Bubbles and Bites: Prosecco and Frittata to Please your Palate

Prosecco is one of Italy’s greatest sparkling wines.  Found in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, Prosecco is a palate pleaser offering a variety of styles with versatility allowing it to be paired with several cuisines. 

This month the wine writer’s group that I’m a part of, Wine Pairing Weekend, decided to go with a theme of pairing wines with classic summer fare.  The hot days of summer call for easy food preparation with flavorful meals to please the palate and summery wines to match.   

Over the years I have grown increasingly accustomed to appreciating sparkling wines. It’s not so much that I didn’t enjoy the wines, but I’ve never been a fan of bubbles in anything I drink.  This summer I’ve been on a bellini kick on those warm summer days.  If you’re not familiar with Bellinis they are made with Prosecco and peach juice.      

Prosecco comes in a wide array of sweetness levels starting with the driest to sweetest: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry, Demi Sec.  The effervescence and the types of bubbles displayed in the glass can also vary allowing for a wide range of options for a wide range of personal preference.  Prosecco tends to be light to medium-bodied with aromas and a flavor profile of apples, pears, citrus, tropical fruits (more towards peach) and floral notes. They may have a yeasty taste as well in some glasses of Prosecco like one of the ones I’m sharing today.   

Pairing with Prosecco 

Prosecco is also fantastic in pairing with a multitude of foods.  It’s high acidity and fruity profile along with its effervescence make it great as an aperitivo, charcuterie boards, salads, seafood dishes, asian cuisine or just pour a glass to sip on its own.   

I've long been a fan of frittatas, but just don’t seem make them enough although they’re quite simple.  You can play around with the recipes and add so many different types of ingredients to frittatas to always keep it interesting. For this frittata I prepared some chopped up broccoli along with swiss cheese.   

I selected a couple of the Prosecco listed below to pair with the frittata that paired very nicely, especially with the swiss cheese flavors.  I have always had frittata for breakfast, but frittata can be enjoyed at any point of the day really.  Especially on those warm summer nights where you want something lighter.  Frittata paired with a nice, refreshing, crisp Prosecco will hit the spot. 

The wines 

I’ve been on a Prosecco tasting splurge since I had so many on hand that I’ve been needing to try.  All of these Prosecco wines hail from the top quality Prosecco appellations of the Veneto: Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Asolo.  Both of these hilly, DOCG appellations have unique terroirs with stricter regulations and are known for their top quality prodution of Prosecco. 

What’s the difference between Asolo and Conegliano Valdobbiadene?  Asolo is much smaller than Conegliano Valdobbiadene covering about 1,783 hectares with an annual production of about 24 million bottles in comparison to the latter which covers 6,860 hectares with an annual production of 100 million bottles.  I’ve enjoyed wines from both appellations equally so the intense wine enthuasist may have a preference one over the other, but in my opinion you can’t go wrong with either for quality Prosecco. 

Sourced from the winery in Asolo, Bele Casel

Let’s take a look at some of the bottles. 

 
Adami Adriano Brut “Bosco di Gica” Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG Prosecco was very pale straw colored with a greenish hue.  Aromas of citrus, peach and a touch of herbal.  Juicy green apple and citrus show nicely on the palate.  This wine had bubbles with finesse, elegance and a nice balance of fruit and acidity with a lingering finish.  ABV 11%. SRP $22 (wine.com) 

Ciodet Brut “Labano” Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG Prosecco was straw colored with aromas of green apple and ctirus that carries onto the palate.  Fresh and crisp acidity with notes of tart green apple and a touch of citrus and peach.  A long, salty finish with fine bubbles. ABV 11%, SRP $25 

2019 Bellenda Brut “San Fermo” Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG Prosecco was pale straw colored with a slight greenish tinge.  Dry, citrus notes with saltiness showing on the lengthy finish. ABV 11.5%, SRP $22 

The Loredan Gaspaparini Brut Asolo Superiore DOCG Prosecco shows certified vegan on the label.  Bright straw yellow with light golden color.  Lemon citrus aromas.  Medium-bodied, dry on the palate with lemon citrus, grapefruit, yeasty notes and some baked apple. Crisp with a salty finish.  ABV 11%, SRP $19 

What are some of your favorite pairings with Prosecco? 

Join our fellow food and wine lovers as they share their personal selections of summer fare with wines to pair.

• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator is opening “2 Arizona Wines for Summer Times: Page Springs Cellars Rose and Caduceus Anubis Red Blend with Fresh Apricot Salad and Burgers”
• Jeff of Food Wine Click! is sharing “A Summer Salad with Muscadet” 
• David of Cooking Chat has  “A Chillable Red for a Summer Spread” 
• Camilla of Culinary Cam cooked up “Albacore Tuna Burgers + Midpoint’s 2024 February’s Bouquet Rosé” 
• Linda of My Full Wine glass was “Inspired by Lillian: Rice Noodle Salad and Sicilian Grillo”
• Our host, Wendy, of A Day in the Life on the Farm writes about “The Wine I Paired with Classic Summer Fare“

You can find many Prosecco wines from Valdobbiadene and Asolo on Wine.com including the Adami Adriano mentioned above.  I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through the affiliate link in support of Vino Travels.

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own. 

 

Torcolato: The Prized Dessert Wine of Breganze with Maculan

Earlier this year I attended a virtual tasting hosted by Studio Cru featuring the wines of the Maculan winery located in the Veneto wine region of northeastern Italy.  Angela Maculan, 4th generation operating the winery today, walked us through several wines that the winery produces with a fantastic overview of the territory.  I want to focus on a special dessert wine, Torcolato, that I had been unfamiliar with prior to the tasting.  Torcolato is not only a special wine that Maculan produces, but it is also unique to this particular area of the Veneto, within the territory of Breganze.   

About the Maculan winery 

The Maculan family’s wine beginnings started with the great grandfather, Gaetano, whom used to sell wine that he made at his little osteria in the 20’s and 40’s. During World War II his son, Giovanni, started to make wine with his father to provide it for the army station.  In 1947 Giovanni decided to start and build the winery we know today, Maculan.   

In 1973 Fausto Maculan took over the winery.  Fausto was encouraged by his father to attend the School of Oenology Conegliano to be a winemaker.  He first started leasing the land to produce wine until he later purchased it. Fausto was joined by his two daughters, Angela that joined in 1997 and Maria Vittoria that joined in 2007.   

Maria Vittoria, Fausto and Angela Maculan

Maculan is located in Breganze, a town in the northern part of the Veneto region about 1 hour northeast of Verona and North of Vicenza.  The winery sits at the base of the Asiago Plateau right in the center of town close to the main piazza. 

Maculan winery

This area is mostly warm with cooling breezes that come down from the Dolomites.  The soils of the area are poor, low in nutrients, and are made up of clay, silt and volcanic rock.  Irrigation isn’t allowed and the soil provides great drainage.   

Maculan vineyards

Maculan works with several native and international grape varietals.  These international varietals were introduced by the noble Venetian families in the 1800’s.  The main grapes that Maculan produces are Vespaiola, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, the white grape Tai, Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Marzemino.  The grapes are hand harvested, and many of the grapes are estate grown, but some are purchased from farmers they have had lasting relationships with for the last 20-25 years.   

What is Torcolato? 

Torcolato is rich dessert wine made 100% from the white grape, Vespaiola.  The name stems from the word vespa, meaning wasps in Italian, that are attracted to the sweetnessof these grapes. This grape has historically been documented as far back as 1754.   

Torcolato is golden in color and is made as a passito style, where the grapes are dried before fermentation creating luscious aromas and mouthfeel with notes of fruits (tropical and stone fruits), including dried fruits and honey.  They’re full-bodied and have sweet, concentrated flavors with high levels of sugar backed by good acidity to prevent these wines from becoming cloying. 

The Vespaiola grapes are traditionally twisted and hung to dry on a string called a rosolo for a number of months concentrating the sugars in the grapes. The twisting of the grapes stems from the word torcere, meaning to twist, hence the name Torcolato. 

rosoli

Torcolato, and the Vespaiola grape, are unique to the Breganze DOC.  The Breganze DOC is a small DOC created in 1969 that covers the areas of the Breganze town as well as the hilly areas between the Astico and Brenta Rivers.  It covers approximately 600 hectares encompassing 17 smaller family-owned wineries with Maculan being the second largest winery with about 50 hectares (120 acres).  Almost all, but 2%, of the grapes vinified come from the hills which accounts for 70% of the territory made up of the volcanic, tuffaceous and basaltic terroir.  The other 30% is made up of plains with gravelly, pebbly soils. 

The Wine 

The Torcolato is the dessert wine that the Maculan treasures.  The 2022 Maculan Torcolato is made from the Vespaiola grape.  Rich golden color with amber hues.  It has an unctuous texture, round on the palate with notes of honey and dried apricots.  A tasty treat that lingers on the finish.  SRP $42 (per wine searcher). 

