Simple, but not easy. The spritz is the answer to heavy days and what one orders after work for aperitifs. A spritz and the day can be said to be over to welcome the lightness of evening and leisure time.
It was the early twentieth century when the spritz took shape in Venice, a name that refers to the German term spritzen, to spray, that is, to dilute wine with sparkling water. Later in the Padua area the bitter component of bitter was added (although there was no preferred brand but depended on the availability of the osteria or bar): Select in Venice, Aperol in Padua but also China Martini, Cynar or Campari.
Until the 1990s, the base was simple white wine, later replaced with Prosecco. In 2011, the IBA formalized the cocktail first under the term “Venetian spritz” then simply Spritz.
Three basic ingredients, Prosecco, Bitter and soda, the spritz is the quintessential cocktail, equal to Negroni and Americano, but it is easy to underestimate its preparation and run into mistakes that will make it an alcoholic mix of questionable taste, taking away from the aperitif moment the pleasure of good drinking.
So here are the mistakes not to be made when deciding to make a Spritz.
Prosecco, Bitter, Soda
The ingredients cannot be placed randomly but require a precise order: first Prosecco, then the bitter and at the end the soda. In Venice it is common to use the “3,2,1” rule with three parts wine, two parts bitter and one part soda, while in Padua it is simplified by choosing the formula of one third for each ingredient. But the order of ingredients, in this case, cannot be changed otherwise the result will change a lot.
Not just any glass
One rule only: although spritz is served in numerous glasses, goblets and trinkets the best glass for serving it is the old fashioned, low tumbler ideal for serving “on the rocks” liquors and cocktails with few ingredients. Cups may be more appealing, but no! They are not used. The case is closed.
Ice, always
Like all long cocktails, the spritz includes a generous dose of ice, which must be put in as the very first ingredient and, above all, cannot be reduced or eliminated. The spritz is a light, lovable drink that finds in its freshness a strong characteristic. So ice cannot be eliminated and it is not a trick of the bartender to water down your cocktail. It is a rule and must be respected.
There are unforgettable places in the lands of Prosecco DOC, just think of Venice, Pordenone, the Palladian Villas without forgetting the naturalistic environments and artisan villages of which the territory is full: beauty, nature, know-how. Simply The Italian Genio.
This time we want to take you to the lesser known places in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and let you discover a new and unexpected territory. Just like when you taste Prosecco DOC and catch a different nuance.
5 places you probably don’t know and should take time to visit during a visit to the lands of the Appellation.
INCOMPIUTA DI BRENDOLA
Brendola is a small town in the province of Vicenza whose cathedral has a peculiar name. It is the church of St. Michele Arcangelo but it is known by the name “Incompiuta”. The story begins in 1939 with Don Francesco Cecchin, who started to build it on a project by architect Fausto Franco with the support of all the parishioners. Ten years later, when the pastor died, work stopped, giving way to abandonment. Today it is as unusual as it is striking and impressive. The structure has only the supporting structure but lacks the facade and interior.
ABBANDONATO FUMEGAI
We move toward Belluno to arrive at Fumegai. Born as a seasonal pasture on an isolated road, this hamlet saw abandonment around the early 1900s. Only around 1960 did some flower children repopulate the hamlet temporarily, abandoning it again a little later.
Today it is a hodgepodge of houses and quotidian details still present among tableware, pictures on the walls and clothing. A curiosity: the name Fumegai comes from the soot from the fireplaces, often found on the clothing of the inhabitants who, whenever they showed up in town, were immediately recognized.
CASA CIRCONDATA DALL’ACQUA
Let’s make a quick pit-stop in Venice to tell you about a striking house, almost completely surrounded by water. Yes Venice but unusual too. Head towards the Sestiere di Castello, the house will be visible from Ponte dei Conzafelzi that connects Calle Vesier to Calle Bragadin or Pinelli, impossible not to notice it immersed in water and surrounded by three canals, it is certainly one of the most photographed places in Venice.. It is limited by a private gate, which allows access only to the people who live there, but a stroke of luck could leave it open to observe the inner courtyard.
