End of Summer Prosecco
- Nich Cossey
- Jan 1
- 2 min read
My husband has been into making negronis and aperol/campari spritz lately so we've been trying several Proseccos (made from the Glera grape). This NV Minonetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut has been a standout in the bunch. Enough so that we ended up buying a case to squirrel away. Prosecco is a sparkling wine made mostly in the Friuli region of NE Italy (I'm on a Friuli/Veneto kick lately). However, as Prosecco has gone from a cheap Champagne alternative to a quality beverage the DOCG system around it is really starting to become more relevant. I think this system is important because after tasting half a dozen plus Proseccos over the last couple months it seems very clear that as you go up the DOCG hierarchy the quality tends to improve, especially at the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore level but that's not necessarily always in line with the prices of the bottles. For instance, this NV Minonetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut costs only $5 more than Mionetto's Prosecco Treviso but is categorically better. On the nose the wine has white fruit and flowers and a touch of citrus. On the palate it is zesty and citrus but also has white fruit and a touch of mineral and exotic spice on the back palate that with the moderate acidity is refreshing. It's only 11% alcohol and it has a touch of residual sugar that really helps it integrate. It's not overly complex but it's just super drinkable. This will be our new 'poolside bubbles' wine.
If you're interested in a slightly more complex, dry, and nervy Prosecco I'd suggest the NV Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore. This wine won #1 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2019 and is pretty easy to find. It's less of an 'all-around' Prosecco but does really well with food as it's acidity really clears the palate.
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