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Chilled prosecco in a flute is appropriate for both celebrations and as an aperitif before a lavish meal. The sparkling white wine is a favourite with many people, especially those who’re looking for an inexpensive substitute for champagne. Prosecco may have come into the limelight in recent years, but it has had an interesting rise to fame.
It is believed that the grape which is used to produce Prosecco—Glera—is of Slovenian origin and was likely cultivated in the vineyards of the Italian village of ‘Prosecco’ in Trieste, which shares a border with Slovenia. The Romans of the area referred to it as ‘Puccino’ around 200 BC. The first written mention of prosecco was found in a poem written by Aureliano Acanti in 1754.
While France has a Champagne region, Northeastern Italy has a region dedicated to prosecco. White sparkling wine that is produced using grapes grown outside of this region cannot be labelled ‘prosecco’. This is to ensure that the characteristics associated with the Italian fizzy wine are protected. Francesco Maria Malvolti first linked the Conegliano Valdobbiadene region and prosecco in 1772, but it was only in the 1930s that the boundaries of the area reserved for the production of prosecco were officially outlined.
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The sales of prosecco in the UK and across the world increased because producers decided to take advantage of a gap that existed in the market. Wine drinkers were only able to choose between expensive bottles of champagne or cava and a few other types of sparkling wine that were considered inferior, all of which were at the other end of the spectrum.
Some Italian wine producers changed their marketing strategy and prosecco brands became a phenomenon. A good bottle of prosecco was much cheaper than champagne and producers exploited the sudden increase in demand. Intelligent marketing campaigns have ensured that the drink has gone from being a fad to an important part of the wine market.
Prosecco is often used to make different cocktails, like the bellini and kir royale. Here are recipes for them, as featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine:
Recipe for bellini
Ingredients:
- 500ml peach purée or peach nectar
- 1 bottle prosecco
Method:
Put the peach puree in a champagne flute up to about 1/3 full and slowly top up with prosecco.
Recipe for kir royale
Ingredients:
- 125ml prosecco
- 15ml Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
- Raspberries for garnish
Method:
Pour 125ml prosecco into a champagne flute glass. Top with 15ml of Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur. Garnish with one fresh raspberry.