MOVADA
Movada is a village in the Tramontina Valley in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and its peculiarity is rather unusual: the village is completely submerged and its roofs can be seen only when Lake Redona recedes.
Until the 1950s there were three villages, inhabited by simple people with a very humble daily routine: Modava, Fleur and Redona Vecchia. With the construction of the Racli Bridge dam, the water of the Meduna River flooded those places, which were submerged and slowly disappeared. Today it is possible to see them when the summer heat dries the river water and allows the ruins to appear, still intact despite the inexorability of the river and time.
IL SENTIERO RILKE A TRIESTE
Last but not least, a scenic trail that we are sure will take your breath away. If you are already enchanted by the beauty of Trieste, extend your stay and enjoy the beauty of the Duino Cliffs Nature Reserve. Leaving aside the tragic side that sees this path as the backdrop for several suicides, the Rilke Trail connects Duino and Sistiana and is dedicated to the Bohemian poet who drew inspiration for his Duino Elegies in these very places. The eyes are pervaded by the beauty of the cliffs of the Karst Plateau, the typical flora of the area, and the Upper Adriatic shimmering in the sun among lapis lazuli and diamonds.
Do you remember the game “if I were…,” the one where by mentioning a subject you had to find the element that best represented you?
Here we play along through some letters and must-see destinations in the Prosecco DOC lands to inspire your next vacation.
We start with the letter A in Actual, just like Treviso and Prosecco DOC Rosé. This is where this product, born from the union between the white grape, Glera, and the noblest of red grapes, Pinot Noir, first came to life. A modern, contemporary, lively and vibrant product to be tasted accompanied by the cicchetti of the Pescheria, in one of the most lively and charming corners of the city.
With the B of Brioso we reach Trieste. Spirited and effervescent, it is the must-see stop for next fall to attend the Barcolana, of which Prosecco DOC has been an official sponsor for many years, one of the most important regattas for sea enthusiasts. Trieste is a city to be experienced and discovered in its contrasts and evocative places such as the Miramare Castle.
C for Contemporary and for Padua, although it may seem absurd given the historical origins of the city, its monuments and the mansions around it. Prosecco itself was born in this area from the first grafts brought from Greece. We invite you to discover the modern soul of this city, where tradition is dressed in enthusiasm and freshness. A few ideas: the Crystal Garden and the work “Memory and Light.”
The word Elegance does not need too much introduction. Few things in the world represent it like Venice, which just celebrated its 1.600th anniversary for which Prosecco DOC has produced a special edition with a dedicated label. Getting lost among the calle, sipping spritzes, savoring Venetian cuisine. Everything has a different allure in Venice.
We run fast to the P of Power and to Gorizia, a frontier land where emotions are pulsing the strongest. These are the places of war but also of the Friulian interpretation of Prosecco DOC, both in the traditional version and in the new born Rosé that completes the experience of living the city between culture and wine tourism. After all, wine depends on the land where it is born and here it becomes synonymous with power and beauty.
Synonymous with elegance is Refinement, to continue with our dictionary, and Vicenza is the ideal destination for an absolutely chic weekend getaway. Not only to visit Palladio’s city and the villas that surround it, but also to discover the surprising flavor of Prosecco DOC, with a charmer perlage that will be hard to forget.
Belluno, we’ll reveal right away, is Surprising in its being a maze of culture and places to visit such as the library or the Museum of Migrations. But also an ideal destination to discover the nature that surrounds it like Dolomites, Carnic Pre-Alps and ancient Forest of the Doges that, never as in autumn, explodes in colors that leave you amazed!
We are almost at the end with the T of Trendy. Capable of satisfying every whim, Udine is the city for those who don’t want to give up anything during their leisure time. From the beaches of Lignano Sabbiadoro, to the mountains that protect Udine, the vibrant city, conveniently ” an hour from everything”, offers many places to discover. Enjoy the streets of the center, then stop for a stroll in search of the bike paths and relax at one of the many little bars among the piazzas sipping, of course, Prosecco DOC.
