In the last years, Prosecco DOC built the features of its story and its brand identity basing them on some unique ties with the
territory and its traditions, finding the right expression in communication activities in various fields, such as enogastronomy, art, culture, history, cinema, design and sport: it was 2016, and Prosecco DOC paid tribute for the first time to the “Adunata degli alpini di Treviso”: tradition, landscapes, men and women that deserved to be celebrated in a unique manner.

Three years later, to celebrate the ten years of Consorzio del Prosecco DOC being founded, a celebratory label and a stamp were printed. 

In these five years, other relationships were sealed: the 50th anniversary of Barcolana, the biggest sailing regatta in the world, the celebration of artists’ pieces of work that stood out at Milano Triennale, the qualification of wine of honor at St. Peterburg’s Hermitage, to quote some of them. The aim was always the same: celebrate and support the Italian Genio and the conviviality that the cultural and sport initiatives behind every partnership bring with them. Even in this 2021, Prosecco DOC bottles dressed up with sartorial labels that are standard-bearers of different values: skiing’s aggregation, history’s elegance, design’s culture,
MotoGPTM’s dynamism.

The bottle for Cortina 2021’s Alpine World Ski Championships wore the National’s team jersey to highlight its support to a theme very dear to the Consorzio, such as sport: the aggregation of cultures and identities, team spirit and respect that are well rooted in the Prosecco DOC world. Moreover, Cortina’s candor and the elegance will be the background for 2026 Winter Olympics, with the aim of adapting to the territory and not viceversa: the establishments that will be used are already existing, and the new structures will be heritage for future generations. Safeguarding the territory and sustainability are values that are worthy to toast to with a glass of Prosecco DOC.

From the mountain’s candor to the indisputable style of one of the most loved Italian cities, Venice, that celebrates this year 1600 years, elegantly and stilishly. A toast to the Veneto capital that celebrates this year an important goal from its foundation, the 25th of March 421. To pay tribute to this already tested partnership, Consorzio Prosecco DOC dedicated it a sinuously elegant label that refers the city’s refined lines with a modern and international take, and will be the main bubbles for the numerous events scheduled until march 2022: Regata Storica, Mostra del Cinema and Salone Nautico will have as common denominator the enthusiasm that moves Prosecco DOC’s glasses.

Elegance, balance and knowledge are the words that unite Prosecco DOC to Museo del Design di Milano. Prosecco DOC already patronized important entities such as Triennale di Milano, St. Peterburg’s Hermitage, Teatro Stabile del Veneto and this year decided to support the new ADI Design Museum in Milan as a place to narrate and enhance Made in Italy with an international take and a culture sense constantly renovating.

Adrenaline, overtakings and palpitations are the ingredients of MotoGP™, one of the most followed and loved sports in the world, that sees Prosecco DOC as Official Supplier since 2019, and one must not forget about Superbike (since 2013), Imoco Volley (since 2014) and the freshest news of this year: Benetton Rugby’s lions. The reason is simple: making a young audience, invested in this exciting sport, unusual places and enogastronomic traditions. And infinite reasons to toast, at the podium for the prizes, and for the get- together moments that MotoGP™ brings with itself.

The first time you see it fills the Tulip glass, it is an unexpected wonder, which deviates from the classic oenological white/red binarism and gives new colour tones to the traditional celebratory bubbles. A shade of pink full of warm, golden reflections, enhanced by the light perlage that goes up the glass, enchants even the most traditionalist (or sceptical) drinkers.

Visually silky, voluptuously fresh in the mouth: welcome Prosecco DOC Rosé, the colour (and flavour) that expands the range of the world’s most famous and iconic sparkling wine. New, or rather renewed over the years by increasing attention, both from the market and from the producers, who have pondered, bubble by bubble, how to enhance an already valuable product. Every drop of Prosecco DOC Rosé, every glass that is quick to serve, every bottle from which the state seal and the capsule with the Consortium logo are delicately removed, contains the absolute certainty of drinking a perfect unicum, with a clean yet profound flavour. In every sip of Prosecco DOC Rosé you can perceive the journey through Italy that the production chain, from the soft clouds of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, takes on and takes on, in a perfumed wave that reaches every last table, counter, grain of sand on the other side of the peninsula. But the right recognition, as in any self-respecting need or desire for enhancement, requires a step backward to know, unravel and reconstruct the details that led up to it. It’s called history, and Prosecco Rosé has more of it than we thought.

Despite those who dismiss it as a fashion in recent years, or worse still as a variant only appreciated by foreigners, guiltily downplaying its historical and oenological importance. It is partly true that rosé wines are particularly popular on the foreign market, but less so on the Italian market ( although it is slightly increasing), hence the international choice to call Prosecco ‘Rosé’. But to exclude them a priori would be to produce a misleading historical statement. In fact, it is history, preserved in the archives and steeped in local stories and data, that reconstructs how the rosé sparkling wine adventure began. Some sources have shown that the history of Prosecco DOC Rosé began around 130 years ago, in 1880, with the first timid blends of white and black grapes, which were fermented using the artisanal techniques of the time. (And immediately there arose in the hearts of all wine lovers the regret of not having been able to taste the unique flavour of the first Prosecco Rosé in history). It was then at the turn of the second and third millennia, between the 1990s and the early 2000s, that it emerged that 57% of the 347 wineries in the 9 provinces of the current DOC appellation vinified Glera and Pinot Nero grapes using the Martinotti method (which is how Prosecco DOC is produced) in customised, often creative and free interpretation proportions.

