I know it must drive the French producers of Champagne
crazy when we Americans refer to every fizzy thing as champagne. But it really
is not our fault. Most of us grew up watching movies where the romantic leads
would toast all sorts of occasions with a big bottle of bubbly. Heck, at that
time most of them walked around in their bedroom shoes, a bathrobe and curlers lugging
a bottle and brandishing a glass. So in my mind, if the cork popped, the liquid
bubbled and the glasses were really tiny, then it was champagne.
But all of you wine snobs out there take heart, I now call it sparkling wine and only serve it in flutes. I swear!
I do like champagne, but it is not something that I want to
have all of the time. However, if I were to choose a bubbly that I could
consistently sip on day in a day out, it would be Prosecco. It is lighter and
fresher than champagne. I guess the trade off it that it is not as interesting
or complex. But then again, neither am I.
The reason you might also prefer Prosecco to Champagne
on a more frequent basis is due to the method of production. Both beverages add
their bubbles in what is called the second fermentation. In the Champagne
method, or méthode champenoise, the second fermentation occurs in the bottle. More
yeast and rock sugar are added to the bottle and the work starts. The yeast
releases carbon dioxide. This pressurizes the bottle and infuses the champagne
with the wonderfully tickly bubbles. When complete the winemakers begin the
very slow task of turning the bottles (called riddling) until they are neck down.
The dead yeast, or lees, settles there, in the neck. To remove them, the neck
of the bottle is flash frozen and the plug is removed, the bottle is quickly
recorked and stored for at lweast 1.5 years. This gives the best champagnes a
yeasty or just baked bread quality which adds to their complexity and interest.
Prosecco, on the other hand, undergoes its second fermentation
in pressurized stainless steel vats. This method is called the Charmat process.
Pressure meters on the sides of these vats are watched very closely. When the
wine is sufficiently gassy, the vat is refrigerated, killing the yeast and
stopping fermentation. Then through a series of pressurized tubes and valves,
the Prosecco is added to the bottles and corked. Obviously, this method is
simpler, cheaper and faster. Meaning that Prosecco can be quite the bargain.
But more than that, this method preserves Prosecco’s light, fresh effervescence.
Not as complex or long lived as champagne, but it is easier to enjoy on a whim,
without giving it another thought.
Most of the producers of Prosecco would be classified as
negociants. They buy their grapes from nearby vineyards and make their wine. As
a result they have little to no control over how the grapes are grown, when
they are harvested, etc. A few producers are winemakers in the more traditional
sense, and of those the best is considered Bisol. They actually have their some
of their vineyards in the prized cartizze region.
We were lucky enough to find a Bisol Prosecco (thanks again
to Harry Constantinescu at Pearson’s) and it went up against a Zendetto
Prosecco. Here are our results. For a close up of the ViniCodes just click on
the image.
Second Place : Zendetto
I think that I should first give you an idea of the setting.
Clare, Steve and I were sting out on the deck enjoying some of the first warm
weather of the spring. One of those days when you are glad to be alive. Why is
this so important? Wines are experiential. They can affect your surroundings
and be affected by them. Of the two Proseccos that we tasted, this one did not
reflect the day. It seemed a little duller. I know that is a weird word, but
when the sky is that clear you want a wine that is as sharp as your focus. This
is a hot and overcast day wine. If you look at the ViniCode you will see that
it has more herb (grass, straw, mint) than fruit. It was nice, but I wouldn’t
go back.
First Place : Bisol
This Prosecco not only reflected this day, it actually
anticipated a full blown spring. The smell was very fruity with apples and
pears. Clare, and I always trust her nose, detected basil. It is very clean and
light. As crisp as a breeze. Many times those new to wine tasting will confuse
fruitiness and sweetness. I can see how this sort of thing would happen. Fruit
tastes and smells are typically sweet. But when you really trying to decide if
a wine is sweet, don’t think fruit, think sugar. This particular Prosecco had a
very pleasant middle of the road quality, but maintained an acidic bite. Very
refreshing. I could see myself going back again and again to this delicious
Prosecco. The rule of thumb for this tasting? Let the weather be your guide. On
a refreshing, early spring kind of day, Zinfandel might not be the best choice.
But Bisol Prosecco? Ahhhhhhh.
Most of you out there have probably heard of Asti Spumonte. It was a sweet sparkler that was very popular with the "sophisticated" college crowd of the 1970's. The Spumonte part has now been dropped in an effort to improve its image. Moscato d'Asti is a cousin of Asti. Both are produced in the same region in the Piedmont and from the same grape. But Moscato is slightly sweeter, with fewer bubbles and lower in alcohol. In Piedmont it is a tradition to have a glass of Moscato in celebration on Christmas. A Big Slice says let's bring that tradition to America. It is tough to find someone who will not like this wine. Even the most hardened wine snob will have a tough time holding back a smile when they sip this, for lack of a better word, innocent little aperitif. The wonderful thing about Moscato is that it retains just enough acidity to keep it fresh and youthful. It is a light as a whisper and the low alcohol won't go to anyone's head before dinner. When buying Moscato d'Asti, check to see how often these wines are restocked. The NV on the label (or a lack of date) refers to non-vintage. You want to seek out a recent bottle as these wines were not made to be aged. And we have tried many different produces and styles do vary slightly, some more acidic than others. But, though different, each and every one is a winner!
