Monthly Archives: June 2025

June 26, 2025 · 1:39 am

THE EXTRAORDINARY WINES OF ABRUZZO

I have been to the Abruzzo region in central Italy a number of times, not only for the wine but also for the food and the scenic beauty of the countryside. So when I received the following invitation I was only to happy to accept.

“The Charming Taste of Europe” Abruzzo-NYC 6/23 Master Class and Walk Around Tasting at Il Gattopardo Restaurant NYC.

The speakers were Davide Acerra, present of the Concordia Tutela d’Abruzzo and Alison Napjus, the Wine Spectator’s Senior Editor and Tasting Director.

Located to the east of Rome, Abruzzo has everything going for it. There are beautiful national parks, a long coastline on the Adriatic, the rugged snowcapped Apennine Mountains, and little medieval towns perched precariously on hilltops. Abruzzo is situated between the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso and Majella massif. It is one of the most unspoiled regions of Italy with three national parks and more than ten national and regional natural reserves.  Abruzzo geographically is more central than southern Italy, but due to its connection with the old Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, it is considered part of the South. Abruzzo is divided into four provinces: L’Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, and Chieti. Most vineyards are in hilly areas of which 75% are in the province of Chieti. Over two-thirds of the wine in Abruzzo is produced by cooperatives.

The traditional vine training method is the Tendone system also known as Pergola Abruzzese.

The three most important wine designations in Abruzzo are: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (red), Cerasuolo (rose), and Trebbiano D’Abruzzo (white). In terms of the wine produced, Abruzzo region is seventh in Italy.

Of the ten wineries listed below, I have visited eight of them.

Terre Di Chieti Pecorino D’Abruzzo Superiore DOC La Canaglia Bio 2024. Azienda Agricola Fontefico made from 100% Pecorino from a vineyard at 120 meters. The training system is guyot and there are 4,000 plants per hectare with an eastern exposure. The soil is iron, sand and clay. It is a single vineyard wine and is estate bottled. The farm is organic. This is a full bodied, crisp white wine with high minerality and hints of grapefruit, sage, and white flowers with a touch of almonds. It is called La Canaglia, the rascal, of Fontefico because the yields are very low. There is a different label on the bottle very year because every wine has its own personality. $27

Pecorino is an ancient grape variety which was “rediscovered” in the early 1980’s. The name in Italian means “little sheep” because the sheep liked to eat the grapes off the vines.

Abruzzo DOC Pecorino Biological 2023 Tenuta I Fauri made from 100% Pecorino. The soil is clay calcareous and the training and pruning methods are tendone, single curtain/rows (spur training). There are 1,600/3,000 vines per hectare. Static decanting of the must takes place, followed by a soft pressing. Fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled temperature and the wine is aged in stainless steel. It is bottled at the end of February. The wine has hints of apple and honey and a touch of mint.  $25Trebbiano D’Abruzzo  DOP Fosso Cancelli  Ciavolich 2021 Made from 100% Trebbiano D’Abruzzo. The soil is clay limestone and the training system is Pergola Abruzzese. The vineyards are at 250 meters.  Harvest takes place in the beginning of  September. Fermention is spontaneous using indigenous yeasts in big Slavonian oak barrels, terracotta amphorae of 8/15 hl without control of temperature. In the same containers the wine ages on lees for six months until it is carefully blended, then it is bottled to let it evolve in the bottle. The wine has hints of fresh white flowers, pumpkin, bitter honey and a touch of yellow stone fruit. $48

Trebbiano D’Abruzzo 2010 Valentini The wine is aged in large botti of Slavonian oak for 24 months. This was a very complex full wine with a mineral character, hints of citrus fruit and apple,  peach, melon, good acidity, great finish and aftertaste with that extra something that is difficult to describe. It is a great white wine. When I visited the winery a number of years ago the late Eduardo Valentino would not speak about how the wines were made, he only spoke about the vineyard and how he had the best Trebbiano clone. Edoardo passed away in 2006 after making wine for 50 years. His son Francesco has  kept up the tradition with great Trebbianos since his first solo vintage in 2007.  A white wine 15 years old and still wonderful! $275

The Trebbiano grape produces Trebbiano d’Abruzzo white wine. It is second in area covering over 5,000 hectares. This grape is planted all over Italy but it finds its best expression in Abruzzo.

Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo DOC Malandrino 2024 Cataldi Madonna made from 100% Monepulciano D’Abruzzo The soil is clay rich in calcareous skeleton and the exposure is northeast.The training system is Pergola and the vineyards are at 1,250 ft. Fermentation in stainless steel  tanks for 30 dats at 15 to 17 C. The wine then remains in stainless steel tanks until release. It has hints of strawberry and raspberry with a touch of red currants and a hint of rosewater. $23

Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo DOC Rosa-AE Bio 2024 Torre Dei Beati. Made from 100% Monepulciano D’Abruzzo.  The vineyard is at 250 t0 300 meters and the exposure is southeast and northwest. There are 1,600 to 5,000 plants per hectare and the soil is clayey-calcareous, The training system is Abruzzo pergola and spurred cordon.  Fermentation in stainless steel.  One part “bloodletting” of the reds after cold pre-maceration, one part very light direct pressing of the non-stemmed grapes, one part coming from cold maceration on the skins. Fermentation at 15-16° C. The wine remains in the stainless steel tanks for 6 months before release. The wine has hints of cherry, strawberry, pomegranate and roses. $19

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is a Rose’ made from the Montepulciano grape. It is made from the free run juice and/or juice with very little skin contact and the color can vary from light pink to dark red.

Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC Organic 2020 Emidio Pepe. Made  from 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzo. The soil is clay and limestone with the top 40 centimeters in clay on a solid layer of limestone. Both the tendone and pergola methods are used in the vineyard. The grapes are hand-destemmed on a net on top of a wooden vat.  Two people push the grapes back and forth until the berries fall down and the stems remain on the net unbroken. This way only the elegant and juicy tannins of the skin will go into the must but not the bitter ones from the stems. The berries remain almost intact which is important to retain the yeasts which are on the skins and really precious to the spontaneous fermentations. No sulfites are added to the wine. The juice is placed in glass lined cement tanks of 20/25hl.  The wine remains there for two years. The wine is then transferred to bottles by hand. The greatness of the wine comes with age. Recently I had the 1985 and just last week the 2001. This is a  fantastic wine.  The Winery is Organic and Bio-Dynamic and  belongs to the Triple “A”– Agriculturists Artisans Artists, an association of wine producers from around the world that believes in Organic and Bio-Dynamic production, terroir, and as little interference as possible by the winemaker in the winemaking process. Only natural yeast is used. This is a very impressive wine with deep  fruit aromas and flavors with hints of cherry, black currants, spice, leather and an elegant texture. It is one of those wonderful wines that is almost impossible to describe. $160

Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC Riserva San Martino Rosso Marina Cvetic 2021  Masciarelli made from 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from S. Martino sulla Marrucino at 400 meters and from the Colle di Paolo, Fonte Filippo, Schiavone and Colle Rosina vineyards. The training system is simple guyot and spurred cordon and Abruzzo pergola (canopy). There are 6,000 to 9,000 plants per hectare.  The vines are 15 to 30 years old. Harvest takes place in the middle of October. Fermentation is in stainless steel for 15 to 20 days and maceration is for 20 to 30 days. The different crus are vinified separately with dedicated fermentation and maceration, and aged in barriques for 12 months. Then the crus are blended, bottled and aged in bottle for at least 6 months. This is a complex and intense wine that has hints of red fruit, black fruit, spice, and cherry. $38

The Montepulciano grape produces Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Montepulciano is the most planted grape in Abruzzo and is grown on about 17,000 hectares. It represents 80% of the total DOC wine produced in Abruzzo. The Montepulciano grape has been in Abruzzo since the mid 17th Century.