The first brick in the making and construction of the personal history of Prosecco Rosé. The slow evolution of food technology has helped to develop the best fermentation, sugar control, the addition of carbon dioxide, improving and standardising production methods. From there to applying them to different types of grapes, the step was only apparently short. Because in reality, to include Prosecco Rosé in the Prosecco DOC, the task was very demanding.

To enforce a millimetric specification such as that of Prosecco DOC means putting in place chemical analyses, organoleptic and sensory analyses, grape ripening and harvest times, fermentation durations, and so on throughout the entire production process. Extending the parameters and establishing precise must-have points is not so immediate: to many, they seem like cold numbers to be respected, the bureaucracy of the specifications is often read as a game for the creative flair of the producers, but in reality, it is the only guarantee of excellence that covers the entire chain from the first step, from the clod of earth to the sip in the glass. The process of modifying the production regulations to introduce the Rosé type under the protection of the Consortium began back in 2009, with the first proposals falling on deaf ears.

There was still not enough movement, or attention, in the sparkling wine-making of the Glera&Pinot Noir (vinified in red) blend, although some Prosecco Rosé was beginning to make its way. Faced with the ever-increasing demands of the market, which was growing proportionally, fixing the key points became an urgent necessity: work began in May 2019, and the expanded specification officially came into force on 11 August 2020. It contains everything that governs the Prosecco DOC Rosé appellation, starting with the organisation of the carefully regulated harvest, within the limits of the variable weather conditions of the spring-summer preceding the harvest. The Pinot Noir grapes ripen between the middle and end of August, the Glera grapes about two weeks later. It is a waiting game, when the Pinot Noir grapes are placed in contact with the skins for 5 to 10 days, depending on the shade of colour that the producer wants to give his Prosecco Rosé. In the meantime, the Glera grapes are harvested, the Pinot Noir grapes are freed from the skins and the preferred blend is made, respecting the proportions set out in the regulations (85% Glera, 10-15% Pinot Noir) and establishing sugar control: like its brother Prosecco DOC, the Rosé must also respect four types of “sugar content”, ranging from Brut Nature to Extra Brut, Brut and Extra Dry. The subsequent sparkling process, the moment that definitively defines the range of the sparkling wine, lasts 60 days and the bottle can finally reach the market. From there, it’s personal taste and matching. But there is an irreplaceable imagery that precedes, and embraces, the choice of Prosecco DOC Rosé: the freshness, the liveliness of a moment of escape from everyday life, the light idea of spring pink even in the middle of autumn. Hints of acacia blossom, violets and wisteria, and the fullness of red fruits with a touch of green apple and citrus fruits, are enhanced by an effervescence that is an invitation to life.

To toast, sweetly, to one’s own something to celebrate.

 

If we were to dot the i’s, lately not even Christmas has been “with your folks”, but splitting hairs is useless. The fact remains that Easter, compared to the December holidays, has always been freer, less traditional and independent. Translated: no set menu – colomba apart – and the opportunity to toast and dine with the bottles you love most, Prosecco DOC (obviously) included. More than “with whom you want”, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say “as you want”: after the year we lived – and we’re still living – we’ve learned that being slaves to obligations and conventions represents a weight that we no longer want to bear.

So, why not structure a Prosecco DOC-proof menu to maximize its floral and fruity aroma, as well as its fresh, light and lively flavor? Let’s start from a basic assumption: Prosecco DOC is synonymous of aperitivo (aperitif), of which it’s a kind of king, but it lends itself very well – in particular in its Brut version, drier and in line with a more international taste – for a consumption throughout the meal.

Bubbles have always been a perfect accompaniment to seafood crudités in general: with oysters, cockles, truffles or simply with scampi and prawns from Mazara del Vallo: Prosecco DOC, with its sharp but at the same time delicate taste balances the flavor of these ingredients, enhancing the aromas.

But there’s much more: fried sage leaves; canapés or cream puffs stuffed with smoked salmon or sturgeon; caviar and paté; shrimps in cocktail sauce; cheeses such as smoked scamorza, provola, ricotta or caciocavallo, sweet gorgonzola or medium-aged pecorino are perfect together with Prosecco DOC, as well as savory pies made with asparagus, radicchio from Treviso, onions or carrots. The association with recipes based on green vegetables such as zucchini, chards, or spinach is a win-win, especially if the latter are combined with ricotta – see under the heading Erbazzone or Torta Pasqualina. Delicate and elegant, Prosecco DOC is also excellent with pumpkin or cauliflower soufflé, as well as with potato or tartiflette flan.

What about meat and cold cuts lovers? Not even them are destined to remain dry- mouthed: it might seem a contradiction – being led to immediately think of a red when it comes to certain foods – yet a Prosecco DOC Brut is deliciously combined with mortadella or cooked ham (less with salami or raw ham, too spicy, which require a different support).

 

Green light for first courses with seafood or delicate meat sauces; vegetable soups and second courses that include baked fish (sea bream or sea bass) or white meats, especially poultry. If you are among those who need to keep in shape and do not like meals with many courses but prefer unique dishes or nice salads, Prosecco DOC – this time in its Extra Dry version – is the right choice to make more interesting apparently anonymous dishes. Some examples? A caprese with mozzarella, tomato and basil; a rice salad with summer ingredients; a Niçoise with fresh tuna and Cantabrian anchovies; an exotic fruit salad such as mango and avocado with a side of walnuts.

