Tasting Prosecco on the Porch

Central New Yorkers fill their summers with barbeques, lake visits, vacations, beautiful sunsets, and some of the best weather in the country. Taking full advantage of a perfectly warm but breezy evening, we tasted some delicious prosecco on Carolyn’s front porch in the Strathmore neighborhood. Strathmore, originally built in 1919 as a subdivision called Strathmore by the Park, is a residential neighborhood on the Southwest edge of the City of Syracuse and includes the picturesque Onondaga Park with Hiawatha Lake and an iconic gazebo, which appears as the backdrop for prom and wedding photos for many. Think about taking a walk in our beautiful park, playing pickle ball on the new courts, or listening to Pops in the Park summer concert series.

Just back from a dream trip to Italy where she and her husband followed the Tour de France (yes, this year the first part of the race was in Italy), our friend Kathy brought back Prosecco to share. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to taste this delicious sparkling wine that claims a history all the way back to the Romans.

According to food and wine expert Giada DeLaurentis, “Prosecco is a sparkling wine made in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia regions of northern Italy” and “was named for the small town of Prosecco.”  DeLaurentis goes on to explain, “Prosecco is the term for any wine made with the local glera grape, which may be blended with other grapes to tweak the flavor profile. It is usually a white sparkling wine though it can be found as a rose sparkling wine and even a wine known as prosecco tranquillo.”

Often compared to the other most popular sparkling wines, champagne and cava, prosecco is the fruit flavored option. According to the Huffington Post, “Cava has more citrus notes and hints of pear or quince, but more savory, mineral flavors and less fruity sweetness” while “Champagne, depending on the maker, could be on the lighter or heavier side, with citrus or mature apple flavors and a yeasty tone. It’s also usually more acidic.” Champagne is also widely known as the bubbliest choice.

After thinking through differences between the sparkling wine options, another question popped up (pun intended): what does Brut mean in reference to a sparkling wine? We turn again to Giada DeLaurentis, who explains the terminology as follows: “Winemakers note how sweet their prosecco is using a scale from Dry to Brut. On the sweetest end is Dry (confusing, we know) followed by the moderately sweet Extra Dry, Brut, Extra Brut and the very dry Ultra Brut.”  Both of the wines we tasted were Brut.  Speaking of the wines we tasted…let’s get to it.

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. You’ll notice we had some friends join us so we included their opinions as well.

SYLTBAR BRUT (FUILI, ITALY)

Kathy: Light with a burst of crisp citrus at the end; perfect for a hot summer day.

Kate: Very fresh and refreshing; makes me want to celebrate.

Pam: Delicious, not too sweet with a very light simple flavor; wide appeal.

Carolyn: Crisp, refreshing taste with a light effervescence; tastes great on a warm day.

Eileen: Refreshing and not overly sweet.

Dottie: Good taste, not sweet but very flavorful and light.

Winemaker: This Prosecco unfolds flavors of pear, golden apple, white peach, and lemon. Delightful bubbles, well balanced, clean, clear, crisp, and refreshing.

Rating: Buy a CASE, especially considering this Prosecco is organic and low calorie.

LE COLTURE ROSE BRUT (VALDOBBIADENE, ITALY)

(The one Kathy brought back from Italy)

Kathy: Crisp and bright from the first sip with a hint of floral and fruit.

Kate: So delicious, bubbly and light; makes me picture an Italian winery.

Pam: Very interesting flavor, dry with a little bite at the end; appealing.

Carolyn: Lovely taste, dry with an infusion of fruitiness; just right for a daytime celebration.

Eileen: Drier with a tasty hint of fruit.

Dottie: Light with a fruity flare and lovely blush color.

Winemaker: Subtle rose petal notes join with stone fruit and orchard fruit typical of the Glera grapes. Prosecco character with a shade of pink.

Rating: Buy a CASE.

Cheers to all from Kathy, Kate, Pam, and Carolyn and Eileen and Dottie too.

Carolyn Brown