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. 

 

National Prosecco Week Wraps up with a Look at Asolo Prosecco

As we wrap up National Prosecco Week we get ready to start next week for National Sparkling Wine Week.  Like you needed an excuse to pop open some bubbly!  Recently I attended a virtual event on the wines of Asolo Prosecco sponsored by the Asolo Consorzio and hosted by Studio Cru with an overview of Asolo and a tasting panel led by Alessandro Marchesan.  Such a great opportunity to learn more about this quality wine region in the Veneto and taste a variety of styles of Asolo Prosecco. 

The Asolo Prosecco Wine Region 

Prosecco is so mass produced that it’s important to understand the regions that are making quality Prosecco including Asolo and its neighbor Conegliano Valdobbiadene. Today we focus on the Prosecco wines of Asolo that are named after the town itself within the Treviso province of the Veneto region in northeastern Italy.  

Located only about 1 hour north of Venice, this wine region has a unique geography setting. It sits at the foothills of Monte Grappa and the Dolomite mountain range to the north, but is also not too distant from the Adriatic Sea. These factors influence its climate creating a balance between a continental and Mediterranean climate with winds from both the north and south. 

Copyright of Asolo Prosecco Consorzio

Asolo’s Prosecco wine producing history stems from a production of bulk wines as well as selling the wines locally. Since 2012 the area has increased plantings due to zonation research they conducted that identified the best areas for planting.  That along with producers from the small family run businesses that occupy the region paying strong attention to producing quality wines have changed the vision of Asolo Prosecco wines. Although the market for Prosecco has grown tremendously in recent years, production in Asolo has always been there well before the Prosecco craze. It is actually the fourth biggest DOCG sparkling wine producing region in Italy.  

Asolo Prosecco wines became a DOCG in 2009 and in 2014 was the first to start the Extra Brut category for Prosecco wines that are low in sugar and full of fruit.  The wines of Asolo are defined by their distinct freshness in their bubbles and their salty, mineral finish.  The wines are made from a minimum of 85% Glera along with up to 15% of other local non aromatic grape varieties to include Verdiso, Perera, Glera Lunga and Bianchetta Trevigiana. 

The Wines 

The 2022 LeTerre Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Millesimato Dry was brightly straw coloerd with aromas of apple, pear and citrus.  Crisp with soft bubbles and notes of lemon with a hint of honey ending with a salty finish.  ABV 11% 

The 2022 Bele Casel Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry was a brilliant pale straw color. There were aromas of citrus, apple and wet stone. On the palate the wine was crisp with bubbles tingling the tip of the tongue. It showed nice fruit with juicy tart apple and citrus with a lingering finish. 

The 2022 Case Paolin “Col Fondo” Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Sui Lieviti Brut Nature was an interesting wine to try.  Not my personal preference, but everyone has their own preferred styles.  A great learning experience on col fondo wines though that I’d like to share. 

What is col fondo?  Col fondo is when the wine produced in the traditional or classic method where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and it not disgorged.  How does col fondo differ from pet nat (if you are familiar with those wines)?   Pet nat wines are bottled before fermentation is complete.  The sui lieveti on the labels translates to “with the bottom” since the wine is remaining with the natural yeasts or lees and sediment on the bottom of the bottle. 

Back to the wine, this wine is made from organic grapes that are certified organic.  The grapes are grown on the slopes of Montello in their oldest vineyard, about 30 years old.  The wine spends 15-18 hours on the skins and is fermented in steel tanks with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Pale straw colored with a greenish tinge and slight haziness to the wine from the “sui lieviti”.  Floral aromas with citrus and yeasty notes.  Bone dry, light-bodied, crisp and clearn with mouthwatering acidity, citrus pith notes that seemed slightly bitter to me with  minerality on the finish.  Alessandro recommended drinking this wine with asian foods or lobster rolls.

