Truth be told here, I had very little experience with Prosecco prior to our trip to Tuscany and Piedmont last summer. THAT changed in a hurry once we were off and running!
Prosecco makes its roots easy to follow, the name given to the wine, the region and the grapes. This versatile and bubbly sparkling wine, native to the Veneto region of Italy, is refreshing, tasty, and fun. The best wines come from Cartizze, a sub-appellation of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene appellation and should be labeled as Superior. These wines tend to be a little more structured and slightly sweeter than others. Fortunately for consumers, these names appear on the label. Prosecco is not a wine meant to compete with Champagne. Whereas Champagne derives its complex flavor and aromatic profile from the chalky soil of the Champagne region and the long autolysis process breaking down the yeasts yielding rich notes of toast, yeast, and lean citrus, Prosecco is more about ripe fresh fruit, sweetness and a lighter overall style. It’s this profile that makes the wine so refreshing and food friendly. Even better, they’re incredibly affordable, most running under $30!
Prosecco has now surpassed the classic Asti Spumante as Italy’s number one exported sparkling wine, the increased popularity a reflection of the improved quality of these wines over the years due to stricter laws. The requirement of authentic Prosecco to be limited in production to northeast Italy and be labeled DOC or DOCG has dramatically reduced the inventory of sub-par wines from other regions of Europe.
Researchers from Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute have discovered that in laboratory studies resveratrol, the potent anti-oxidant found primarily in red wine, when combined with rapamycin can have a tumor-suppressing effect on breast cancer cells that have developed a resistance to rapamycin alone. The research was conducted by Charis Eng, MD, Ph.D., Chair of the Genomic Medicine Institute of Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute.
Rapamycin, an experimental immunosuppressant drug used to prevent rejection in organ transplantation, has been considered for the use of anti-tumor activity against breast cancer. It has been noted that, in a laboratory setting, breast cells can develop a drug resistance to rapamycin alone. However, the addition of reverstrol seems to mitigate the drug resistance signifying the possible benefits of a dual approach.
Chocolate is practically synonymous with Valentine’s Day. Every chocolate lover deserves to receive something as exquisite and delicious as our gourmet truffles or sea salt caramels on February 14th. So it seems timely to delve a little deeper into chocolate. Where exactly does it come from? How is it made? And how can you tell a good chocolate from a bad one? Or is there such a thing?
For months I have been struggling with how much “bad” wine there is in Italy, and how much people defend it with national pride.
Don’t get me wrong, there is incredible wine in Italy, maybe even the best wines in the world; but 99% of the wine in Italy is drank out of a glass jug filled in the trunk of your car at the winery through a garden hose. It is THE substitute for drinking water or soda or milk with your meal. In the USA we often drink ice tea or water or soda or milk with our meals, in Italy you drink “daily” wine. And 60 million people drink a lot of daily wine. And have been drinking it since they were small children. The FUNCTION (or purpose) of 99% of the wine in Italy is not to enhance the meal, but to be the liquid part of it.
These days, the estate is run by Aldo's three sons, Giacomo, Franco and Stefano with Aldo "popping in" every so often to offer his expertise. Giacomo, so affable like his father, made time for us as his vineyards approached harvest time, inviting us into his tasting room to discuss the Cru Cicala 2005 and 2007. The Cicala vineyard is situated on south-southwest hills comprised of clay calcareous soils. After a mid October harvest, the must remains in contact with the skins for 28 days and eventually, after several decantings in stainless steel tanks, finds it's way into large Slavonian barrels for 28-30 months. The result is a wine that's firmly structured, with great fruit and spice, a long finish and worthy of your cellar.
The Wine Inquirer recently launched its Masters Wine and Food Pairing Series featuring top vintners from around the globe, pairing their wines with expert chef prepared cuisine. These events allow for our invited vintner guest to profile the history of their estate, vineyard and winemaking techniques and of course pair their wines. Guests also are invited to purchase featured wines courtesy of an onsite local retailer.
We had no sooner launched the concept when we learned that Luca Currado of the Vietti estate was touring the US. Working with his US importer, Dalla Terra and Arizona distributor Classico Wine Imports, we coordinated efforts to bring Luca into both Tucson and Phoenix.
We visited the Roberto Voerzio estate in La Morra last September, touring the vineyards and tasting their renown wines from the entry level Dolcetto to the single vineyard stars such as the Rocche dell'Annunziata, La Serra and Brunate. Roberto has been recognized as producing some of the finest single vineyard Barolo in the world, undoubtedly a reflection of his longstanding philosophy to produce wines from minute yields. This approach, once thought of as outlandish, discarding large yields of grapes in favor of the best, is now practiced widely throughout the region. In this video, Roberto's son Davide, rapidly gaining the experience in winemaking and vineyard management from the master, met us in the tasting room and talks about his outstanding entry level 2009 Dolcetto.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana, Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason, Vol.1
Through the ages, market forces have taken us on some pretty memorable rides. At the peak of the tulip craze in the 1600’s, bulbs were valued at ten times the annual salary of a worker. The fervor took over society, many placing their life savings in what seemed to be a sure thing. Shortly thereafter, the market collapsed causing irreparable ruin for many.
Bruno Giacosa, now in his early 80’s, has been tied to winemaking for nearly 60 years, eventually evolving into the iconic producer he is today. Despite a stroke several years ago, he’s still intimately involved in the vineyard and winery, offering his decades of expertise. Without debate, the Piedmont region would not be where it is today without the influence of Bruno and his dedicated staff.
While we had hoped to visit with Bruno and his daughter Bruna at his estate in Nieve last summer, their schedule was a little tight as harvest approached. So we asked Bruno if he would be willing to answer some questions for us and our readers. This is truly an honor as Bruno does not often grant interviews and is sparing with his words.
Truth be told here, I had very little experience with Prosecco prior to our trip to Tuscany and Piedmont last summer. THAT changed in a hurry once we were off and running!
Prosecco makes its roots easy to follow, the name given to the wine, the region and the grapes. This versatile and bubbly sparkling wine, native to the Veneto region of Italy, is refreshing, tasty, and fun. The best wines come from Cartizze, a sub-appellation of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene appellation and should be labeled as Superior. These wines tend to be a little more structured and slightly sweeter than others. Fortunately for consumers, these names appear on the label. Prosecco is not a wine meant to compete with Champagne. Whereas Champagne derives its complex flavor and aromatic profile from the chalky soil of the Champagne region and the long autolysis process breaking down the yeasts yielding rich notes of toast, yeast, and lean citrus, Prosecco is more about ripe fresh fruit, sweetness and a lighter overall style. It’s this profile that makes the wine so refreshing and food friendly. Even better, they’re incredibly affordable, most running under $30!
Truth be told here, I had very little experience with Prosecco prior to our trip to Tuscany and Piedmont last summer. THAT changed in a hurry once we were off and running! 
Loading ...
Visit us on…