Colline Teramane Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOCG Cocciopesto Bio 2021 Fattoria Nicodemi made from 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. The vineyards are at 300 meters. The soil is of a medium mixture of calcareous clay and there are 1,600 plants per hectare. The average age of the vines is 50 years and the training system is Abruzzo pergola. Harvest is near the end of October. Maceration is for 10–15 days and spontaneous fermentation takes place with ambient yeasts in cocciopesto amphorae. The wine spends 12 months in cocciopesto amphorae then it is decanted. No filtration before bottling. The wine remains in the bottle for 6 months before release. This is a full bodied and balanced wine with hints of blueberry, blackberry, spice with a touch of leather and a note of licorice. Thanks to a friend I was able to taste this wine in Rome last month. I really enjoyed it then and enjoyed it again today,

Cocciopesto is Ancient Opus Signinum that mixes brick, stone fragments, sand, binder and water. Cocciopesto isn’t like terracotta. It was used by the Romans and even before that, it had been used by the Phoenicians. It was used to clad aqueducts, cisterns and thermal baths. The shape of the wine container – inspired by the Roman dolium tradition – suggests that the egg-shaped interior’s convective motion fosters the recirculation of must during winemaking.  Cocciopesto amphorae do not impart any of “flavor” to the wines. $38

Coline Teramane Montepulicano D’Abruzzo Riserva DOCG Zanna 2019 Illuminati.  Produced only in the best vintages, Zanna is made with a selection of grapes from old vines (45 years old on average) from a single vineyard, pergola-trained with monitored low production through green harvest. The Zanna vineyard was the first planted by the estate, but is one of the last to be harvested.  Exposure is South and the average age of the vines is 45 years. After strong pruning and careful selection of grapes, it is produced only in the best of years. Maceration on the skins lasts 16 days at controlled temperature in stainless steel. Once malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is transferred into Slavonian oak casks (2/3 years old, 25 hl in size) where it remains for 24 months, followed by 2 years in bottle. This an intense red wine with hints of blackberry, blueberry, dried flowers, a hint of tobacco and a touch of licorice. $38

It is always a pleasure for me to taste the fine wines of Abruzzo and even better to drink them.

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June 23, 2025 · 1:29 am

TASTING EUROPEAN QUALITY WINES

The Taste the Difference Campaign, a European Union-funded initiative celebrating wines with PDO/PGI designations,  invited  me  to  attend  an  exclusive  media-only wine  tasting  on  Thursday, June  19.

This is a 3-year promotional campaign that aims to increase the wine trade’s and influencers’ awareness of European Quality Wines (PDO or PGI) in the USA, Italy and Spain. The campaign is promoted by Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) and Promotora dels Aliments Catalans (PRODECA).

Union Italiana Vini is the oldest and most trusted organization in Italian wine. Members include cooperatives, private wines, agricultural organizations, bottlers, brewing companies and laboratories. The members account for 50% of the total turnover of the Italian industry and 85% of the Italian  export market. They include 408 PDO wines. PDO and and PGI wines are considered to be high quality products, produced in accordance with national and European regulations.

Prodeca, Promotora de Exportaciones Catalanas is a public company established in 1986 and added to the ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia.

The speaker was Mark Guillaudeu, MS.   Due to his flight being cancelled, Mr. Guillaudeu was not there in person, but he was able to communicate with us thanks to an internet connection.  This educational tasting featured a tasting of five exceptional Italian wines highlighting their unique origins and characteristics.  Mr. Guillaudeu spoke about the terroir, how the wines were made and their characteristics.

Franz Hass “Manna” It is a cuvée of Riesling and Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and a small percentage of Sauvignon Blanc. Starting with the vintage of 2013, Kerner has been added by decreasing the percentages of Riesling and Gewürztraminer. The vines of five vineyards are located at an altitude between 350 and 800 meters above sea level. The soils are very different from each other and are of dolomite, porphyry, sandy and marble origin, facing southwest. Grapes are harvested and processed separately, due to different maturation periods. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are fermented in barrique, while Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Kerner are left to ferment in stainless steel tanks. At the end of the fermentation, the young wines are assembled to favor the combination and harmonization of the various aromatic components. After ten months of aging the wine is bottled and further refined for a few months. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, pistachios, elderflowers and rose petals. This is a white wine that can age.