Maculan is a large producer of Torcolato in the Breganze DOC producing about 17,000 of the 20-25,000 bottles produced in this area.  They make 4 different styles of Vespaiola based wines to explore. 

If you’re a lover of dessert wines this is one you’ll want to explore. 

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*This wine was provided as a sample, but opinions are always my own.  

Importer: Massanois Imports 

The Sweetness of Moscato d'Asti with Ca'd'Gal Wines

A week ago, on May 9th, was National Moscato Day.  Whether you're a follower of these national wine days or not, it provides the perfect opportunity to have a reason to explore wine grapes or wine regions and try something new or that you haven’t had in some time.  In my house we are lovers of dessert wines, especially the lighter, less unctuous styles that are refreshing like Moscato d’Asti can be. 

Ca’d’Gal Winery 

I attended a virtual tasting some months ago hosted by Studio Cru and was led by the owner of the Ca’d’Gal winery, Alessandro Varagnolo.   

Alessandro Varagnolo - copyright of Cadgal

The Ca’d’Gal brand has 2 wineries in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy.  One is Tenuta Valdivilla, set in the hills of the Langhe wine region in the town of Santo Stefano Belbo covering 6 hectares.  A few kilometers away, in the gentle hills of the Monferrato area in Calamandrana, is the other property, Tenuta La Cova.  This property has 9 hectares of vineyards with another 5 hectares of hazelnuts and the rest of the surrounding area is covered by forest.  It was established back in 1989, but Alessandro took the winery over 2 years ago since the prior owner, Alessandro Buido, didn’t have children to pass his legacy on to. 

Ca'd'Gal winery - copyright of Cadgal

The soils of the area are rich in marine sediment and the hills contain a crumbly soil with a high amount of limestone in their southern slopes. 

The steep slopes of Ca'd'Gal winery - copyright of Cadgal

The Ca’d’Gal Wines 

All the wines of Ca’d’Gal featured today are produced with the Moscato, or Muscat grape, which typically produce white wines that have beautiful fruity aromatics followed by fruitful notes on the palate of peach and apricot.  If you are a lover of wines that are sweet these are for you! 

The Ca’d’Gal Asti Spumante DOCG is made 100% from Moscato Bianco from and comes from their youngest vineyards, 20-45 years in age.  This is a newer wine they’re producing drawn up from the demand from the American market for a fresh wine.   It is made with the charmat, or Martinotti method, where the fermentation was stopped at 7% ABV.  Floral aromas with apricot notes. Delicate and light bubbles on the palate.  A nice balance with a touch of sweetness with stone fruit notes.   

The 2023 Ca’d’Gal Lumine Moscato d’Asti DOCG is named after lumin in Italian, representing the sun touched grapes grown in the vineyards.  This is their largest production at 50,000 bottles annually.  With this wine the fermentation is stopped at 5% ABV.  Bright, brilliant straw colored in the glass with aromas of peach and apricot.  A light effervescence and light bodied on the palate with a touch of sweetness.  A pleasurable wine to sip! 

The 2023 Ca’d’Gal Sant’Ilario Canelli DOCG is made from a single vineyard of 70-year-old vines on sandy soils.  The wine is kept in stainless steel at 0 degrees after filtration with the lees until the spring bottling and is released in September of the following year.  Floral stone fruit aromas also showing on the palate with a light effervescence and nice minerality on the finish. 

The 2016 Ca’d’Gal Vite Vecchia Moscato d’Asti DOCG, also called vigna vecchia, comes from a single vineyard in Valdivilla in a southeast position known as “sori”.  This is their last wine to harvest so that the grapes are overripe for balance of the sugar and acidity.   These bottles are left to age for 60 months in a temperature-controlled grotto made of tufo that is dark and humid providing a natural aging environment.  This is where the “magic happens” as Alessandro expressed.  The bottles lay in sand filled wooden boxes.  They have found that this results in the wines having a richness and finesse allowing the bottles to withstand longevity.   

Ca'd'Gal Vite Vecchia wines in sand - copyright of Cadgal

Yellow and straw colored with aromas of tangerine and apricot.  Beautiful freshness and finesse with a well-balanced wine showing stone fruit on the palate and a hint of an herbal characteristic.  This wine is produced in limited quantities. 

What kinds of food can I pair with Moscato?   

Although I tend to drink Moscato on its own, it can be a great accompaniment to a charcuterie board with dried meats or even paired with spicy foods and of course select dessert dishes.

Although Ca'd'Gal isn't sold on wine.com you can find many other Moscato d'Asti wines to sample at Wine.com in support of Vino Travels.

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.  I may receive compensation for any wines purchased through affiliate links.