One city is missing that we would like you to find the right word for. Pordenone will welcome you among art, shopping, and nature: Spilimbergo and its mosaics, Sacile and musical crafts, Maniago and cutlery art. A city that can transform and catch the colors of the sky in places like Polcenigo, where nature amazes with the Gorgazzo spring.
A land, the one where Prosecco DOC is born, that is able to let itself be discovered without haste, where time slows down to leave room for simple living and sincere flavors telling the story of the territory, food and wine and craftsmanship that have made Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia the pride and flag of Italian Genius.
Their union is expressed in a perfect combination of natural forms and beauty, carved into the contemporary collective imagination, though belonging to an ancient time. Antonio Canova’s artistic genius is expressed through refined marble workmanship that represents the quintessence of absolute beauty with the purity and precise harmonious technique, which distinguishes him.
Balance, proportion and simplicity in Canova’s art are combined with the essence of Prosecco DOC, in the limited edition bottle dedicated to the exhibition “Canova Gloria Trevigiana” at the Balio Museum in Treviso, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the artist’s death (1822-2022).
The special edition is a tribute to the history and poetry of the classical art of Antonio Canova, portraying one of the emblematic works of the group Amore e Psiche Stanti, whose sinuous lines blend with the soft shapes of the Prosecco DOC bottle.
This partnership showcases the ideal of beauty, a journey between illusion and creation, where the hand that sculpts the marble is the same hand that works in the vineyard.
Canova’s craftsmanship was able to bring an inert material such as stone to life, giving it a soul through its shapes and effects of softness and transparency never achieved , as the subjects depicted could come to life from one moment to the next.
As in art, the wise hands of farmers have been able to shape the DOC territories, giving an invaluable heritage to the winemaking world, creating one of the world’s most appreciated wines: Prosecco.
The culmination of this encounter will be the new short film GENIUS MOVES THE WORLD, a tribute to the art of Antonio Canova and his love of dance, to be released this fall. The journey created by director and image philosopher Carlo Guttadauro will transport us to the second half of the 18th century by revisiting the atmospheres in which Canova moved, imagined, contemplated and shaped the material.
“Canova had the courage not to copy the Greeks and to invent a beauty as the Greeks had done” (1816).
“… you have created one hundred statues, thirty of which are masterpieces!” – Stendhal
The short film GENIUS MOVES THE WORLD is a tribute to the art of Antonio Canova and to his love for dance that creates lightness and moves the world.
A journey with 3 protagonists: a cellarman, Antonio Canova and the sculpture.
Here’s the story in brief: A cellarman from Treviso moves between the fermentation tanks in a Prosecco DOC cellar. He has with him a book of sculptures by Canova, and he leafs through it contemplating Hebe and other sculptures, as his mind wanders.
There, in that moment, he sees a block of marble, resembling a meteorite illuminated by a light from above. Stunned in amazement, he approaches, looking around.
The marble is infused with the energy of Antonio Canova who has chosen to celebrate the bicentennial of his death with an unusual gift. We know how artists are.
The moment the cellarman touches the marble…we are transported to the late eighteenth century: Antonio Canova moves in search of inspiration, every artist has to deal with hesitations, regrets, inspirations and electric shocks of inspiration.
Idea and matter. A kind of short circuit.
The hand that touches the marble is the same that carves it, the hand can prune and the hand can sculpt. It is subtracting the superfluous and arriving at the essence. This is how Prosecco was born. There is a lot of work in the vineyard before seeing the bubbles sparkle.
Leaving the present we find ourselves in the time of Canova. It is a journey of vision because image is memory, memory is spirit and the spirit travels through time. In the laboratory marble leaps, moves, the material dances, Canova is sculpting Hebe, daughter of Zeus and Hera, cup-bearer of Olympus.
The sculptor and the sculpture.
The sculpture is not inert matter, it can live. Canova is obsessed by this idea. After all, the artist gives form to the movement of life and wants us to have it.
The living sculpture stands in front of him. She slowly comes to life from cold loneliness and discovers herself through her senses.
First smell, then touch.
A glass of Prosecco DOC Rosé has the power to awaken her.