Roeno Trento DOC Extra Brut,  Classic Method made from 100% Chardonnay (Trento). Harvest is by hand then a soft pressing of the Chardonnay grapes follows. Vinification is  90%  in steel and 10% in tonneaux. The following spring the bottling takes place with the addition of selected yeasts. The manual remuage is carried out after a stay on the lees for at least 48 months.  Disgorgement with the addition of the liqueur d’expedition. Hints of yeast, fresh fruit, brioche, peach, pear and a note of almonds.

Mionetto Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiorem DOCG Brut (Veneto) made from 100% Glera. Grapes are carefully selected and gently pressed in order to extract only the free run must.  Then, the first fermentation without maceration in stainless steel tanks takes place, followed by the spumante Charmat method process in tanks. Alcohol 11% and residual sugar 9-12 g/l. The wine has hints of ripe fruit, honey, pear and, acacia blossoms

Le Forconate Tìcche Toscana Rosso DOC made from Sangiovese and Merlot.  The grapes are vinified in steel at a controlled temperature between 70°F and 79°F.  Aging: a short stay in stainless steel and then in barrique for at least 12 months, which allows it to develop its complex flavors and aromas. The wine has hints of cherry, currant, blueberry and a hint of violet.

Poggio Salvia Torre Zambra made from 100% Pecorino  (Abruzzo).  The wines are sustainable, certified organic and vegan. The vineyard is on soils rich in sand, limestone and sandstone at 120 to 200 meters. The wine is vinified in stainless steel at a controlled temperature and remains in steel tanks unit it is ready to be bottled. This is a crisp balanced white wine with hints of apricot, mango, white peach and pineapple.

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June 20, 2025 · 1:41 am

ITALIAN APERITIF WEEK FEATURING FABBRI 1905

Fabbri 1905, the renowned family-owned Italian company and global leader in premium food and beverage ingredients, is bringing the timeless ritual of aperitivo to New York City with the inaugural Italian Aperitif Week, taking place June 13–22, 2025.

This 10-day event invites New Yorkers and international visitors to experience the authentic spirit of Italy across ten prestigious venues in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Each participating restaurant will offer a signature cocktail crafted with Fabbri’s premium ingredients and paired with regional delicacies from Tuscany.

For Italian Aperitif Week, mixologists will work with standout products introduced to the American public for the occasion, such as Fabbri Gin and Marendry (a modern twist on a 1950s bitter), alongside the brand’s most iconic ingredients, including the legendary Amarena Fabbri and the newest additions to its creative repertoire: Strawberry and Ginger.

I attended the event at Kesté Pizza e Vino (77 Fulton St., Manhattan).  The Mixologist was David Altamirano.

One of the speakers was Federico Fabbri, Export Sales Director at Fabbri, who spoke about the company and the American market. He told us that “Our products are the perfect allies for those who love to experiment in the world of mixology— take, for example, Marendry, a historic Fabbri liqueur made using the traditional family distillery recipe, or Fabbri’s Gin, infused with the purest Amarena Fabbri distillate. Fabbri syrups are born from the company’s century-old heritage and reinterpreted to bring flavor, creativity, and versatility to mixology.

He then introduced a new line of Premium Cocktail Syrups 

“Despite the challenges we are facing in the U.S. market, we are convinced that investing in mixology and the quality of our products represents a unique opportunity. Participating in New York’s Aperitif Week is an important step for us in consolidating our position in the American market and connecting with professionals in the field. This event allows us to showcase our creative solutions, innovate, and continue to be a reference point for those seeking high-quality ingredients and contemporary mixology solutions.”

We tasted two Aperitifs.  The first was a Negroni.

The second one was a Mule

I have been buying Fabbri products for many years now both in NYC and in Italy and am especially fond of the Amarena Fabbri cherries in the ceramic jar.

The food was prepared by Roberto Caporuscio, owner of Keste

Fabbri Ginger in Syrup was excellent served with the meats and other Tuscan specialties.

The speakers representing the different partners in the event

In addition to Fabbri 1905, the other partners in the event were

All About Italy, a premium lifestyle and culture magazine that has been promoting the excellence of Made in Italy around the world for nearly 30 years,  Toscana Tourism Promotion Agency and Neos, the airline company part of Alpitour World. It has 17 aircraft, 4 hubs located between Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino, Verona and Bologna and takes its customers to over 60 destinations worldwide.

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June 16, 2025 · 1:48 am

ASTI SPUMANTE AND MOSCATO D’ASTI MEET JAPANESE FOOD

Asti Spumante and  Moscato d’Asti, two sparklers from the Piedmont region of Italy, are typically paired with desserts such as fruit, pastries and especially at the holidays, cakes such as panettone and pandoro.  I was intrigued by the opportunity to try these wines with Japanese food at Zuma, a Japanese restaurant at 261 Madison Ave, New York, NY.

Giacomo Pondini, Director of Consorzio Asti DOCG was the speaker. He explained in great detail both Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti, and the difference between them. It was a very interesting and informative talk.

Asti Spumante DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG come from the Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) strain of grapes.  It is one of the oldest known varieties of wine grapes and grows in the Piedmont regions of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. The zone is located between the Ligurian Coast and the Alps.

Moscato d’Asti is made from the same grape as Asti Spumante and has many of the same flavors and aromas. It is also low in alcohol, around 5% by volume. The difference is that Moscato d’Asti is only slightly sparkling (Frizzante) and it is vintage dated, while Asti Spumante is not dated and is considered a Spumante. Moscato d’Asti should be drunk as close to the vintage date as possible. The two wines share the same DOCG.

For Asti Spumante the grapes are refrigerated at zero degrees until they reach a second fermentation, a process that can be accomplished either according to the “Martinotti Method” or  the complex “Classico Method.” Recently, the range of residual sugars has been expanded from traditional sweet to extra dry, from brut to pas dosé. Asti Spumante is known worldwide as a sparkling wine to be drunk every time there is a reason to celebrate.

There were 9 dishes altogether and they were all excellent. I have listed some of them below. The  pairings were with dry and sweet Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti.

Beef skewer with shishito pepper and smoked chili soy

For Moscato d’Asti, there is a gentle pressing of the grape bunches by a pneumatic press. The must is clarified in order to eliminate the solid residue and any other undesired components it may contain. Alcoholic fermentation takes place through the addition of select yeasts at a controlled temperature.  The limpid and cooled must is poured into large tanks and repeatedly filtered to prevent spontaneous fermentation. Moscato d’Asti does not go through a second fermentation in the bottle.  Instead, the second fermentation is performed in a single tank (autoclave) using the Martinotti method, in which bubbles are trapped in the wine via carbonation in the tank. Yeasts are eliminated by filtration or centrifugation. The wine is then kept in cooling tanks at about -3C so that fermentation does not start.  At the time of bottling, the temperature is raised until fermentation begins.  It is stopped at about 5% alcohol. Fermentation can be stopped and then started so that the wine can be bottled several times a year. This aromatic wine should be enjoyed young when it is at its freshest.

Chef’s sashimi and maki selection

Both Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante have aromas of apricot, pear, peach, honeysuckle, mandarin orange, jasmine and white flowers.

Arione Asti Dry Secco made from 100% Moscato White.Canelli grapes The Extra Dry Asti DOCG by Arione is an innovative wine, giving a new style to ASTI DOCG.  It is an extra dry sparkling wine, dryer and less sweet than the traditional Asti DOCG. A new concept and a new taste for a wine that shaped the history of Langhe and Monferrato territory, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Alcohol12.5. It has a typical delicate muscat aroma and was by far the “driest” wine tasted and the one that went the best with most of the food.

Tre Secoli Asti Extra Dry made from 100% Moscato. 11.5 % alcohol and 16.0 residual sugar. The wine has hints of tropical fruit, peach and pear with notes of vanilla and ripe fruit.

