BrewView
By Chris Murphy
It is time for something fresh, something exciting.
As we go into 2016, let’s change everything up. Let’s make every day special and celebrate living and enjoying our community daily. Now what can we do to make this statement? How can we put our zest for life on display and share it.
DING! Let’s have a fizzy fresh sparkling wine now and not wait for a special occasion. Now what? What to drink? Let’s bust out our Italian dictionary and put a new favorite on the top of our list. Prosecco it is. Pop the cork, drink it straight and …wait for it…. Even mix it! Now we are celebrating.
I have been a fan of Prosecco for years now. I was introduced to the amazing taste when I was working as Global Marketing Director for Specialized back in the late 90s by our Specialized Italy team in Milano. My relationship with Prosecco was rekindled in Italy a couple of years ago with the addition of Aperol aperitif, over ice mixed as a spritz. My cocktail life has never been the same since.
One of the nation’s leading Proseccos has local roots with our friends at Cupcake. My friend and fellow musician Matt Henderson crisscrosses the planet for the Wine Group, the purveyor of Cupcake Prosecco. So in between sets of Sinatra, we linked up with the VP of Marketing for Cupcake Eben Gillette. These local guys are helping change the effervescent beverage landscape. So I asked Eben
ModestoView: Why do you think Prosecco is enjoying such new popularity?
Eben Gillette: Prosecco is a delicious sparkling wine at a reasonable price, and as a result wine drinkers are enjoying it as an everyday drink rather than waiting for special occasion. For this reason, Prosecco is growing at more than 10-times the rate of the total wine category.
MV: How would you compare Prosecco to Champagne?
EG: They’re different, but they are both delicious. Prosecco, which is made in the Prosecco region of Northeast Italy primarily from the Prosecco or Glera grape, is a delicate sparkling wine that often has notes of green apple, citrus, white peach and hints of white flowers. Champagne, which is made in the Champagne region of Northeast France from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier, often shows a yeasty character (think biscuit or brioche), and can display notes of apple, stone fruits, citrus and even cherry or raspberry.
MV: Why is Prosecco better for mixing with apertifs and juices?
EG: Prosecco’s approachable ripe fruit character makes it a very versatile mixer that has led many bartenders and mixologists to use it in a variety sparkling wine cocktails. It works in sweet drinks, like Bellinis, and bitter, like Aperol Spritzs, which are a frequent guest in my household.
MV: What are some of the secrets to Prosecco?
EG: Unlike Champagne, Prosecco doesn’t undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle, which leads to an easy-to-drink style and an easy-on-the-bank account price.
MV: What makes it so special and easier to drink?
EG: Prosecco comes in a variety of styles based on where it’s grown within the Prosecco DOC, but they almost all share a light, delicate character that both drinkers new to wine and hardened oenophiles will enjoy. We have two in our portfolio: Cupcake Prosecco, which is ripe, delicious and easy to drink alone or as a mixer, and Chloe Prosecco, which is primarily grown in the Asolo region of Prosecco and is made in a drier, more elegant style that one can enjoy casually or as an accompaniment to a formal dinner.
MV: What is your own favorite way to drink Prosecco?
EG: After we put the kids to bed, I like to pop a bottle of Prosecco and share a glass with my wife to celebrate Tuesday night.
Cupcake Prosecco, available wherever fine wine and beverages are sold. Paul Tremayne at Concetta makes a fantastic Spritz Aperol.
www.cupcakevineyards.com/product/wine/prosecco
Why Cupcake Prosecco?
Winemaker Jessica Tomei makes Cupcake Prosecco in a modern, approachable style that balances the delicate bubbles of Prosecco with ripe fruit, bright acidity and a refreshing, creamy finish. Perfect for any occasion (and it’s a steal at the price).
