Behind the Cork™ - Sparkling Wines for the Holidays

Ca di Prata Prosecco DOC Brut ($15.99) and Acquesi Asti Spumante ($16.99)

Sparkling wines are perfect at most any time and with most any foods. All too often, though, they get reserved for just one major holiday each year. And who doesn’t enjoy popping some bubbly to ring in the new year. But, you should also think bubbles at Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and other celebratory holidays.

These two sparklers are from Italy which is famous for its Prosecco and Asti Spumante wines.

Since the middle of the thirteenth century the toponym 'Prosech' or 'Prosecum', but also the more modern 'Proseco' refers to a small town, bordering to the south-east of Trieste. Even today, Prosecco remains a small town in the province of Trieste, in the far north-east of Italy.

The Ca di Prata Prosecco is produced from 85% Glera grapes and 15% other varieties including Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay. After harvest and the press, the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks at 14-16 C for about 10-12 days. After fermentation it is racked and stored in stainless steel tanks at 10-12 C. Then, to create the bubbles, it is placed in a stainless steel autoclave where it ferments at a temperature of 15-16 C for about 12 days. At the end of fermentation, it is cooled to 0° C and left to rest for a month and finally filtered and bottled. Being a Brut, it has low residual sugar, pleasant acidity and the taste of green apple, typical of the Prosecco. The presence of Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay gives a complex savory and mineral note which makes it more full-bodied.

The Acquesi Asti Spumante is produced from 100% Moscato. It is a sweet sparkling wine at just 7% alcohol by volume and 95 g/L residual sugar.

It's pale gold color and greenish hue leads to complex floral aromas of fresh tree fruits, honeycomb and exotic spices. The palate is fresh, sweet and persistent with a lingering, sweet fruity finish.

This Acquesi Asti Spumante has won several recent awards. At the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championship in 2019 & 2020 it was Best in Region (Asti 2020), Best in Class (2019,2020), Gold (2019,2020) and World Champion (Aromatic Sparkling Wine 2019, 2020).

Both of these fine sparkling wines are imported by Mack & Schuhle which s a Miami-based national importer dedicated to bringing exceptional wines from around the world to the US market. Look for them and enjoy. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Venturini Baldini Lambrusco

Venturini Baldini Lambrusco Sparkling Wines

Venturini Baldini is a 130 acre estate from the 17th century, situated in the hills between Reggio Emilia and Parma. They have been producing organic Lambrusco and sparkling wines since 1976. Since the early 1990’s, Venturini Baldini has been growing only organically certified grapes. The winery was one of the first in Italy and the first in the region to switch to an entirely organic production, and this commitment is now deeply rooted in their approach to farming and wine making.

In 2013, Giuseppe and Julia Prestia took over the estate from the Venturini Baldini family, continuing the visionary work of the previous owners to produce organic sparkling wines.

These are excellent examples of finely craft Lambrusco wines from Italy, not to be confused with the cheap candy-sweet Lambrusco that were popularized the 1970s and 1980s. All of these excellent wines underwent a secondary fermentation using the Charmat method to achieve the light effervescence.

Venturini Baldini Montelocco Lambrusco Emilia IGP NV ($16.99) - This Lambrusco is a single-variety wine produced with Salamino grapes. It is deep purple in color with fragrances of herbs and dark red fruit. On the the palate it has very light fizz, is off-dry and has a nice black cherry flavor. (11.5 % ABV)

Venturini Baldini Marchese Manodori Reggiano Lambrusco NV (18.99) - This is a blend of the Lambrusco varieties Marani, Maestri, Salamino, and Grasparossa. It is fruity and spicy, with hints of wild violet and mellow cherry aroma along with a delicately spicy fragrance of clove and pepper.  It medium-bodied and refreshing with light tannin. (12% ABV)

Venturini Baldini Ca’ del Vento Spumante Rosato Brut DOP ($18.99) - This sparkling rose is made from the Lambrusco varieties of Sorbara and Grasparossa.  It’s exactly what you want in a sparkling rosé. It’s lightly fragrant, dry and refreshing. (12% ABV)

These are wonderful examples of truly refined Lambrusco sparkling wines at an affordable price and therefore a great fit for being featured as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided ZEDCOMM Italy

Lambrusco - The Sparkling Red Wine of Italy

Lambrusco is both a brightly colored grape variety and a sparkling red wine produced in Italy.