Tenuta il Falchetto Tenuta del Fant Canelli 2023 made from 100% Moscato from vineyards located in Santo Stefano-Calosso with soil of limestone and sandstone marls. Manual Harvest. The wine has hints of white flowers, citrus fruit and sage.

Cascina Galletto Moscato d’Asti 2023 made from the Moscato Bianco Canelli grape from the Cascina Galleto vineyards at 400 meters. The manual harvest is from the end of August  to the first week of September. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, pear, apple and orange blossom.

Gianni Doglia “La Giostra” Moscato d’Asti 2023 made from 100% White Moscato. The soil is limestone – clay. Practicing Organic. Manual harvest. Alcohol is 5%. The wine is fruity with hints of ripe apricots, pears, white flowers and a note of sage.

Yellow tail sashimi green chili relish, ponzu, pickled garlic

Contratto de Miranda Metodo Classico 2017 Made from 100% Moscato grapes. It is produced using the Metodo Classico, or traditional method, which involves a second fermentation in the bottle, giving it a fine and persistent perlage (bubbles). The wine exhibits a complex aromatic profile with notes of dried fruit, pastry, citrus, mango and subtle notes of bread crust due to aging on the lees.

Cocchi Asti Spumante made from 100%  White Moscato. The colors of the flags of the medieval festival “Palio di Asti” are paraded on this bottle that Giulio Cocchi produces with more than one hundred years of experience.  The wine has the aromatic fragrance of the Moscato grape, a rich and intense aroma with a fruity taste of wisteria, acacia and honey. It features a well-balanced sweetness and a low alcohol content 7%

Black cod marinated in sakyo miso wrapped in hoba leaf

Ca’dgal Vite Vecchia Moscato d’Asti 2014  The grapes come from three plots of land situated in the Valdivilla Hills. They are combined to create a one-hectare vineyard, planted with an old clone of the white Canelli Moscato, which is now 60 years old. The earth is light and whitish and the higher percentage of limestone. Since 2003 the 1,300 bottles are kept each year and only placed on the market in September of the fifth year after the harvest. The wine has hints of ripe mango, apricot and lychee.

Matteo Soria Moscato d’Asti 2013 made from Moscato Bianco à Petits. In the middle between Brut and Extra Dry and leaning to the dry side. The wine has hints of apricot, orange and peach with a note of honey and a touch of orange blossoms.

I enjoyed this opportunity to expand my knowledge of these two classic wines and experiment with tasting them in combination with Japanese dishes.  It was a very successful tasting.

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June 12, 2025 · 2:13 am

Tasting Prosecco DOC in the Dark

The invitation said, “To kick-off Prosecco DOC’s National Prosecco Week celebrations (June 2nd – June 8th), we are pleased to invite you to a cross-sensory tasting experience led by Dr. Hoby Wedler to explore the nuances of Prosecco DOC.”  All of the tasters were asked to wear blindfolds — it was a tasting in the dark.

The speaker was Dr. Hoby Wedler, who has been blind since birth. He is a chemist, entrepreneur and sensory expert. In 2011 he developed Tasting in the Dark in collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola. The tasting was held at Il Gattopardo Restaurant in NYC.

Dr. Wedler spoke about Prosecco

Dr. Wedler said that Prosecco is the leading selling sparkling wine in Italy today. It outsells Champagne in the UK, and sales of Prosecco increase every year in the United States.  Prosecco is produced exclusively in the area of northeast Italy between the Dolomites and the Adriatic Sea. The production takes place in two regions, the Veneto and Friuli Venezia-Giulia in 9 provinces.

Prosecco must be made from at least 85% Glera grapes and must be produced within the DOC and DOCG regions of Northeast Italy. Most prosecco is produced by the Charmart Method (Closed Tank Fermentation) where the secondary fermentation occurs in a closed pressurized tank (autoclave).  Prosecco can range from Brut Nature (zero dosage) to Extra Dry, and even sweeter styles like Demi-Sec. Minimum alcohol content is 10.5% for Bianco, 11.0% for Spumante and Spumante Rose. Since 2020, the DOC rules allow for Prosecco Rosé, which must contain Glera blended with 10-15% Pinot Nero.  It has a minimum period of 60 days of aging before it can be released. 