In the beginning, life animates the sculpture in a slow and passionate awakening. It is the aroma that first moves her within, that produces euphoria in her. Ebe is alive and celebrates life by dancing.
She dances in the garden and in the villa: A residence of extraordinary beauty, Villa Molin in Padua, the ancient and neoclassical background in which Canova looks at her in amazement, stretches out his hands as if to touch a dream.
The statue has come out of itself and is produced in a dance. A dance as beautiful and bright as a sunny day. The same dance that takes place in a glass of Prosecco, producing emotions and images. The wine that dances in the glass brings us back to the cellar.
The block of marble is still there, the cellarman looking at it in amazement. He decides to see what’s inside. The marble box reveals a bottle of Prosecco, a light illuminates its contents while the cellar hand receives as a gift what he himself created.
He realized that seeing the enormous wealth of art in everyday life is not outside of us, but means making life more splendid and more beautiful every day.
A good glass of Prosecco DOC is an authentic aesthetic experience.
Hebe is a sculpture again
Canova goes back to sculpting
The cellarman continues his work.
The tape rewinds.
All the immages in the world are here and now.
In the genius that moves the world.
Click here to watch the trailer
Virna Toppi, prima ballerina at the Teatro Alla Scala was chosen to embody the statue. Michele Piccolo is Antonio Canova while Andrea Offedi is the modern cellarman.
On the occasion of the Bicentennial of Antonio Canova’s death (1822-2022), director Carlo Guttadauro together with his ANAM CARA Philosophy of Image team have created a film freely inspired by the GENIUS who moves the world.
“Dolce Vita in Expo Dubai”: an exclusive documentary on the main characters of the cuisine and bar world in Dubai and on how the “Dolce Vita” is the leit motiv on the tables of Expo 2020.
Let two chefs, Vito Mollica (ex Four Seasons Hotel Firenze) and Beatrice Segoni (ex BSJ e Konnubio), and two bartenders, Dario Schiavoni (Bulgari Dubai) and Francesco Galdi (Buddha Bar) guide you through the Dolce Vita.
And when talking about Dolce Vita, let’s talk about Prosecco DOC: the most famous Italian bubbles have accompanied the interviews, as a pairing to the dishes and as ingredients in the cocktails.
Check out the trailer:
Best Commercial. Best Micro Short. Best Experimental Short, 2 times. Grand Jury Award.
If you’re asking what list is this, the answer is quite easy: those are the prizes won by “The Italian Genio“, the fashion film realized by Consorzio di Tutela del Prosecco DOC and Tuorlo Magazine.
A sperimental video that celebrates people, places and atmospheres of one of the most renowned and appreciated Italian excellences: Prosecco DOC.
The film recalls the most evocative images tied to Prosecco DOC, such as the ever-present bubbles and the iconic pop of the bottle, mixing them with other worlds, not always immediately connected to the wine world. The ambitious initiative underlines the synergy between Prosecco DOC with lifestyle and fashion, getting inspiration from their languages thanks to the enlightened direction of Wayne Maser, worldwide famous photographer and director particularly connected with the fashion world.
The international prizes the film has obtained are many: “The Italian Genio” is a winner in the “Best Commercial” category at the New York International Film Awards, it’s “Best Experimental Short” at LA’s Global Film Festival Awards and a finalist in “Best Experimental Short & Best Micro Short” at the Toronto Independent Film and at the Grand Jury Award in New York’s Oniros Film Awards.
The film is part of a bigger project: a shot cut has debuted in the cryptoart world. Rewriting the branded content rules, “The Italian Genio” has been certified and protected by a “Non-Fungible Token” (NFT), a certificate that makes the digital cut a unicum, a real piece of art. Through a digital signature that certifies the property of the piece, with precise and specific information, such as the owner and the seller, the originality of the piece it easily recognized and confirmed.
The certificate has given the possibility to sell “The Italian Genio” as physical piece of art: on 12th October it was included in a charity auction organized by Christie’s at the Principe di Savoia Hotel in Milan, during the event “La Vendemmia” by MonteNapoleone District. The whole profit was donated to Dynamo Camp, a non-profit organization based in Tuscany and commited in recreational therapy. It hosts children for their holidays and free time, during therapy or after hospitalization.
