Long familiar to Venetians as the magical city’s aperitif and partner to antipasti, Prosecco is popping up in Italian restaurants from Vienna to New York.
Prosecco (the name of the grape and the wine) is produced in the verdant Alpine foothills of the Veneto region a couple hours north of Venice by car. Along this drive through the province of Palladian villas, the charming city of Treviso (ironically, the headquarters of Benetton) would be the midpoint.
Prosecco is typically an Extra Dry bubbly, whereas the prototype for Champagne fits into the even drier Brut category. For perspective, Asti Spumante, from Piemonte in northwest Italy, is a sweet sparkler made from Moscato grapes. The French would categorize Asti Spumante as Doux (“sweet”), as opposed to “Brut” or “Extra Dry.”
As is the case with France’s Champagne, most Prosecco on the national and international markets is made and sold by big “houses” whose large production derives mainly from grapes purchased elsewhere, from a variety of different sources. Those truly special, limited-production Champagnes from artisans like Jacques Diebolt are found in the great restaurants of the Champagne region, and in Paris and Lyon. A modest percentage of his stock is exported.
The situation is similar with the lovely Bele Casel Prosecco produced by Danilo Ferraro. Bele Casel enlivens the palate in Venice, Padova, and Verona in the Veneto region, as well as in Rome and Milan. Danilo’s fruit comes from the village of Saccol, in the heart of the heart of the Prosecco zone’s best vineyards, nestled within a tiny triangle just east of the town of Valdobbiadene. The steep slopes of this very special area jut out in obvious contrast to the gently rolling hills that quickly give way to flatlands encompassing the entire Prosecco zone.
Prosecco’s newfound popularity and relative affordability are swelling the already-too-high number of innocuously pleasant and easily forgettable bottles. Fortunately, Bele Casel is anything but forgettable. Its bouquet is delicate, with notes of melon and peach. In the mouth, it is crisp and dry, with a subtle streak of almond. Le bollicine (doesn’t that sound better than “bubbles”?) arise in a fine bead.
Please note that we literally cannot keep Danilo’s exceptional Prosecco in stock year-round; his vineyards produce only so much wine.