National Prosecco Day; I’ll Drink to That!

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By Alberto Amore

Prosecco is the best selling sparkling wine in the world and more than 4 million cases have been sold in the US alone, so it is only proper that we celebrate with a glass or two.

National Prosecco Day will be held on August 13. The day will be marked with festivals, promotions and all manner of Prosecco based treats. Think, Ice cream strawberries and prosecco, Pizza and Prosecco tours and Prosecco donuts! If that isn’t living the sweet life, I don’t know what is.

Prosecco is named after the Italian village in the Veneto region near the city of Trieste where the grape and wine has its origins. Most Prosecco wine is still a product of this region although grapes can be sourced from Brazil and other countries.

Prosecco is a variant of sparkling wine which can be enjoyed in the very celebratory and bubbly ‘spumante’, the effervescent ‘frizzante’ or the relaxing ‘tranquillo’. Being Italian, these bottles of bubbly are very fresh and uncomplicated heralding the arrival of autumn in Europe and reflecting on the fruits of the season’s harvest.

Described as sharp and intensely aromatic, Prosecco speaks to apple, pear, peach and apricot flavors.  Like almost everything Italian, it is effortlessly sophisticated. The world’s favorite sparkling wine is usually served fresh from the bottle much like its rival champagne.

The Italian version is often enjoyed romantically as an Aperitivo, that is before dinner or after a dining experience, served straight. Aperitivos were created in Italy in the 18th Century as a method of opening one’s palette for eating and varies from region to region. In some areas, Prosecco would be enjoyed with olives and cheeses while other regions would have a hearty offering ranging from bread and cold cuts to pasta and sauteed’ vegetables.

Another popular method of enjoying Aperitivo is with a traditional Italian cocktail such as a Bellini which pairs Prosecco with puréed white peaches, or a spritz, popularized when Italy was under the Austrian -Hungarian empire in which prosecco is complimented by a bitter liqueur such as Aperol or Campari.

Gold Medal winner and highly prized Prosecco maker, Riondo Prosecco created ‘National Prosecco Day’ after earning the highest ranking in ‘Il Mio Vino’ magazine to help celebrate the celebratory drink.

To enjoy National Prosecco Day there are no forms, no registration and no races to run. Simply pick up a couple of bottles of Prosecco, invite some friends over and post the hashtag #NationalProseccoDay. After all, it’s an Italian celebration and can be effortlessly sophisticated.