In the past, Lambrusco has been known as a cheap, bright and fizzy wine often served with ice cubes (remember the old ‘Riunite on ice’ commercials?) But, today there are top Lambruscos that barely resemble those sweet versions that flooded U.S. shelves in the 1970s and 1980s.

Lambrusco comes from Emilia-Romagna which is a large region that cuts across north-central Italy. Major production areas include Modena, Reggiano and Parma.

Historically, Lambrusco wines were widely produced in the methode traditionelle, a process requiring more care and attention because the second fermentation, that creates the bubbles, was done in the bottle. But, today, most Lambrusco wines are produced using the Charmant (or tank) method where it goes through its secondary fermentation in large steel tanks and is then bottled.

While Lambrusco is a grape variety, there is actually an extended family of varieties of grapes that can be used to produce Lambrusco that are all grouped under the “Lambrusco” category.

The styles of Lambrusco can still vary widely. They can be produced as either frizzante (gentle bubbles), or spumante (forceful bubbles) and be labeled Secco (dry), Amabile (slightly sweet) or Dolce (sweet).

Today, the best Lambruscos are dry (not sweet), have delicate aromas of violet and crisp red-berry flavors. They’re silky smooth sparkling wines that offer bright acidity. Most are also extremely well priced. So, give this Italian sparkling red wine a try. It pairs well with a lot of big, bold Italian hearty cuisines. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - J Vineyards California Cuvee

J Vineyards California Cuvée ($18)

I recent had an opportunity to share in a celebration and wanted a nice sparkling wine for the occasion. Seeing this bottle of J Vineyards California Cuvée already chilled at the store made my decision an easy one.

Having visited J Vineyards in Healdsburg (Sonoma County), I was well aware of their fine sparkling wines and beautiful tasting room that includes the gorgeous “Bubble Room.”

This sparkling wine is a ‘brut’ meaning that it is “Dry” (very low in residual sugar).

This J Vineyards sparkling wine has aromas of citrus and orange blossom. On the palate its fruit flavors include crisp green apple, juicy pear, fresh-cut lemon and lime. It finishes with refreshing mouth-watering acidity.

According to J Vineyards, the grapes for the California Cuvée were primarily hand-harvested and placed as whole clusters, without destemming, into their presses for a gentle, low-pressure pressing that minimizes the breakdown of grape skins and seeds. Each vineyard lot was then fermented and kept separate until blending. Reserve wine from previous vintages was also added to round it out.

As is customary for traditional method sparkling wine production, the secondary fermentation occurred in the bottle. The wine was aged on the yeast in their cellars for a minimum of 24 months in order to develop deeper complexity as it aged. A dosage (a sweetened spirit added at the end) of aged reserve wine and cane sugar was added to further complexity. The California Cuvée was then aged for at least an additional four months before release.

If you are looking for a really nice sparkling wine for a celebration, or any occasion, this J Vineyards California Cuvée is a great choice. Cheers!

Ever Wonder What 'Frizzante' Means on a Wine Label?

There are a lot of terms used that make wines confusing. And, for American consumers, it seems to get even more confusing with French and Italian wines. The Italian term “Frizzante” is one of these seemingly confusing terms.

Simply put, Frizzante means that the wine is lightly sparkling. You may also see the term “semi-sparkling” used for Frizzante wine.

This is in contrast to a Spumante wine or a traditional Champagne that will have about twice the bubbles as a Frizzante wine.

Frizzante wines are made using the Charmat method in which the second fermentation takes place in a tank. Here, base wines are added together in a large specialized tank with a sugar and yeast mixture (Tirage). As the yeast consumes the sugar it releases carbon dioxide (CO2) . The specialized pressure tank causes the CO2 to be absorbed into the wine. The sparkling wine is then bottled from the tank.

Sparkling wines made using the tank method have a much more freshly made character and secondary yeasty flavors. This tank method is more affordable than the ‘tradition’ method used in Champagne where the secondary fermentation (formation of bubbles) takes place in the bottle.

So, there you have it — Frizzante is lightly sparkling or semi-sparkling wine. Cheers!