“Wine is the drink of the gods, tea the drink of women, and water the drink of beasts!” – once said the Scottish philosopher John Stuart Blackie. In fact, we actually know many ladies enjoying a glass (or two) of sparkling wine, particularly during the Christmas season. Talking about bubbles, these are three potential Christmas gifts available on the online wine store Libiamo.
Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG Superiore Extra Dry by Casabianca, Veneto – Italy.
In 2015, sales of Prosecco have finally overtaken champagne in Britain, far outstripping the French rival.
It is the perfect wine to experience an Italian-styled aperitif.
Prosecco is produced with Glera grapes in the North-West of Italy and, by law, it must be labelled only under either of two categories: Prosecco DOC, when produced in one of nine provinces dotting the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, and the even more renowned Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, which can only be made on the hills of Treviso, a province of Veneto.
Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG Superiore by Casabianca has only 11% of alcohol content: apt for delicate drinkers!
With its fine-grained perlage, a light straw-yellow color and an intense, refined perception on the nose (given by the aromatic notes of anise and wisteria), it fits perfectly an Italian-styled aperitif made with focaccia and bruschette.
It is produced by the Manin Family, who started winemaking in 1906. They now cultivate over 40 hectares of land in a sunny and enchanting valley close to Venice.
Gavi DOCG Ardé by Castellari Bergaglio, Piedmont – Italy.
Gavi Ardè is a really outstanding champenois sparkling wine produced in Piedmont. It is made with Cortese grapes, harvested in the southern part of the region for hundreds of years and well known for giving a crisp, lime-scented touch to the wines of Gavi.
“The grapes are hand-picked from the vineyards” says Mario Bergaglio, who owns the Castellari Bergaglio winery. “The clusters are pressed gently and progressively to generate several must fractions, which is then fermented in steel with cultured yeasts. In the spring, the wine is given the liqueur de tirage; it then ferments again in the bottle and matures sur lie for 18 months”.
The qualities of Ardè are immediately evident, at first sight, as the fine-grained and inviting perlage is a clear anticipation of its soft touch and flavor.
“An ideal companion for oysters, scallops or any crustacean", as defined by Terry Kirby on The Independent.A superb aperitif wine, Ardè will also match perfectly with fried vegetables and sea fruits. Daringly, even with Pandoro for dessert!
Franciacorta DOCG Brut by Monzio Compagnoni, Lombardy – Italy.
A wine with strong personality from Franciacorta, the leading territorial source for Italian sparkling wine, expressing all the character of its grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Franciacorta Monzio Compagnoni shows a bold straw-yellow tone, with an extremely fine-grained but persistent perlage.
This wine delivers an intense and fresh bouquet on the nose, which is followed by traditional notes of yeast and refreshed by a slight citrus tone that smooths its effervescence. The taste is intense and long-lasting. Roasted white meats and fish appetizers are perfect companions for this Franciacorta.
Albeit not so popular in the Land of Albion as Prosecco, yet we can foresee a great future for the up and running Franciacorta.
So, which of these wines do you think you would prefer as a gift? You should actually try all of them at Christmas, the perfect scenario where Elegant Italian Sparkling Wines can perform their duty of chilling your girlfriend out and bringing some gaiety at dinners and parties.
Prosecco Spritz: the most famous Italian Cocktail
