Italy: La Cantina Pizzolato - Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG (Organic, Vegan-Friendly)

Grape variety: 100% Glera. Dry. Certified Organic. 

This is a superior Prosecco in every way - a totally different kettle of fish to bog standard Prosecco! 

Prosecco production is centred in northeast Italy, spanning the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions. The production area covers nine provinces, with the highest quality production anchored by the historic hilltop towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, located about 50 km (31 miles) north of Venice.

The Prosecco DOC area is a large, broad production zone covering plains and hills across Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The cheapest, mass-market wines are produced on the plains.

This wine however comes from the DOCG area of Valdobbiadene, DOCG being Italy's highest quality classification for a wine producing area. Valdobbiadene is a historic Italian town and UNESCO region. Unlike the humid low-lying plains from where mass-market Prosecco originates, Valdobbiadene's hillside vineyards are at higher altitude and benefit from cooling breezes that significantly lower humidity and disease risk, while the number one aim of Valdobbiadene's producers (bound by the law of the DOCG) is to achieve quality over quantity. 

Far too few producers in the Prosecco region manage their vineyards organically, meaning a high use of chemical pesticides. Not so with Cantina Pizzolato: the pioneering Pizzolato family have been producing organic (and vegan) wine since 1991. This is all thanks to the vision of Settimo Pizzolato who has insisted on achieving the highest possible environmental standards. Some in the region have followed, but many more need to do so. But becoming organic reduces yields and therein lies the problem for those churning out the cheapest bottles, with their incredibly narrow profit margins; not to mention the power and influence of the chemical companies.

This wine is an antidote to the all-too-common overly sweet Prosecco. It's a dry style yet still fairly fruit-forward while the palate is gentle yet nicely structured, the bubbles have finesse, and it's well balanced. Great as an aperitif, but I think this wine comes into its own accompanied by food/nibbles.

I have finally found a Prosecco that I am (very) happy to drink, from a producer I greatly respect! 

Food Pairing

Drink as an aperitif with nibbles (e.g. goat cheese crostini, smoked salmon blinis) and with prosciutto crudo, fresh mozzarella/burrata, caprese salad, seafood dishes.