Having reached the end with the coveted dessert, it’s better to opt for a Prosecco DOC Dry, which with its delicate and fruity aroma – with hints of citrus, white peach and green apple –, with its savory, fresh and soft taste, and with its higher sugar level, served very cold it is suitable for combinations with dry or leavened pastry desserts (as the colomba). Woe to committing one of the most common mistakes: the bubbles of a dry sparkling wine are never accompanied by dessert; in this case the pairing rules follow the principle of concordance, that is sweet with sweet. Which, at a close look, will also allow you to cover all three types of sparkling wine in a single lunch: to be an Easter in the orange or red zone, which we will remember for life, it could have been much worse.

How to cool down during these upcoming warm months with a chill, refreshing Prosecco DOC and elderflower based cocktail. You’ll be the most requested bartender at family gathering and barbecues.

 

This refreshing aperitif, made of three fantastically simple ingredients, elderflower cordial (or liqueur as the all time favourite St.Germain) Prosecco DOC and a dash of seltzer water, is all you need to spend your warm spring days, contemplating life while sat under a willow tree – because who doesn’t spend summer like that – maybe wondering why you hadn’t heard of a Hugo sooner than right then and there.  The sweet, earthy tones of elderflower pair fantastically with Prosecco DOC’s sharp and clean flavour.

Why have we kept it a secret for so long, you might ask?
Well we haven’t, as before 2005 this drink was not even a thing; It took Roland Gruber’s beautiful mind and palate to come up with the Hugo cocktail. The discovery took place in Italy’s Tyrol region, in the beautiful dolomites where Mr. Gruber has created a modern classic that is so deeply anchored in our hearts and cocktail lists, that it resembles the ascension to fame of the Penicillin, created at New York’s Milk and Honey by star bartender Sam Ross, in the same year, 2005.
What a truly great year for cocktails.
He has gifted us with something that we did not know we were missing, and there is no doubt on why it became such a huge success.
The other reason for its success?
Prosecco DOC, clearly.
Italy’s sparkling wine that is becoming increasingly loved outside of our country, also known as the forefather – or mother – of the aperitivo scene, and the elderflower’s fresh, botanical and fruity tones give it an incredibly jammy mouthfeel.

Lets talk a bit of history here:
Place yourself sunbathing in the Dolomites valley, it’s mid-spring, the days are getting longer you can almost feel summer creeping around the corner, it is at this exact point in time in which foragers around the world unanimously shout to their families “ go fetch the elderflowers, before they disappear”.
The tradition, the history, the foragers, tell you should only utilise and harvest the flowers mid morning, as far away as possible from car’s fumes, when the small closed flowers begin to sunbathe – just like you would – and they are starting to channel all the goods the sun has to offer them , but they haven’t yet been exposed to too much heat, that is why you wouldn’t collect them in the late afternoon… Elderflowers are as beautiful and tasty as fickle, as they are unfortunately only in bloom for a single month throughout the year, from late May to end of June.

We would like to help you turn this fantasy easily into reality by giving you a simple Elderflower  cordial recipe, you’ll need only water, lemon and sugar and the superbe white flowers to create a tasty beverage. (For our favourite recipe just keep scrolling!)
The elderflower cordial is one of those incredible nectars that will leave you begging for more, as even if it is high in sugar, it doesn’t bother the consumer as one might think. How you ask? Well, as per everything that is sugary and has to be preserved a fair amount of time, we cut it with some fresh zesty, acidic lemon, that will cut thought the sweetness enough to make it unforgettable. A true sign of summer’s beginning.

Another brilliant aspect of this drink is its low – alcohol content, and the dryness and freshness of Prosecco that make it an unmitigated success for an Aperitivo. Now , decades have gone by, and Hugo remains in our hearts and minds : and that is how you create a modern, new classic starting from tradition.
Just like the incredibly famous Aperol or Campari Spritz, Hugo cocktail has all the Italian favourites, it is refreshing, sweet, zesty, and a beautiful crisp bouquet thanks to the final mint garnish.

Talking about tradition, what differs between the traditional Spritz and a Hugo Spritz?

It is said that the name Spritz comes from the German “spritzen”: during the nineteenth century when Veneto was under the Hapsburg rule, the German speakers in the area that were there as diplomats, merchants, visitors etc.. were not used to the potency of our wines, and they used to “cut” it down with a dash of water. “Spritz me up this wine will you barkeep”.

As you might imagine, sparkling wine in the area was already all the rage, so the first spritzes were sparkling glera and water, and as this concoction became increasingly popular around Veneto, bartenders and hosts in general began playing with this idea of spritzes and making it their own, blending them to their taste. It became the most served drink in the beginning of the twentieth century, catering to both the people in the streets of Italy as a pre-dinner drink, and the lavish Austrian and German society events.
Aperol spritz was already Italy’s favourite spritz in the fifties. The incredibly famous aperitif was created in 1919 in Padua by the Barbieri brothers, as a bitter aperitif made of rhubarb, gentian and china, its colour reminisces of Campari’s bright orange, but with a lower abv.

The Hugo was created as variation to an Aperol Spritz, Mr. Gruber must have been inspired by the beautiful intoxicating scent of the elderflower trees growing on the side of the alps. The bitterness of the Aperol is replaced by a dash of elderflower cordial its taste incremented by lime and mint, making a lighter, crisper drink.

How to: Hugo cocktail for beginners.

It is devastating how easy it is to make this drink, and how well it fits in any sort of “gathering”.
It could be easily made at home, for a party, for your 5pm lockdown Aperitivo,  during a barbecue, a picnic and so on.
The ingredients you will need are as follow, and the glass you’ll need is a large wine glass:
– Elderflower cordial, to taste
– Prosecco DOC, your favourite brand will do.
– dash of sparkling water or seltzer
– a squeezed lime wedge
– mint is the classic garnish for it, but we say go wild, try something new, something you like.
– Ice

How to mix it, serve it and drink it
There are just a few simple steps that almost any Italian (certainly everyone above 18 from Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia) know by heart.
Firstly fill you wine glass with a lot of ice, don’t be shy, the more ice the less watery your drink will get, then add the elderflower cordial and the lime juice, plus the lime wedge it came from and mix it a bit.
Add the sparkling water to it, mix a bit again, and top up with your favourite Prosecco DOC.
You can certainly use Prosecco DOC Rosé to recreate the orangish hue of Aperol Spritz.

Garnish how you please.

For the cordial recipe, follow river cottage’s step by step guide to an amazing Elderflower cordial.

Enjoy responsibly.

 

Take life lightly, as lightness is not superficiality, but gliding over things from above.
Italo Calvino

L I G H T N E S S  T H A T  I N S P I R E S

Our story begins with our two young protagonists. She, Asian-Italian, is a young career woman on a business trip to Italy. He, the waiter, loves “the beautiful game” and art.

We are in the province of Treviso at La Ghiacciaia Restaurant, one of the most beautiful restaurants for interior design in the world. Alida is so engrossed in her frenetic activity that she doesn’t notice the offer of a
glass of Prosecco DOC from our waiter Joe.

Between one phone call and another, Alida decides to indulge in a break.

She does not know the world behind a glass of Prosecco until he puts her nose to the glass… In that instant, the bouquet of roses and acacia flowers intoxicates her, transporting her to a world in which nature is art and art is as natural as life.

It is a journey to the places of the Italian Genio.

This spirit, or Genius loci, is Antonio Canova, neoclassical sculptor, and Trevisano “DOC”.
We see this spirit inside the Canova Gypsotheca, among the neoclassical plaster statues of this great genius, among which Adonis and Venus stand out.

It is a journey posible only in the company of Joe and Prosecco DOC and Prosecco DOC rosé .

In a rhythmic and prolonged sequence, in addition to Canova’s Gypsotheca, we visit many places: Trieste with its Piazza Unità d’Italia, “Molo Audace” and Miramare Castle, Venice and its Canal Grande and the eighteenth-century Goldoni Theater, Prato della Valle and Sant’Antonio in Padua, the Natural Park of the Isonzo River Mouth near Gorizia, the basilica of Aquileia, the airiness of the paintings by Giambattista Tiepolo in Vicenza, the Palladian Villa Emo, the source of the Livenza in Gorgazzo, the Belluno Dolomites, the Temple of Canova in Possagno.

In this voyage we also visit a typical semi-bellussera vineyard and a unique circular vineyard.

It is a journey of love.

The etheral nature of neoclassical art is harmony, lightness, grace.
The sail we see in the blue sea blown by the breeze is directed towards the Far East.
Like the Venetian Marco Polo, drawn to explore new lands.

Our woman, hard at first, has now rediscovered lightness, the one that elevates us above gravity and weight of existence.

Bright bubbles rise forming worlds, the world of prosecco is straw yellow and antique pink but its iridescent shades are elusive.

It is a world in motion.

The sail, free, continues its voyage.
Reality returns after every dream.

But this time aware that a glass of Prosecco is enough to make us dream again.

 

LIGHTNESS THAT INSPIRES – a film by Carlo Guttadauro
starring Giovanni Luzi and Alida Gazzotti

 

Click here to watch the short movie “Lightness That Inspire”

Click here to watch the clip

Click here to watch the story

 

 

50 TOP ITALY, international cultural project whose aim is to share a map of the Italian restaurants all over the world, has started a Made in Italy enhancement project in Japan in collaboration with the Consorzio di Tutela della DOC Prosecco.

“L’Italia in Giappone” aims to present some of the protagonists of Italian restaurants in the Japanese territory, pairing their signature dishes with a glass of the most exported and consumed Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco DOC.

A format of 4 videos, with 4 chefs and 4 Prosecco DOC labels.

Pasquale Makishima, Pizzeria Braceria Cesari (Nagoya) – Le Contesse Prosecco DOC Rosé Brut Millesimato 2020

 

Peppe Errichiello, Napoli sta’ ca” (Tokyo) – Torresella Prosecco DOC Rosé Brut Millesimato 2020

 

Francesco Taglialatela (Tokyo) – La Marca Prosecco DOC Extra Dry

 

Chef Takahashi, Mansalva (Tokyo) – Villa Sandi Prosecco DOC Rosé Brut Millesimato 2020 “Il Fresco”

 

Italians, a population of saints, poets and navigators. But amidst the seas of Prosecco DOC bubbles, it is easy for even the most experienced readers of Italian Genius on wine-nautical charts to lose their bearings and be misled by the seductive songs of the sirens of libations, clouding their judgement, mixing up their knowledge without following any clear logic. But even just starting to choose a bottle of Prosecco DOC from the shelves of our favourite wine shop or from those of the best supermarket in the area, following our instinct, reading the label or relying on the recommendations of an expert, means becoming aware that you are taking the first decisive physical step in a precise tasting ritual, made up of lots of little moments, crucial and indispensable to the pleasure of the final (or first, depending on your point of view) sip. And here the most virtuous and influential of Dante Alighieri’s quotations must be adopted: You were not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge. Even in the realm of things to know about Prosecco DOC, which might look simple but is actually fraught with subtle and unique peculiarities.

What exactly is Prosecco DOC?

Prosecco DOC is a white wine with a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Controlled Designation of Origin) that can only be recognised if it is made in the north-eastern part of Italy, between the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, in a total of nine provinces: four in FVG -Gorizia, Trieste, Udine and Pordenone- and five in Veneto -Belluno, Padua, Treviso, Venice, Vicenza-, which embrace the gentle curve overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Prosecco DOC is made from Glera grapes, a white grape variety with long bunches and softly golden berries, native to the Prosecco DOC areas, accounting for at least 85% of the total grapes selected. The special tying and topping carried out on the Glera vines allows the fullest concentration of the aromas, so that the berries are intensely fragrant and can release the most sensual and mysterious scents during fermentation. The remaining 15% can be made up of various types of grape, such as Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, the much-loved and extremely versatile Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio and, more recently, a blend with Pinot Noir vinified off skins has become very popular. However, most of the work is naturally done by the autochthonous (or native) Glera, the finest expression of the terroir. There are also two special DOCs that can only refer to white wines made from grapes grown, harvested, vinified and bottled in the provinces of Treviso and Trieste, and these are Prosecco DOC Treviso and Prosecco DOC Trieste respectively. True connoisseurs of Prosecco DOC know that it is worth tasting them to capture the wonderful affinities that unite two cities and two territories that are only geographically distant.

How many types of Prosecco DOC are there and what are the differences?

In its sparkling, apparent simplicity as a democratic wine, loved by all and dynamically versatile (for cooking, celebratory toasts and enhancing cocktails), Prosecco DOC actually hides little subtleties that highlight the differences. And they define the three different types, all of which are highly esteemed and appreciated to varying degrees: Spumante, Frizzante, Tranquillo. The first, Prosecco DOC Spumante, is the most famous and widely used without ever being ostentatious, perfect for every moment of the day and your life. It is recognised by its very fine, light and persistent perlage. Depending on the sugar content (from 0 to a maximum of 50 g/litre), it can be Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry or Demi-Sec, and it is precisely because of this wide range of sugar contents that it pairs so well with a wide variety of dishes, whether it is with olives, taralli or fried baby octopus, a full dinner or a quick lunch. Prosecco DOC Frizzante has lots of bubbles and just as much personality, with its straw yellow colour and dry or semi-dry flavour, more delicate but at the same time very exuberant. Prosecco DOC Tranquillo has no bubbles but all the authenticity of a white wine. It is less common on the market but definitely worth trying in this delicate variant. Imported since the 1800s and perfected over the centuries, it is also worth rediscovering Prosecco DOC made using the bottle fermentation technique, which creates volcanic bottles with a captivating palate.

How do you choose the best Prosecco DOC?

The creation of the production regulations made it possible to fully protect the DOC, which must comply rigorously with certain characteristics, also with regard to sales. The labels bear the government seal with the letters DOC in blue ink, printed with anti-counterfeiting systems, which seals the bottle to prevent falsification: an opened bottle of Prosecco DOC is “inactivated”, and cannot be filled, resealed and passed off as authentic. New technologies assign QR codes to the bottles which, when scanned, communicate the authenticity of the wine chosen on your smartphone. In compliance with legislation, the talking label must bear the logo, the wording Prosecco DOC and the certification of origin explicitly stating Italia – Product of Italy.

How do you serve Prosecco DOC?

Have you ever tried drinking a warm sparkling wine, or even simply one that is at room temperature? You really don’t want to. There are less painful ways of atoning for your sins. And Prosecco DOC, the celebrated progenitor of Italian-style perlage, follows the golden rule of chilling which makes it more enjoyable to drink. This is how to serve Prosecco DOC: chilled, straight from the fridge, unlike pasta or any other food… brrr. So grab a thermometer: 6-8 degrees maximum, the colder the better, because it will tend to warm up in any environment anyway, and a well-chilled ice buckets to hold the bottle, which must be plunged into ice at least to the start of the neck.

How do you store Prosecco DOC?

Unlike those who like to meditate while sipping full-bodied, structured and well-aged reds, Prosecco DOC lovers are not people who dwell on things for long. Translated into practical terms: Prosecco DOC is not a wine to be stored. It is extemporary, cheerful, immediate, in a certain sense delicately ephemeral: an invitation to seize the moment. This is why it should preferably be consumed within the year following harvest, while it is at its aromatic and carbonic best. Ready to pop the cork with the perfect energy for every little moment of joy in your day-to-day life.

 

 

Apericena, a delicious mystery. Especially for non-Italian speakers, this neologism might sound puzzling, though it has earned a mention in the prestigious Treccani Encyclopedia, as it quickly became the surrealist protagonist of our time. This newly-coined event literally disrupted the rigid time scheme of conventional meals like a seductive dissident of good daily habits. In fact, it can be regarded as an informal evening meal involving aperitifs and tapas-style food in the form of a buffet that does not take place at a fixed time. Yet, it can be praised and rediscovered also at home, especially during times in which a careless spring aperitif, extended beyond sunset – the sole time frame indication you can think of for an apericena – seems very distant from us. A light aperitif buffet makes your life easier as it requires nothing but the desire – and the will – to shake off a tough day as soon as possible. It allows you to taste different foods, unleashes your creativity in the kitchen, explores diversity day after day. No more buffets overcrowded with hundreds of options but rather targeted and mouth-watering small portions, tasty and often nutritionally balanced, which at the same time enhance your drink of choice. At the beach or in a meadow on the Dolomites, in the empty cities in summer or in the spring twilight that call for one drink after another, breaking free from schedules is the best response to the desire of not feeling constrained, tied to rhythms imposed by others, free to create our own time. Like its cousin, the evergreen midday aperitif nostalgically evoking past times along with the polished bowls lined up on the counter, the apericena gives its best with the magical combination of food + wine, borrowed from its closest relative (and later extended to the brunch too, the only breakfast where you can drink alcohol without being given the evil eye – God bless the Bloody Mary). The usual glass of Prosecco DOC that refreshes the throat and comes with olives, peanuts and a few canapés – just to settle your growling stomach so you don’t starve until lunchtime – is still the linchpin of every end-of-day break.

The perfect match of cocktails, wine and food typical of the aperitif buffet is often interpreted with flexibility and creativity by chefs, mixologists and even pizza makers from all over the world, who came up with incredibly delicious creations.

Tasty dishes go hand in hand with a good glass of Prosecco DOC, whose qualities are highly appreciated across all regions. At SanBrite, a stone’s throw from Cortina, its soft and fresh bubbles enhance the taste of one of the most famous dishes of the Michelin-starred restaurant (Mountain Pine spaghetti, served in a flamboyant bowl covered with plant buds). Farther south, descending to the Amalfi Coast, one of the highlights of the Faro di Capo d’Orso restaurant (near Salerno) is Leeks cooked under the ashes, a purely vegan dish rich in contrasting flavours that will tease your taste buds; Prosecco DOC is, once again, the perfect pair for a smooth tasting experience. Italy’s most famous sparkling wine also enhances the crunchy and soft components of the Tagliolini cooked in tomato water with whitefish tartare and ground burnt onion, according to the haute cuisine standards of La Casa degli Spiriti in Verona. We are talking about gourmet restaurants, a sector that has quickly adapted to changing times and new needs.
Every dish has a love story with Prosecco DOC, from Southern Italy, the land of sumptuous creations that have the taste of the sea blended with vegetables, emphasised by the right bead, to the peculiarities of the North, where the combination of pizza + sparkling wine has become a must of social apericena events; not to forget foreign markets where brilliant intuitions and creative cultural crossovers are booming. The apericena has become an opportunity to loosen the rigid schemes of a centuries-old tradition.

Is there an exact time to start an apericena? Theoretically, no. It’s a profoundly inclusive event that contains the moment of dinner while removing all the non-essential features to get to the core: satisfying your appetite with tempting dishes and quenching your thirst with the best drink. At the Ceresio 7 restaurant in Milan, drinks are meticulously designed around the personality of the guests sitting at the bar or on the terrace and consist of low-alcohol cocktails based on Prosecco DOC mixed with juices of fruit macerated in apple vinegar and sugar. At the Quanto Basta restaurant, in the heart of the historic centre of Lecce, behind the Duomo, the traditional Spritz was reinvented and became Fragoletta (in honour of the Italian composer Rossini), with strawberries, vincotto vinegar, apple vinegar and Prosecco DOC; it was also transformed in a tribute to bubbles, mixing Amaro di Angostura, gin, chamomile syrup and shaken pineapple extract, all filled up with Prosecco DOC. Who would not like to hop from one tray to another following a series of well-designed, delicious, satisfying single portions that are a feast for the eyes and palate? A style loved by millennials, perhaps, but after all, the apericena knows no age as it breaks down social and time barriers. The same goes for the alici in tortiera (anchovies cooked in the baking tin) of the Quisisana restaurant in Capri, where you can sit in the terrace overlooking the sea stacks as you breathe in, embrace and eat the whole Mediterranean Sea while the umami taste of the bluefish cooked with breadcrumbs, a peasant food par excellence, is enhanced in the pairing with friggitelli, caressing the palate.

The apericena conciliates everyone’s needs, those who are hungry and those who are not, those who love to chase new tastes bite after bite and those who would spend their lives with their feet under a table. The neologism that linguists refer to as a portmanteau – a blend of words, in this case, aperitivo (aperitif) and cena (dinner) – is closely related to another very Italian term that still evokes the concept of time: espresso. Not in the sense of the coffee served at the bar, but as in ‘express’, rapid creation and execution of a dish, almost on the spot. Even though this could apparently clash with the extended hours of the apericena, it is actually a key component of the happening. Danilo Cortellini, UK Brand Ambassador of Prosecco DOC, gives his interpretation of this form of aperitif buffet through his eat & drink recipes that not only enrich the apericena but also make it perfect for all seasons. The Sea bream carpaccio with pomegranate sorbet and Prosecco DOC Rosé is a fresh dish, of the highest quality, which requires little preparation and is guaranteed to satisfy the palate of all ‘sparkling wine and fish’ lovers. The chef recommends serving the sorbet in iced glasses to maintain the right texture.