Copyright of Asolo Prosecco Consorzio

There will be more Asolo Prosecco wines to come as well as my feature on this region in the Appetito magazine next week. Stay tuned! 

Have you tried the wines of Asolo and what are some of your favorite Prosecco producers?

You can shop on Wine.com in support of Vino Travels and find a variety of Prosecco wines to try for yourself.

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

Upping the Game with Asolo Prosecco

This month I’m joining the Wine Pairing Weekend crew (#WinePW) as the host, Andrea of the Quirky Cork, selected the theme of sparkling wines from around the world.  I had attended a virtual tasting during the Thanksgiving timeframe hosted by the Asolo Prosecco Consortium and Studio Cru and tasted some wonderful wines I wanted to share with you today. Susan Gordon guided us through the presentation and overview of the history, land and a look into these wines.  We were also joined by the President of the Consortium, Ugo Zamperoni.   

The Asolo Prosecco Consortium includes 80% of the producers for this area with over 400 growers and 44 winemakers.  There are 3 different Prosecco designations.   There are those from the general Prosecco DOC area that covers a diverse and large territory.  They produce close to 560 million bottles in 2021 due to their size.  Then there is the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG that I’ve always been a big advocate for.  They produce about 100 million bottles as of 2021.  Lastly, are those from the Asolo DOCG I’m sharing today (one of my new favorites, shhhh).  This appellation will come close to produce about 20 million bottles in 2021 with about 60% exported to the US market.  The last two Prosecco wine appellations are separated by the Piave River and what I consider to be the higher end quality for Prosecco. 

The Prosecco wines that hail from the Asolo Superiore DOCG are located at the foot of Monte Grappa, the Venetian Prealps.  To the north are the Dolomites alpine range and to the south is the Po Valley with Venice about 40 miles away.  The vineyards are situated on the right bank of the Piave river and are spread across 7 hills and 18 communes within the Treviso province.  In total, the vineyards cover 4,900 acres, but only about 6% of the land.  A large majority of the area is covered by forests.  Many of the trees of the area were used to build the towns and boats in Venice.   

The viticulture in Asolo is rather hilly with an average slope of 20%, with some slopes reaching up to 40%.  The grapes receive an ideal climate with very hot days and very cool nights along with winds blowing in from the Alps and the Adriatic Sea that sweep across the land.  The soil here is mostly clay with morainic soil from the ancient glaciers.   

The Wines 

I’m sharing my wines in order of my personal preference.  Again, this is all based on personal taste as I like my sparkling wines higher in residual sugar, which is the complete opposite to how I like my red wines.  What’s important to understand are the different levels of residual sugar from the higher side of residual sugars to the drier wines. 

• Dry (17-32 grams per liter RS) making up 2.3% production  
• Extra Dry (12-17 gram per liter RS) making up 72.7% of the production 
• Brut (less than 12 grams per liter RS) making up 17.8% production 
• Extra Brut (less than 6 grams per liter RS) making up 2.5% production 

The DOCG defines the Asolo Prosecco Superiore wines as showing “citrus (lemon), fine and delicate honey notes, aromas of ripe apple, white flowers and good acidity”.  These wines are made up of at least a minimum of 85% Glera.  Some producers may use 100% Glera, but they are allowed to add up to 15% of the following grapes: Verdiso Perera, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Glera Lunga, Raboso and Marzemina Bianca.  

The Rive della Chiesa Gasparetto Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry wine was made from 100% of the Glera grape grow on red soils 250 meters above sea level.  The winery is located in the Montello area and is managed by the 2nd generation of family members since the winery was established in the 60’s.  Their vineyards occupy about 93 acres and the grapes for this wine are sourced from the best.     

 

Floral aromas of green apple, this wine had a soft efferevescence that was fresh with juicy apples.  Very easy drinking with a slight saltiness on the finish.  17 grams per liter of residual sugar.  SRP $14. ABV 11%.  Importer: DB Wine Selection in Massachusetts. 

