PROSECCO, ITALY'S SPARKLING JEWEL

The veneto's ubiquitous Spumante, Prosecco grapes sometimes with small amounts of Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio added. The best of the Prosecco grapes undoubtedly come from vineyards just north of Venice in the rambling hills between the villages of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Traditionally, the sparkler was rather soft, slightly sweet and only slightly fizzy. Today most examples are dry and fully Spumante, though still more fruity and less dramatically crisp then Champagne. Prosecco is not made by the Champagne method, but rather by the Charmat process, in which wine undergoes a second fermentation in pressurized tanks rather than in individual bottles. In late afternoon virtually every bar in Venice pours glass after glass of Prosecco, which the civilized Venetians consider Ombrette, a pick me up. Such is the fame of Prosecco that it is now the second leading Spumante in Italy after Asti. Prosecco is mainly produced as a sparkling wine in either the fully sparkling (Spumante) or lightly sparkling (Frizzante) varieties. A still wine (tranquillo) is also  made from the Prosecco grape- it amounts to only 5% production and rarely exported.
In Italy, Prosecco is enjoyed as a wine for every occasion. Outside Italy, it is more often drunk as an aperitif, much like Champagne. Like other sparkling wines, Prosecco is served chilled. Since Prosecco does not ferment in the bottle and grows stale with time, it should be drunk as young as possible and preferably withing 3 years of it vintage, although high-quality Prosecco can be aged for up to 7 years. Compared to other sparkling wines, Prosecco is low in alcohol about 11 to 12% by volume. The flavor of Prosecco has been described as intensely aromatic and crisp with great flavors of apple, pear, peach and apricot. Most Prosecco variants have intense primary aromas and are meant to taste fresh, light and comparatively simple.
So the next time you want to kick off a celebration and want a new and inexpensive alternative to Champagne, reach for that bottle of Prosecco and see why many worldwide love to toast with a glass of this Italian Jewel!!