Prosecco DOC and Casanova Opera Pop: Italian bubbles, culture, and more POP than ever in the musical by Red Canzian
The Prosecco DOC Consortium has always supported the cultural world in all its expressions, increasing its commitment over the years to activities related to visual arts, music, and entertainment, as well as to the museum and fashion fields. The Consortium has thus created a network of connections in order to enhance the Italian Genio for which it is renowned throughout the world.
One of the latest partnerships is with the colossal Casanova Opera Pop. The fine Prosecco DOC bubbles are partner and Official Sparkling Wine of the magnificent show written and produced by Red Canzian and inspired by the bestseller by Matteo Strukul, “Giacomo Casanova – la sonata dei cuori infranti”(“ Giacomo Casanova – The sonata of the broken hearts”)
For this special occasion, Prosecco DOC designed an exclusive bottle that depicts Casanova and the beloved Francesca in a romantic dance in an illustration made by the artist Milo Manara.
After a successful debut in Venice, with three consecutive nights sold out at the historic Malibran Theater, the tour will run until March with the bottles of the Special Edition Prosecco DOC accompanying the Casanova Opera Pop cast in the next tour stages in the Italian cities of Bergamo, Udine, Milan, Treviso and Torino.
“With this special bottle – explains Stefano Zanatte, President of Prosecco DOC Consortium – the Prosecco DOC Consortium continues the celebrations for the 1600th anniversary since Venice founding, an emblematic city for our designation with which we have been carrying out cultural high-level events for years in line with the Consortium’s promotion activities ranging from sport to culture in all its form.”
Casanova, created by Canzian over the last two years, is the first unprecedented musical to debut since the reopening of the theaters. The musical is a huge event with more than 30 scene changes, designed to have an immersive effect, 120 costumes inspired by eighteenth-century Venice, and as many as 35 unreleased songs and original artwork specifically created by Milo Manara.
“In the excitement of these last few days of rehearsals before debuting in Venice, in a sold-out theater for three evenings which demonstrates how much we all missed the stage,” says Red Canzian “I look at our show as a strongly desired son, who wonderfully grows day after day and whom I can’t wait to show the world, wishing ‘him’ a long and satisfying life.”
“For the first time Prosecco DOC Consortium designs a bottle with a label exclusively dedicated to a show,” observes the President Stefano Zanette “and it is no coincidence that it has decided to do so for a musical created and produced by Red Canzian, a Treviso native who– I hope he’ll forgive me for what I am saying – as the Prosecco, is enjoyed by an international, transversal, and above all, cross-generational audience. Both are loved by new teenagers but also previous generations who continue to get fascinated by the classic but also the new productions. Therefore I’d like to toast the show with a glass of classic or rosé bubbles, wishing all the success it deserves!”
Venice, queen of the seas, has come to the end of its millennial history.
Between the liquid mirrors of the canals and the velvet curtains of the theatres, life smiles by day and catches fire by night…
Prosecco DOC is Partner and Official Sparkling Wine of Casanova OperaPop, musical and first soloist theatre piece by Red Canzian.
The new kolossal, already sold out in the first dates and touring in the main italian theaters until 13th March 2022, has been written in the past two years, during which Canzian was unvoluntarily far from the scenes.
Casanova is the first original musical to debut after the reopening of the theaters, and what better company for such a show than the most loved sparkling wine in the world?
A cast with 21 extraordinary performers, directed by Emanuele Gamba, will bring on stage 18th Century Venice with the young Giacomo Casanova, one of the most romantic, rebel and fascinating characters of the Serenissima. Between intrigues and adventures, the ironic and irreverent Venetian will show himself as a democratic libertarian, valorous defender of the Repubblic and finally in love with the young Francesca Erizzo, enchanting and determined.
To celebrate this magnificent show, a special Prosecco DOC bottle has been designed with the original artwork by cartoonist Milo Manara.
Casanova OperaPop has debuted in Teatro Malibran in Venezia on 21st January.
Click here to discover the tour dates and come enjoy with us.