Dr. Wedler continued.  “During this tasting, many types of Prosecco DOC will be analyzed in conjunction with a custom Multi-Sensory Kit developed by Emotitech designed especially for this experience. The kit will allow guests to engage their tactile and olfactory senses in a way that will help them to have a deeper understanding of Prosecco DOC’s distinctive qualities.”

Then Dr. Wedler had us put on blindfolds so we were completely in the dark. We knew the positions of the wines and he led us through the tasting. There were no distractions, no cell phones, no talking, no looking around, just his voice speaking about the wines and asking questions.   It was a unique experience.

The Prosecco

Antonio Facchin & Figli  Prosecco DOC Treviso Frizzante (Sparkling Prosecco DOC Treviso rope cork) made from 100% Glera from the Trevigian Foothills. The grapes are refrigerated before pressing at a low temperature and then fermentation takes place. Secondary fermentation by the Charmat method for 60 days. Static sedimentation and several rackings before  the wine is bottled. Wine remains in the bottle for at least 30 days before release. Residual sugar is 12.50 g/l and the alcohol is 11.5. The wine has hints of pear, green apple, white peach and a touch of melon. It is Frizzante and contains less carbon dioxide than Spumante and therefore has less bubbles. 

Ca’ Furlan ‘Cuvée Mariana’ Prosecco DOC Rosé Brut 2023 made from 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Noir from an 1,800 acre vineyard at 0-80 meters. Training system is mainly Sylvoz alternatively Doppia Cortina and the average age of the vines are 10 to 15 years. There is a gentle pressing of clusters with membrane presses, immediate skin separation and static cold-setting for clear must. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in controlled temperature tanks at low temperatures, utilizing cultured yeasts. Residual Sugar 11g/l. The wine has hints of fresh cherry, strawberry, a touch of rose petal and a hint of raspberry.Ruggeri ‘Argeo’ Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut  made from a minimum of 85 % Glera and other local white grape varieties up to 15% from the hillsides of the first slopes of the Dolomite mountains in the extreme north of the Province of Treviso. Vinification is off the skins at a controlled temperature of 18C for about 8 days followed by a slow second fermentation in large sealed vats at 14-15 C . Residual sugar 12g/l/ Alcohol 11%. The wine has hints of white flowers, golden apples, white peach, a note of lemon and crisp acidity.La Gioiosa Prosecco DOC Brut The training system is single espalier, double canopy and radiating systems.  Harvest is the second 10 days in September. Whole grapes are put into the pneumatic press for soft pressing and the resulting must, after a first racking, is put into controlled temperature tanks where it remains until it is used for the production of the sparkling wine. In the second fermentation the must with added cultures in then put into the vessels where fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature. Upon reaching the required alcohol and sugar content fermentation is stopped by refrigeration. After a short settling period the sparkling wine is ready for bottling. Residual sugar 12m g/l and 11% alcohol. The wine is fruity and flowery with hints of golden apple, citrus and white peach and a touch of green tea.

Fantinel Prosecco DOC Extra Dry made from 100% Glera. Harvest is at the beginning of September and vinification is by the Charmat method. Alcohol 11.5 %. Floral and citrus notes with hints of apples and pears and nice minerality.

Perlino Prosecco DOC Rosé Extra Dry 2023 made from 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Noir.  The grapes are pressed and then there is a separation of the must from the skins within 48 hours. The temperature controlled second fermentation is at 18 to 19 C (natural fermentation in sealed tanks, which leads to the formation of carbon dioxide, enhancing the aromatic and fruity notes), facilitated by selected yeasts and subsequent aging on the fermentation yeasts for at least 60 days. The residual sugar is 15 gr/l and the alcohol is 11%. This is a fresh fruity sparking wine with hints of strawberry, raspberry and peach with touch of lemon and a note of white flowers.

Tasting these wines blind really made me focus on the qualities and flavors I was experiencing.  I’m happy to say that I did not knock over any wineglasses as I made my way through the tasting.

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