The 2020 Dal Bello Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Millesimato Extra Dry comes from the Magre vineyard in the town of Asolo.  The winery was founded in the mid-50's by Vittorio Dal Bello.  The vineyards are situated 200 meters above sea level across 99 acres spread across 5 villages. 

The wine was softly pressed upon harvest with added yeasts.  It was fermented for 15 days and then in stainless until secondary fermentation took place.  It’s further fermented in an autoclave for 50 days before it’s refined 30 days in the bottle.  Pale straw, brightly colored.  Floral aromatics of apples and pear present on the palate as well.  Elegant bubbles showing nice, clean fruit with a tingly sapidity on the finish that lingered.  SRP $18.  ABV 11%.  Importer: Vinity. 

Next is the A3 La Tordera Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Brut.  This winery is located in Maser, one of the 18 communes, that is just a couple miles outside the town of Asolo.  The Vettoretti family that owns the winery is born and raised in the Valdobbiadene wine appellation and has been in the wine industry for over 100 years.  They have vineyards in a number of areas including also in the Asolo appellation covering over 173 acres in total.  Some interesting aspects I read on this winery is that they use 50% less sulphites than the legal amount and 70% of their energy sources are renewable.   

The A3 La Tordera Asolo Prosecco Superiore is pale straw colored and drier than the others I tried with 3 grams of residual sugar.  Again, florally aromas of pears and apple while nice and crisp and fresh on the palette.  SRP $10.  ABV 11.5%. Importer: Schneidesr of Capitol Hill (cellar.com). 

Pairings 

I chose to pair these wines with a shrimp scampi as I try to enrich my diet into the new year with more seafood.  I’ve also read some folks pair Prosecco with popcorn so I tried some out while cooking.  It went surprisingly well and the butter flavor took away some of the sweetness in the Prosecco for those that were Brut and Extra Dry, but balanced it out well.   

I learned a lot of my cooking from my mom whom shared one of my favorite recipes she cooks, a Mediterranean Shrimp Scampi.  I served it over some whole wheat pasta with added chopped tomatoes, parsley and feta cheese.  A pairing that went delightfully well!  

During the virtual tasting it was recommended also to pair these Prosecco from Asolo with sopresa, a soft local salami, an herbal cheese (I.e. Bastardo del Grappe or Casatella), boiled meats or baccala. 

I loved the aromatics of these wines and the salinity that I picked up on all these wines.  I still have a few other Asolo Prosecco yet to sample and will either update this post or write one another once I try them.  In the meantime join my fellow wine lovers as they share their choice of sparkling wines from around the world.  Catch us live on Twitter this Saturday @ #WinePW at 11am EST.   

• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm bubbles over about Celebrating Little Christmas in Michigan with a Local Bubbly
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla sabers open Gelukkige Nuwe Jaar with Pannekoeke + Boschendal Brut Rosé 
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass cracks open Cava: Because everybody needs a go-to bubbly
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog pops the cork on Sparkling Wine from Chablis? Oui! Val de Mer Brut Nature Rosé 
• Anna Maria of Unraveling Wine toasts us with 10 Best Greek Sparkling Wines with Pairings #WinePW 
• David at Cooking Chat Food disgorges Baked Fiesta Dip with Mexican Bubbly 
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles riddles with Bubbles by any other name...Sparkling wines from all over the globe 
• Lisa at The Wine Chef adds dosage with Dive Into the OG Bubbly With Blanquette de Limoux #WinePW 
• Nicole at Somm's Table gets cagey with Re-introducing Cava! 
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator adds the crown with A Dozen Sparkling Wine Secrets from Around the World 
• Susannah from Avvinare sparkles with Brazilian sparklers come of age 
• Terri at Our Good Life shares Favorite Bubbles from Around the World 
• Andrea from The Quirky Cork celebrates with A Vertical Tasting of Vinkara's Yaşasın 

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