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Prosecco Wine Tasting - Not your Parent's Prosecco
By Debra Jett 
Prosecco has never been a sparkling wine that I sought out as a consumer. Thoughts of Prosecco always seemed to conjure up a sparkling, sweet, cloying wine lacking in dimension. Who can forget those horrid Asti Spumonte wines of yester-year? [Asti is Prosecco’s neighbor to the West and to be fair, they can and are a very refreshing, decent wine.]
Having recently sipped a glass of Rosé (Pinot) Prosecco that suited my fancy, my notions of the sparkling wine did a tail spin. I decided it was time to expand my horizons and so I invited several neighbors and nearby les amis du vin to join me in my quest for understanding.
The Tasters...
Sue and Deb, standing; Sally -L side of table; Pat, Lisa and Suzanne, L to R
Photo by: Jill
Prosecco History Lesson 101: Prosecco is a white grape variety that is grown in the foothills of the Alps in the Venuto region of Italy. Venuto lies in the Northeast of Italy near the Austrian/Slovanian borders best known for its capital city of Venice. The Prosecco grape does well in this region where it achieves balanced acidity and fruit. These sparkling wines are different than Champagne in that they undergo secondary fermentation in large, stainless steel tanks, rather than in individual bottles. This is more cost efficient and leads to sparkling wines that offer excellent representation of the components of the grapes and terroir.
Following is the menu from the tasting together with notes. Foods were also paired with the wines.
Here is how the tasting went down. Getting things started with a fresh, semi-sweet Italian sparkler…
Aperitif: Umberto Fiore Moscato d'Asti - This little number was a real delight and a lot less sweet than your typical Asti Spumonte. It delivered a full and rounded mouthful. Very low in alcohol content at 5.5% this is a real deal at $7.99 (Costco). Most of the tasting group enjoyed this sip and were surprised to learn it was an Asti. There was a nice creaminess to it, lemon meringue on the palate and bubbles to go.
On to the Proseccos.....
Numero Uno: Mionetto"Il" Prosecco del Veneto- This wine may have been a bit dry after tasting the Asti. It was very flat and lacked in bubble appeal. It fits the description I found online for the wine: ‘It is rather clear, almost watery pale with a glint of gold, this lightly sparkling non-vintage wine froths in the glass, but the bubbles dissipate quickly.’ Well the bubbles sure did dissipate quickly and with the beer bottle crown instead of a cork, it lacks in appeal on many levels. This received a thumbs down from the group. It can be purchased at Costco at $8.69. Personally I would purchase the Umberto Asti for less money.
Interlude: Parmigiano-Reggiano & Cambozola Cheeses with Honey Dew Melon
Trying to keep with the region or at least the country, I chose the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese because of its perfect pairing to Prosecco wine. I would have liked to find a Gorgonzola cheese that is true to the region, however being pressed for time, I found a Cambozola, purchased at Costco, that worked out well.
Numero Due: Zardetto Prosecco Brut – Wow, this Prosecco was filled with bubbles galore.
Kind of like ‘Pop Rock’ candy in your mouth compared to the first two wines. It offered a bit of apple on the nose and finished with a bit of tartness. It was a nice drink and would be good for a summer sip. It had a nice balance to it. Cost: $15.99. This wine could be a bit hard to find but ask your favorite wine shop and they may be able to locate it for you.
Numero Tre: Candoni Prosecco Brut - So perhaps wine labels do sell the wine. I really did not want to purchase this Prosecco because the label was so showy, a 5th century Etruscan 
Fresco, it was appealing, though, and the owner of the store claimed it was the most popular. Due to my neophyte knowledge of Proseccos, I took his advice. The wine is described as delicate and fruity with a bit of honey, dry to the mouth with a bit of acidity. This Prosecco was enjoyed by the group and was even compared to Champagne in its complexity. This was very dry with many layers of tastiness going on. Purchased locally at Canopy Bottle & Gourmet, Brighton, Michigan. A bit overpriced at $19.98. It was a worthy sparkler and was rated as the #2 wine of the night.
Sustenance: Walnut and Gorgonzola cheese ravioli with Walnut Cream Sauce and Chicken & Red Pepper sausage.This small plate worked well with the Proseccos. It did not overpower and the Walnut Cream Sauce on the Ravioli was very light. A good pairing.
Numero Quattro: Mionetto Extra Dry Sparkling Wine- This wine received a solid reception and honorable mention. Very dry and a little bit of lemon tartness. Personally I would chose the first wine tasted by this producer, Umberto Asti, over this one. It wasn’t horrid, just was not a very memorable wine and a bit pricey. It can be purchased at Costco for $16.99.
Numero Cinque: Ca’di Pietra Melrose Pinot Prosecco- This is by far my favorite Prosecco and is what prompted me to have the tasting. It is made with 70% Pinot and 30% Prosecco grapes. It has an essence of berries and you can taste the pinot notes in the wine. The producer is located in Veneto about 30 minutes from Venice in an old river bed area fed by the Dolmite mountain range. Maybe that is why I like it so much. This ended up being the crowd pleaser and #1 wine of the night and at $14.99, who can complain? It was purchased at Arbor Farms Market in Ann Arbor.
Finisher: Caravella Limoncello paired with Pan di Sponga (sponge cake), grilled peaches and vanilla ice cream. I was a bit disappointed with the Limoncello selection. It was very alcoholly and just did not live up to my expectations. I purchased this for approximately $24.00 at Canopy Bottle & Gourmet, Brighton, Michigan.
What a wine tasting can offer above and beyond a wine buzz is a lesson in the history and 
geography of the land where the grapes are grown. The pairing of food and wine takes you to another country, another lifestyle. Since staycations are a fact of life these days, why not put together a wine tasting with friends and enjoy their camaraderie and learn something you might not have known about places far, far away.
Created: 6/6/2009 Edited: 7/3/2009