High summer’s go-to wines: rosé, vinho verde, prosecco.
We visited rosé last week. Vinho verde is delicious, delicate, light wine from northern Portugal you should try.
Prosecco sometimes is called poor person’s Champagne, but that does disservice to sparkling wine that is made in Italy’s Veneto region and tastes great in a plastic cup by the pool.
Champagne is made in Champagne region of France using secondary fermentation in bottle (méthode champenoise). Prosecco is made using cost-efficient Charmat-Martinotti method where secondary fermentation occurs in bulk tanks.
Prosecco typically is sweeter and fruitier and significantly less expensive than Champagne.
Prosecco also is enjoying a meteoric rise in popularity, which generated this year’s windy wine worry: the Great Prosecco Shortage of 2015.
Italy’s prosecco region suffered a tough year in 2014, reducing crop yields, but not as much as Chicken Littles clucked. Italy’s Procecco DOC Consortium frantically pooh-poohs fears. Furthermore, California, led by Barefoot—wine’s fastest growing brand—stepped into any possible prosecco paucity with an array of options that might not be Italian Veneto vino, but serve as a pleasant, affordable alternative.
Tasting notes (NV means “non-vintage,” meaning juice to make the wine could come from more than one year’s harvest; it is not a bad thing; many high end Champagnes and port wines are NV):
• Fâmega White Vinho Verde NV. Melon, green apple; light clean crisp cutting citrus acidity; touch of fizz; superb summer sipper/aperitif. $7
• Barefoot Refresh Perfectly Pink NV. Sweet grenache-moscato blend; peach, mandarin orange, cherry, raspberry; serve well chilled for beach-pool pleasing pour. $8
• Barefoot Bubbly Prosecco NV. Lemon, apple, citrus; medium dry, fun for a fling; works for bubbly cocktails. $10
• Ecco Domani Prosecco 2013: Light, slightly fizzy, crisp, clean; citrus, green apple, honey; creamy sweet with excellent balancing acidity, nice finish. $11
• Broadbent Vinho Verde 2011. Tart, fresh, light, crisp; green apple, peach, lemon; refreshing; bubbles galore for vinho verde. $11
• Mionetto Prosecco DOC Treviso NV. Crisp, dry, fruity, apples; clean, persistent bubbles; tasty on its own, plus a good mimosa maker. $12
• Lamarca Prosecco NV. Crisp, clean citrus; lemon, green apple; semi-dry, nice acidity, touch of tart; shines as aperitif. $17
Last round: Wine improves with age. I improve with wine.
Email Gus at wine@cwadv.com. Follow tasting notes on Twitter @gusclemens. Website: gusclemens.com. Facebook: Gus Clemens on Wine.