Yield: 4

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 5 mins

Category: Starter

Ingredients:

2 sea bream 500-600 g each (frozen at -20 °C for at least 24 hours)

2 teaspoons pomegranate seeds

1 ripe avocado

20 g peeled and roasted hazelnuts

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon

1 radicchio

1 cup basil or other herbs for garnishing

Salt and pepper to taste

For the sorbet

200 ml Prosecco DOC Rosé

100 ml freshly squeezed pomegranate juice

25 g sugar

Directions

Start with the sorbet: dissolve the sugar with the pomegranate, let it cool and add the Prosecco Rosé. Place it in the freezer (you will have to scrape it to get the right consistency) or in the ice cream maker.

For the fish: using a very sharp knife, cut some fillets from the central part making sure that the fish is clean (rinse it with running water if necessary). Dry it thoroughly and remove the bones with tweezers. Cut it into very thin slices keeping the skin down.

Mash the avocado with a little lemon, salt and pepper, into a puree and put it in a pastry bag.

Arrange the fish slices on a large plate and season with lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Add some avocado cream, coarsely chop the hazelnuts and the pomegranate seeds. Add the leaves of radicchio and basil or the herb of your choice. Serve the sorbet on the side, still frozen.

Danilo Cortellini also proposes delicious cheese Zeppole with Prosecco DOC Zabaione in two variants: with crispy bacon or in the vegetarian version, without meat.

 

Yield: 8

Prep: 50 mins

Cook: 20 mins

 

Categories: starter / main course

Ingredients:

For the Zeppole:

3 eggs

75 ml water

75 ml milk

60 g butter

90 g 00 flour

20 g grated Grana Padano

A pinch of salt

For the Zabaione:

4 egg yolks

100 ml Prosecco DOC Brut

40 g grated Grana Padano

1 g saffron

120 g whipped cream

Salt and pepper to taste

To garnish

Grana Padano crust, swollen and ground

2 egg whites

Grated Grana Padano Riserva

8 slices of crispy bacon

Directions:

If you’ve never made the cheese crust swell, you will be amazed at how simple it is! Place the crust on a dish and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds – 1 minute and watch it inflate. Remove the gummy or singed parts with a sharp knife. Let it cool and

grind it with a blender.

To prepare the Zabaione with Prosecco DOC, thoroughly mix the egg yolks with the Prosecco, grated Grana Padano and saffron in a large steel bowl. Place the bowl in a bain-marie and cook gently while stirring to create a soft cream similar to Zabaione. Never let the water reach a boil to prevent the eggs from splitting.

Once the mixture is thick and creamy, remove from heat and allow to cool. Add salt and pepper to your taste and mix gently. The result should be a soft and delicate texture similar to Chantilly cream.

To make the Choux pastry, melt the butter in a mixture of milk and water, then gradually add the sifted flour, whisking gently. Add a pinch of salt and cook for a couple of minutes while mixing with a wooden spatula to make sure the flour is evenly cooked. Remove from heat and, while the mixture is still hot, add the eggs one at a time, stirring gently.

Allow the pastry to cool and place it in a pastry bag. Spread the parchment paper on a baking sheet and work the Zeppole into dough rings, about 10 cm in diameter. You can make a second layer of dough to create higher, softer rings.

Bake them in the oven at 170 °C for about 18 minutes or until they turn golden brown and have doubled in size. Allow to cool down. For a crunchier crust, brush the Zeppole with beaten egg whites and sprinkle them with the ground cheese crust. Bake again at 180 °C for 2 minutes and allow to cool.

Cut the Zeppole horizontally and fill them with abundant Prosecco DOC Zabaione. Sprinkle them with grated Grana Padano and chop the crispy bacon on top. Eat while still hot (who could resist,

anyway?!).

Pizza is also a great alternative for an apericena menu. A mainstay of Italian gastronomy, it can be an excellent solution to satisfy the desire to try different tastes, giving a twist to the aperitif buffet. After confirming beyond doubt the absolute deliciousness of a sparkling Prosecco DOC paired with pizza, in all its variations of toppings and doughs, all that is left is an embarrassment (and curiosity) of riches. A traditional Margherita or Marinara from the most authentic Neapolitan tradition of Gino Sorbillo, well risen, with a considerable cornicione (outer edge), to double up and polish off voraciously, to pair with a classic Prosecco DOC Brut, served very cold, to help you keep the palate clean and lighten up the chewing.

A brilliant wine & food pairing lesson can be learnt in the lands of Prosecco DOC, specifically, in the province of Belluno, where Denis Lovatel opened his Pizzeria Da Ezio. Being a mountain man, he likes his pizzas thinner and crunchy – a crunch, as he calls it – with toppings that greatly enhance, specifically, white pizzas. This is where the Prosecco DOC expresses all its freshness and aromatic vivacity, making the cheese creams feel lighter in the mouth as well as the savoury, tasty and most important ingredients, so they can be eaten at any time. Prosecco DOC is versatile and fresh, it can be light or supportive as needed. The flexibility in time, structure and gastronomy of the apericena is balanced by Prosecco DOC’s quiet elegance of unshakable certainty. Par tout.

