Greetings, Erte was good if a bit cozy there in the bar. Last I heard, we're doing Italian at Arezzo. Anyone know if Bob was able to make the reservation? Bob Lori Betsy Bill Janet Russ/Sue Jim/Louise Karin Nicolai Arezzo Ristorante 612 285-7444 5057 France Ave S, Minneapolis, 55410 www.arezzo-ristorante.com ----- Forwarded message from The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> ----- Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:25:49 -0400 (EDT) To: jellings(a)me.umn.edu Subject: 30SecWineAdvisor: Summer fizz - Prosecco From: The 30 Second Wine Advisor <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> X-Sender: <wine(a)wineloverspage.com> X-Greylist: IP, sender and recipient auto-whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-1.6 (smtp-relay.enet.umn.edu [128.101.142.227]); Wed, 29 Jun 2005 13:25:56 -0500 (CDT) X-Spam-Score: 0 () X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.51 on 128.101.142.227 THE 30 SECOND WINE ADVISOR, Wednesday, June 29, 2005 ________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S SPONSOR: * CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB International Series - New Zealand! http://www.cawineclub.com?Partner_ID=winelovers ________________________________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE * SUMMER FIZZ - PROSECCO Challenging the conventional wisdom with a fun and fizzy bubbly from the Veneto. * ZARDETTO PROSECCO BRUT ($11.99) Sparkly, crisp and dry, a fine aperitif will also work as a table wine. * ADMINISTRIVIA Change E-mail address, frequency, format or unsubscribe. ________________________________________________________________________ SUMMER FIZZ - PROSECCO If ever there was a wine to counter the conventional wisdom, it must be Prosecco, the fun and fizzy Italian sparkling wine fromm the Veneto. Throw out those notions that proper bubbly must be hand-made stuff, made from only the noblest of Chardonnay and Pinot grapes and fermented in the individual bottle. Prosecco comes from grapes you probably never heard of (Prosecco, mostly, and Verdiso, perhaps with splashes of Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay); and it's produced in bulk, carbonated in large vats by the much-maligned "Charmat process" that's usually associated with plonkish industrial fizz. But for some reason that I've never fully understood but am quite willing to enjoy, Prosecco consistently succeeds where so many of Champagne's imitators fail: It's crisp, dry, fresh and fizzy, a delicious wine for a summer aperitif or even at the dinner table. You'll occasionally see still or lightly sparkling ("frizzante") Proseccos, but most of it comes fully carbonated under a Champagne-style cork that flies out with a similar pop. Don't make the mistake of comparing Prosecco with Champagne - it's a different wine with a different personality at a decidedly different price. Look for Prosecco in the range from less than $10 to, at the outside, under $20. For style, quality and value, I would choose any random Prosecco in an instant over most Spanish cavas, American low-end sparkling wines or any other bubbly in this price range. ________________________________________________________________________ PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or other wireless device. http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/print050629.html ________________________________________________________________________ TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE If you'd like to ask a question or comment on today's topic (or any other wine-related subject), you'll find a round-table online discussion in our interactive Wine Lovers' Discussion Group, where you're always welcome to join in the conversations about wine. http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/index.phtml?fn=1&tid=62875&mi… If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine(a)wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit. ________________________________________________________________________ ZARDETTO PROSECCO BRUT ($11.99) This is a clear, very pale greenish-gold wine that pours up with a frothy fizz when the Champagne-style cork is popped; it quickly settles back to a lasting stream of bubbles in the glass. Apples, a whiff of clover honey and a delicate hint of wildflowers mingle in an exceptionally pleasant aroma. Crisp and dry tart-apple flavors are near bone-dry, with a frothy, prickly mouthfeel and mouth-watering lemon- squirt acidity in a long finish. Bright and refreshing, it's an appealing summer sipper, but good balance and crisp acidity make it a fine food wine, too. Marketed (at least in the U.S. and Canada) with the English word "bubbly" all over the neck label, it's made in the Prosecco village of Canegliano. U.S. importer: Winebow Inc., NYC; Leonardo Locascio Selections. (June 28, 2005) FOOD MATCH: A simple pilaf-style chicken-and-rice dinner seasoned with lots of tarragon, ginger and garlic made a spendid match, enlivened by a splash of fresh lemon juice stirred into the dish at serving time. VALUE: Champagne, $30. Prosecco, $12. Next question? (It's also worth shopping around, as online prices for this item vary more than 100 percent, from below $8 to $15.) WHEN TO DRINK: Like all affordable bubblies, it's ready to drink and won't benefit from further aging; but a year on the wine rack or in the fridge won't kill it. PRONUNCIATION: "Prosecco" = "Pro-seh-ko" WEB LINK: Here is the U.S. importer's fact sheet on Zardetto Prosecco: http://www.winebow.com/wine_det.asp?ID=523 FIND THIS WINE ONLINE: Compare prices and seek vendors for Zardetto Prosecco on Wine- Searcher.com. http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Zardetto%2bProsecco/NV/-/USD/A?referring_… ________________________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: * WineLoversPage.com RSS Feed (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/rss/ * 30 Second Wine Advisor, daily or weekly (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/index.shtml * Wine Advisor FoodLetter, Thursdays (free) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/foodletter.shtml * Wine Advisor Premium Edition, alternate Tuesdays ($24/year) http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/premium.phtml ARCHIVES: For all past editions: http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/thelist.shtml CONTACT US E-mail: wine(a)wineloverspage.com SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: For information, E-mail wine(a)wineloverspage.com ________________________________________________________________________ ADMINISTRIVIA To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, switch from weekly to daily distribution, or for any other administrative matters, click to http://www.wineloverspage.com/admin.php?id=20970&cs=7d1109b668af1f87d36… We welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. We do not use this list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail to anyone. All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry. Wednesday, June 29, 2005 Copyright 2005 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved. ----- End forwarded message ----- -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *