirit of your choice. Seasonal fresh fruits can be added to the equation to give freshness to the mix.

We’ve always liked fruit liqueurs and adding a dash of delicious cherry liqueur and fresh cherries to a Prosecco DOC spritz is one of our favourite Summery drinks.

INGREDIENTS

• 75 ml of Prosecco DOC
• 25 ml of cherry liqueur
• A splash of soda
• 2 fresh ginger slices
• Fresh cherries to garnish
• Mint to garnish
• Ice cubes

Serve in large Prosecco glasses.

You can mix this cocktail directly into the glass.

Fill the glass with ice cubes and add de-stoned cherries and the slices of fresh ginger.

Pour the cherry liqueur into the glass and stir well. Now add the soda water and the Prosecco DOC. Stir gently to avoid losing all the lovely bubbles and garnish with fresh mint.

Recipes by Danilo Cortellini

• To find out more about Prosecco DOC search the hashtags #ProseccoDOC #TasteProsecco #ItalianGenio on Social Media and follow @ilprosecco on Facebook and @proseccodoc on Instagram or visit www.prosecco.wine and www.discoverproseccowine.it.

• The Wine Tipster can be found Tweeting at @TheWineTipster and posting enviable pictures of Prosecco DOC at @thewinetipster on Instagram.

• Belle joined The Wine Tipster for a virtual online Prosecco DOC masterclass. All opinions expressed are true refelctions of the experience and products.