 

 

 

Success! And the cork pops as a crowd of glasses gathers under the froth to catch every single drop of those precious bubbles. Nocturnal scenes of theatres, open, throbbing with emotions, with actors, technicians and stagehands all pooling their skills to work a magic spell. The bond between theatre and wine is deep, geological, ancestral. The successful partnership between Teatro Stabile del Veneto “Carlo Goldoni”, the theatrical production association that brings together three important structures within the region -Treviso’s Teatro Mario del Monaco, Padua’s Teatro Verdi and Venice’s Teatro Goldoni-, and Consorzio del Prosecco DOC, is precisely this: an update that continues to weave the ancient, wonderful habits of open dialogue between theatre and wine into the present. A shared project that starts from languages, from vocabularies that borrow themes and meanings from one another, from the continuous evocation of a propitiatory rite of happiness. Temporary and fleeting, just like all kinds of happiness. The tradition of performing on stage dates back to Greece and its ancient myths, when people used to worship the god of wine and theatre Dionysus (Bacchus to the Romans) with specially created performances. Their purpose was not only to stage the legends and beliefs of a deeply fervid culture, but also to emphasise the power of the god, the ability to unleash real human instincts with the help of the wine that he glorified, and, above all, to indirectly reveal the vagaries of nature, so changeable as to be beyond any real control, and only tameable – and even then without any guarantees – in certain variables. Comedies, dramas and tragedies were written in that distant past, and who knows how much they were influenced by the different reactions to the gulps of fermented wine that the actors drank to give themselves courage. What better representative of the twin category than Mirandolina, La Locandiera (The Mistress of the Inn), with her quick wit and generous readiness to top up every glass, celebrated by the irreverent genius of Carlo Goldoni as a sublime expression of female Machiavellian intelligence?

Creating theatre by combining different fields of action and drawing inspiration from the most diverse sources. And it has survived to this day, taking on new forms and interpretations without ever betraying its soul. Self-congratulatory, as well, because it is right to shine a spotlight on what deserves recognition. Every (self) representation is an acclamation, every bottle a symbol. In the joyous staging of the the aria Libiamo ne’ lieti calici from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, generously full glasses are carried on stage, and what better way to celebrate and imbibe than with the deliciously crisp bubbles of a Prosecco DOC? Librettist Francesco Maria Piave, author of the most famous toast in modern and contemporary opera, would have loved it. The relationship between the Art of Prosecco and the Art of Theatre, which we have a moral duty to acknowledge with capital letters, evolves with the tenacity of a twisted vine and blossoms in even the harshest of times. This, when all is said and done, is the Italian Genius of Culture: the  ability to adapt, the mutual permeability between very different sectors, the interpretation of new technologies placed at the service of age-old traditions. Italian Genius is multidisciplinary, extracurricular, the thread that links stories that are only apparently distant; pulling that thread means raising the curtain of a theatre and revealing what was hidden until just a moment before. The art of Theatre, Wine and Making Do, brilliantly. As happened this year for the performance of Tosca to mark the 120th anniversary of its first performance, with the streaming of Puccini’s opera: Teatro Stabile del Veneto is the first company in Italy to have taken a live performance of an opera online. And the live streaming, in this year in which our theatres have all been closed to audiences, was an amazing success, quadrupling the hypothetical (and non-existent) physical attendance. More than 800 spectators watched the live broadcast, with over 2000 subsequent viewings, to enjoy once again the unchanged charm of an eternal love story. The event was so well received that the decision was made to repeat it with Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, the most popular of all operettas and so very different from the lyrical drama of Tosca. The effervescence of the main character was also reflected in the sets that showcased the exploits of Hanna Glavari and Count Danilo, with the six-metre-tall bottle of Prosecco DOC made for the presentation of Prosecco DOC Rosé which, in this staging of the operetta, is slowly poured into a giant glass at the centre of the stage, mischievously separating the two cantankerous lovers..

The boards of the stage and the twisted curves of the vines share the same essence. Regardless of whether we are talking about melodic operas, comedies or tragedies, what unites theatrical performance and Prosecco DOC is the very concept of artistic creation. And of shrewd, intelligent interpretation of reality: theatre allows us to embody something we are not, to discover parts of ourselves that would otherwise be forgotten or unexplored, to bring out the distinguishing features of who we do not want to (or cannot) be. A long introspective journey inside ourselves, that becomes a public story, a (re)creative catharsis. As is the case with Prosecco DOC, the final goal is to achieve the highest standard, compliant with the production regulations, pursuing your own individual approach in the cellar. Winegrowers as the directors of a collective production, in which the actors promise to uphold their reputation for individuality and unpredictability, while allowing themselves to be directed so that the final performance, on stage and in the bottle, is of the finest possible quality. The same thing happens with the Italian Genius of what foreign consumers consider the most recognisable, identifying and tantalising Italian wine, with an unveiling of the innermost self, sip after sip, gradually setting all inhibitions aside. Freeing a voice that sounds so intimate and unusual that we sometimes struggle to recognise it as our own. Like a gentle song that echoes from the vineyards, and an unexpected offstage declamation.