Due to recent illness, I’ve regretably had to miss two wines events in the last week, but, restored to health, I can happily report on the Prosecco event I attended yesterday.

For those unfamiliar with Prosecco, it is a sparkling wine, generally from Italy. Keeping things simple, the grape variety is Prosecco, the region is Prosecco and the wine itself is called Prosecco. In a word, Prosecco.

The highest quality Proseccos are those with the Prosecco DOC designation, which means that the viticulture and vinification all conform to the appellation laws and are regulated by the local consortium. The appellation is primarily demarcated by two main towns — Conegliano and Valdobbiadene — located within the province of Treviso, which lies approximately 30 miles from Venice. Within this area, there are 3,500 growers and 135 producers.

The Prosecco grape is indigenous to this area and thus thrives in the region’s hilly vineyards, at the foothills of the pre-Alps. The days are warm, with cooler nights, allowing for aromatics to develop in the grape. The most superior vineyards are located in the village of Cartizze in which there are 267 acres planted. Here, the vineyards have a southernly exposure, better soils and yields are kept lower. Consequently, these wines are highly prized.

Upon harvest, the grapes are crushed and pressed as with any white wine, and fermented in stainless steel tanks for 15-20 days at at temperature of ~65°F. It is then racked, clarified and filtered before being placed in large stainless steel vats.

Utilizing the Charmat method of producing a sparkling wine, concentrated grape must and yeast are added to the vat, whereby a secondary fermentation begins and is held for 45 days. During this period, the CO2 produced by the fermentation is trapped in the vat and adds sparkle to the wine. The sediment from the spent yeast is then removed and the wine itself bottled. Unlike the traditional method (the method used in Champagne), the process is conducted en masse in the vat, rather than in the individual bottles. Accordingly, the fresh and fruity aromas and flavors of the wine are retained and yeasty/bready notes are less prominent than in Champagne and Champagne-style sparklers.

With the quick production method, Prosecco makes its way to the market within the same year as it is harvested. It is expected to be drunk in its infancy to best enjoy its freshness. Prosecco pairs well with many foods from seafood and fish to vegetables, cream cheeses and Asian foods. It can also be a nice match with slightly fried foods as the acid in the wine washes away the oil from the palate. Sweeter styles can also go well with lighter desserts.

Pale lemon in color and with a medium bead, Proseccos tend toward a floral bouquet, with notes of white fruits (apple, pear and citrus) on the palate. It is lower in alcohol than many wines, averaging about 11% abv. Wines labeled as Brut will be drier than those labeled as Extra Dry, which is true of all sparkling wines. Wines from Cartizze will be labeled as such and generally are slightly sweeter than the Extra Dry.

Their crisp acidity, fresh fruit flavors and sparkle make Proseccos a great wine for the summer. Perhaps even more refreshing is their price. The generic Proseccos (those from outside the delimited area) start as low as $9.00/bottle, with the better Prosecco DOCs running $15-$20 and the Cartizzes ranging from $25-30, placing these wines well within reach for every day drinking. Why not open one today?

Yesterday, I attended a seminar and luncheon presented by MHUSA on alternate closures. For those unfamilar with non-alternate closures, they are in a word — cork. As alternatives, the wine industry hs turned to screw caps and crown caps among other products. NB: Crown caps are used for sparkling wines, while screw caps are found on still wines.

Cork has been the method of choice for wine closures for centuries, but recent failure rates (reports of which range from 2-12%) are no longer acceptable. The primary failure in question is that of cork taint, caused by a reaction of the Tri-ChloroAnisole (TCA) bacteria with chlorine/chlorinated-compounds. This negative reaction begins on the surface of the cork and then spreads to the wine itself, rendering it undrinkable and smelling like my wet, moldy basement (or anyone’s wet, moldy basement for that matter).

The discussion took place among a distinguished panel of winemakers hailing from Domaine Chandon (CA) and Greenpoint (Aus) as well as the off-premise (Acker Merrall) and on-premise (Mark Hotel) trade and centered on the changing use of alternate closures in the industry.  While many people historically associate screw caps with less expensive wines, their use in fine wines is becoming more prevalent. Notably, 90% of all wine made in New Zealand from the 2006 vintage will be bottled under a screw cap or crown cap. Australia lags behind with a figure of 45%. Of further interest, market figures show a positive acceptance of the alternate closures in Japan, which is among the most traditional markets.

The U.S. consumer has been somewhat slower to demand alternate closures than their Southern hemisphere counterparts, but none of the panel members indicated any real resistance. The technology has evolved dramatically, especially over the last two years, making these closure choices near perfect. They seem to overcome issues of cork taint, oxidation (spoilage by contact with O₂) and reduction (off-flavors from a lack of O₂). However, they are not without their critics and APCOR (the trade organization representing the cork industry) has recently launched its own campaign to laud the advances made in cork technology to address its (former) failures. The U.S. campaign is fronted by an MS (whose name escapes me at the moment) and Lisa Airey of the Society of Wine Educators. I am confident that this debate will continue throughout this decade.

At the conclusion of the seminar, we had the opportunity to taste through two samples each of five wines (one under cork and the other under screw or crown cap). Since these were young wines (the oldest was 2003), the comparison was less evident, but it did appear that the caps retained the freshness and fruit slightly better than the corks. However, only time will tell.

In the meantime, it is clear that both traditional and alternate closures have their place in the market. The merits of one or the other aside, nothing can substitute for proper storage of your wine in order to preserve their quality. Expose your wine to light, heat and/or vibrations and you will be screwed, regardless of the closure on the bottle!

When we’re in the midst of a given season, the weather usually seems so distinct at the time — a particularly rainy spring, a very hot, dry summer or a mild winter. But, with time and the arrival of the next season, last year’s climate characteristics become a distant memory, if we can recall them at all. Coversely, grape growers and winemakers don’t soon forget these details because those weather patterns will make or break their livelihood. Not only are they concerned about the intensity of the climatic conditions, but also whether the right things happen at the right time.

With the Bordeaux en primeur campaign in full swing, accompanied by reports heralding it as one of the best vintages of all time, the 2005 season had all of the right conditions, perfectly timed to produce amazing grapes. I was not lucky enough to visit Bordeaux last summer, so I can’t vouch for the perfect weather, nor did I check the French weather reports.

However, I was fully aware of the conditions here at home — a beautiful growing season (for grapes, but not other produce), followed by the October deluge, which ruined many vines as the grapes soaked up all the water and split open. For the whites, which were harvested before the rains came, it was also one of the best vintages of all time. These wines are hitting the wineries’ tasting rooms now and over the next few months. Accordingly, if you want to taste some spectacular, fresh and fruity wines, head out to the East End and enjoy!