Primed for Prosecco
Sometimes nostalgia wins you over. In early November, Kathy, Kate, Pam and Carolyn decided to taste some wine for the article and enjoy one last visit to Prime Steakhouse, which will be closing soon. In recent years, a special evening of holiday cocktails in the cozy and festive bar area of Prime Steakhouse became an annual tradition for our group of friends and we wanted to go back to experience the setting and say our farewell. 
If you are looking for a festive winter activity, we recommend dinner or drinks downtown in Hanover Square, which is just one block away from the Christmas Tree and ice-skating rink. The whole scene can create a spirited holiday mood if that is what you are craving.
Thinking about the upcoming season of celebrations, we decided to toast the evening with Prosecco. The choice seemed right since we all love Prosecco and it’s that time of year when people might be thinking about what bottle of bubbly to sip or serve at an upcoming holiday party!
Delivering on the bubbles and avoiding the calories, Prosecco is a great addition to any celebration, especially when you want that ritual of popping a cork.
So, what is Prosecco exactly? A popular member of the sparkling wine category, Prosecco is produced from the Glera grape grown in the Vento and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions of Italy. Champagne and Prosecco use different grapes as well as a completely different production process. Specifically, “Prosecco is produced using the Charmat Method, which means that, instead of the second fermentation occurring in the bottle [like Champagne], it takes place in a large stainless steel tank. This means that the sparkling wine itself has far less – and less extended – contact with the lees [sediment including grape skins, dead yeast cells, seeds, and stems], allowing the fruit character to shine through.” Brian Freedman, “What’s the difference between Prosecco and Champagne” Food and Wine, January 5, 2023. It follows that the taste of Prosecco is often slightly more fruit forward than Champagne.
As you may have noticed, Prosecco and other sparkling wines are identified on a scale of dry to sweet, which can be a huge help in choosing the bottle that is right for you. As explained by Kate Dingwall, there are seven classes of sweetness levels. The driest sparkling wines are Brut Zero followed in order by Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec and Demi-Sec, and then Doux, which is the sweetest and is often used as a dessert wine. Kate Dingwall, “A Guide to Sparkling Wine’s (Often Confusing) Sweetness Terms” Wine Enthusiast, June 24, 2024. Most Proseccos fall into the Brut category.
In addition to levels of sweetness, there are also categories of effervescence. Did you ever notice that some sparkling wines have more bubbles than others? That “bubbliness” is the effervescence, and it is categorized into three major types: 1) Spumante is the iconic high effervescence sparkling wine with intense and persistent bubbles; 2) Frizzante is less fizzy with small, gentle bubbles and 3) Tranquillo is a still wine with no bubbles at all. The popularity of the category correlates to the amount of bubbles with Spumante being the most popular type of Prosecco and Tranquillo the least common and rarely found outside of Italy.
Now that we all have learned a bit more about Prosecco, let’s turn to the wine tasting.
To recap our novice approach to tasting: none of us is a wine expert but we know what we like and are happy to share our unbiased opinion with you. To keep things consistent, we developed our own unique rating system: pass, glass, bottle, case; you can interpret it as 1, 2, 3, and 4 stars.
Zonin Sparkling Prosecco Brut (Abruzzo, Italy)
Kathy and Pam liked this bottle. Kathy enjoyed the crisp, citrus flavor and thought it had just the right amount of fizz. Carolyn didn’t particularly appreciate the minerality but otherwise thought the glass was tasty with just the right amount of fizz. Kate liked the idea of a single serve bottle which is convenient if you only want one glass since it stays fresh and bubbly. As for taste, Kate found this little choice crisp with a prominent mineral taste.
Winemaker: The flavor profile is clean, crisp, and fruity with core fruit flavors, citrus and almond notes. The palate is roundish and refreshing with lively acidity.
Rating: Buy a BOTTLE.
LaMarca Rosé Prosecco Brut (Veneto, Italy)
We all loved this selection. Kathy identified hints of berry and peach and enjoyed the fruity flavor, recommending it for any celebration. Kate mentioned the crisp, light, refreshing taste with just the perfect amount of sweetness. Planning ahead, Kate is picturing mixing this Prosecco with those mimosas on Christmas morning. For sure, LaMarca is our recommendation for bubbly Holiday Cheer.
Winemaker: The flavor profile boasts classic notes of fresh-picked citrus, honeysuckle, peach and pear, blended beautifully with hints of ripe red cherry, raspberry, and wild strawberry. Zesty, refreshing and effervescent.
Rating: Buy a CASE or two.
Cheers to all from Kathy, Kate, Pam and Carolyn.
