On the Fizz

 

                         granadillas from the Edgeware Rd.

It has occurred to me that a blog on Bellinis requires a certain amount of specialized knowledge on fruit, Prosecco, and the region of the Veneto, among other things. I have none of these. I like fruit, all kinds- my favorite is the granadilla, a delicious near-relative of the pomegranate, which we eat for pennies in huge quantities in Colombia, but which I can only find here for £1 each, on the Edgeware Rd. And I love wine, though again, my expertise is limited, and my preferences are actually reds from places like the Langhe hills of Piedmont, the La Rioja region in Spain, and the Rhone Valley in France. But please don’t ask me to name them.

Of Prosecco, I only have scant memories of drinks on the Zattere with Mr. Sunday, the 90 year old art collector-amateur Dante scholar, and his wife Fortuna, with whom I once spent a summer in Venice, as you may well recall; and of the long ago deceased, but not forgotten Barto Sanuto, with tales of his family’s prosecco vineyards in the Veneto and his quirky collection of elephant lighters.

But that will soon change…. I am on a mission. And if I have to take a few wine classes, sample some more Prosecco, than she, my partner in crime, the beautacious Bellini, must be worth it.

Interestingly enough, prosecco in England is still rather new. Last October featured the third annual Prosecco tasting hosted by Vino in Villa London, where participants could sample the goods, or take master classes with names like, ‘Prosecco: The Revolution,’ and ‘DOCG: The New Superior Identity of Prosecco.’ I feel these should have exclamation points behind them, or shouted from roof tops near and far.

Did you hear that Vinho Verde?! Are your ears burning Asti Spumante? Prosecco, she is a superior identity!

The information on their site includes the changes in the law in marketing Prosecco, which are crucial to Bellini enthusiasts I think, and which I include here:

‘Prosecco’ is only allowed to be used on the labels of wine from Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia in north-eastern Italy, and the only status’ used will be DOC and DOCG, IGT will no longer exist. DOCG, which is the highest quality status level under the Italian wine regulations, is for the Conegliano Valdobbiadene production area, and DOC for those outside of this superior area. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco will use the term DOCG from April 1st 2010, these clear labelling terms will provide a quality guarantee to the consumer.

All I can say, is she’s come a long way from an ‘every day, any occasion, girl-next-door’ kind of fizz.